Continuing the toy story at Kent’s Household Waste Recycling Centres

FCC Environment, who is commissioned by Kent County Council (KCC) to run fourteen Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in Kent, has teamed up with Fibreuse to start a new toy recycling initiative.

Six recycling toy containers have been installed at Ashford, Canterbury, New Romney, Margate, Dover and Sheerness HWRCs and are now accepting toys of any condition.

From well-loved teddy bears, to dolls and action figures, residents will be able to recycle either soft or plastic toys. The items collected will be sorted at the Fibreuse processing site where the toys will either be repurposed, redistributed or recycled.

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

David Wimble, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We’re proud to support this environmentally responsible initiative at our Household Waste Recycling Centres. By giving toys a second life—whether through reuse, redistribution, or recycling—we’re not only reducing waste but also making it easier for families to dispose of unwanted items responsibly.

‘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.”

Vikki Sedgwick, FCC Environment Mid & East Kent Education and Communications Officer said: “I am really excited to be working with Fibreuse as it’s so disheartening to see toys discarded in the general waste. Almost 90% of toys today are made of plastic. The more we can do to reduce the waste this generates and help the circular economy, as well as having a positive impact on the environment, the better, for not only us but future generations too.”

John Neill, Director at Fibreuse, added: “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 —every item placed in these containers plays a part in a more sustainable future.”