Manufacturers must help parents cut the toy cull as annual throwaway reaches 44 million toys
According to research from Envirowise, children receive more toys every year than they ever have before. Today, 80% of under twelves receive more than ten toys per year, which equates to at least 65 million toys every year in total (See note 1). Just six years ago, that figure stood at 67%, and at 56% 18 years ago, 46% 28 years ago and 32% prior to that.
Sadly, greater consumption also means more waste 67% of those toys (more than 44 million) are discarded every year whilst still in full working order. Almost 8.5 million of those (See note 2) are thrown in the bin, with dads almost twice as likely (25%) to throw working toys in the bin as mums (13%).
A significant proportion of parents do take steps to avoid throwing recently purchased toys in the bin. Thirty one per cent have given toys to charity and 34% have given them to friends, family and other acquaintances.
However, the annual toy cull still creates a huge landfill burden. This burden could be easily reduced if more people were prepared to repair broken toys and give away outgrown ones instead of throwing them away.
Dr Martin Gibson. Envirowise Director said: It is heartening to see that many people do seek to reuse toys when their own children grow out of them, but 13 million relatively new toys going in the bin every year is still a huge problem. I would urge every parent to view repair and share as the responsible way to deal with toys that are broken or outgrown.
Andrew Nebel, Barnardos UK Director of Marketing and Communications, Barnardos is delighted to see toys pass from child to child, providing fresh fun and enjoyment and, if they are donated to us, creating vital funds for our projects which help more than 100,000 children and their families across the UK. Recycling for a good cause is definitely the way forward!
According to Envirowise, toy makers have an important role to play in helping parents move towards repair and share. Dr Gibson continued: Anyone who has attempted to repair even quite simple looking childrens toys will know that it can be a far from easy process. Small, fiddly components and toys clearly not designed to be repaired often make it a difficult and frustrating experience.
I would urge toy makers to look at cleaner design as a means of simplifying products, making DIY repair a simpler and easier proposition and, ultimately, saving money.
Businesses interested in learning more about cleaner design and how it might be applied to their products can request a free confidential on site consultancy visit* from Envirowise. Envirowise advisors visit firms and spend a day reviewing product design to look for efficiencies.
Note 1: There were 8,308,400 under twelves in the UK in 2003 according to ONS
Note 2: 19% of the total
* Please note that different services are available in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – please contact our Advice Line on 0800 585 794 for more information on whether you are eligible for a site visit.