FCC unveils toy recycling scheme

Waste manager FCC Environment has teamed up with textile recycler Fibreuse to launch a toy recycling initiative in the UK.

FCC Environment runs 14 household waste recycling centres in the county of Kent and special containers for toys have been installed at six of them.

Plastic or soft toys from teddy bears to dolls and action figures in any condition can be dropped off. The collected items will be sorted at Fibreuse’s processing site where they will either be repurposed, redistributed or recycled.

‘A step forward‘

Plastic toys will be shredded and processed and put back into UK manufacturing. Soft toys made from textiles, such as polyester or cotton, are separated and sent into the textile recycling stream on the Fibreuse site.

John Neill, a director at Fibreuse, says: ‘This partnership with FCC Environment marks a real step forward in tackling toy waste at the household level. By capturing toys before they are thrown away as waste, we’re able to recover valuable materials and redirect them back into UK manufacturing. We want to make it easy for families to do the right thing.’

A spokesperson for Kent Council Council adds: ‘This partnership with FCC Environment and Fibreuse is a great example of how we can work together to build a more sustainable Kent, one toy at a time.’