How Toys Get Recycled

The onslaught of toys purchased, some 2.6 billion each year, represents a significant amount of potential waste. Although rare, toy recycling programs exist in some cities. San Francisco, for example, allows hard batteries, circuit boards or wiring.

Here is a quick breakdown of the process:

1. Rigid plastics are mechanically and hand-separated from the rest of the waste stream.
2. The plastic is ground up and reduced into smaller pieces.
3. The plastic is then melted and molded, ready to become a new product.

Metal Toys

If you have old metal toys, you can likely recycle them with your local steel recycler.  Use Earth911′s recycling locator to find the one nearest you.

Batteries

Different types of batteries have distinct recycling processes:

Alkaline Batteries (Single-use)

1. The batteries are shredded.
2. The batteries are given a bath to neutralize the electrolytes, which must be done to ensure the wastewater is safe to release into the sewer.
3. The material is then put into a dryer and sent off to be melted down into reusable steel. The zinc is also recovered.

Nickel Cadmium Batteries (Rechargeable)

1. The batteries are disassembled through shredding.
2. Similar to the process for alkaline batteries, the water must be made safe to release into the sewer.
3. The various metals, such as nickel, are recovered and sold back into the manufacturing chain.

Lithium Batteries

1. Through a special process, the lithium is sold back to battery manufacturers to be reused.
2. The batteries are “deactivated” to make them non-hazardous.
3. Any unsafe remains are transferred to a proper hazardous waste facility.