Where to donate toys you no longer need? We have a good way to do it!

Quite a few children have rooms full of toys. They receive more gadgets from grandparents, parents or aunts and uncles. Sometimes the objects don't fit in the cupboards any more, and other times the children simply grow out of them and no longer play with them. Then parents want to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Where can you give toys a second life?

Where do you give away toys you no longer use?

Many parents wonder what to do with their children's unnecessary toys. When the gadgets are in working order, they should not end up in the rubbish. This is when InPost comes to the rescue, offering a free opportunity to send toys back via Paczkomat® machines. How they work Eco-returns ?

InPost is collaborating with the Reclaim the Environment Foundation. Thanks to this, the company offers everyone the opportunity to donate various types of products for further use by other people. All you have to do is go to the Ecofriendly website or launch the InPost Mobile app to register a parcel. To send toys, the user has to select the appropriate parcel size and then enter the category Children's Goods. Once the parcel is registered, the user receives a special sending code. He or she then has to pack the parcel and take it to any Paczkomat® machine.

How do you pack a parcel of toys? The best way is to do it in the spirit of zero waste. Use cardboard boxes, e.g. from your own online shopping, and pack the toys in them. For filling the inside of the parcel, pages of old newspapers or natural fillers like skropak will work well. You can keep the ones you receive in the parcels you send, so that you don't have to buy specially, e.g. non-organic bubble wrap. Paper tape will work best for sealing the cardboard box.

Once your toys have been properly secured, all that remains is to go to the nearest Parcel Machine®. On the screen of the machine, you have to click on the box for sending the parcel and then indicate that you have a sending code. Finally, you scan the QR code from the InPost Mobile app or manually enter the 9-digit sending code on the machine panel. The box opens and all you have to do is put the parcel in it to get it into the Foundation's hands.

What kind of things can be included in a toy parcel for the Foundation? These can include, for example, teddy bears, electric cars, wooden vehicles, abacuses, dolls, toy cash registers, bowling sets, bath ducks, tracks with a train, puzzles, blocks, spinning tops and much, much more.

Donate toys that are no longer used and earn InCoins in the loyalty programme! Give them a second life and visit the 'Rewards' tab in the InPost Mobile app to find out more.

Why donate working toys?

Once you know where to donate teddy bears and other toys, it is worth considering why you should do so. One important reason is that not every child can enjoy new toys on a daily basis. It is not uncommon for orphanages or poor families to run out of teddy bears or dolls. Instead of throwing away toys no longer used by your child, you can bring great joy to those in need. The Foundation donates some of the donated items to charity.

In addition, such activities are part of the green principles of behaviour, which is particularly important in times of climate crisis. Re-circulating products reduces landfill waste and the need for consumerism. Sending a parcel is trivial and you don't even need to print any shipping label. Everything is done for free and the satisfaction of giving children a smile is indescribable.

In the event that someone returns a toy that is damaged or broken and the cost of repairing it is not cost-effective, the Foundation will pass it on to specialised recycling companies. In this way, you can also contribute to the environment, as the materials used to make, for example, a remote-controlled car, will be used to make other items. Therefore, instead of wondering where to put the plastic toys your child no longer plays with, the best thing to do is to take advantage of the free ECO Returns.

InPost's activities are in line with the 3Rs principle, i.e. reuse, reduce and recycle. This means that, out of concern for the planet, unnecessary items or packaging should be reduced to a minimum. Everything possible should be reused. What can be recycled must necessarily go there. This is where simply separating waste proves useful.

A second life for rubbish - ideas

In caring for the environment, it is very important to give objects a second life. This can be done not only through eco-returns, but also through creative use of rubbish. A good example is plastic or glass bottles, which can be used, for example, for artwork with your child. Using tissue paper, buttons or plasticine, they can be used to create colourful characters or flower vases.

Clothes that can no longer be repaired or donated can be used to make cloths for cleaning windows or wiping dishes. Glass from burnt soy candles will work well for storing small items such as crayons and pens, jewellery or make-up brushes. In addition, all cardboard boxes and plastic bags received from online shopping are worth hiding to send parcels in.

In addition, not only toys but also items from other categories, such as Clothing, Electronics, Footwear and Books, can be returned via EKO Returns. In the case of items such as puzzles or building blocks, for example, it is essential to remember to donate complete sets.