Think about any toy you’ve had that moves, lights up, or makes noise. Maybe it’s a remote-controlled race car, a handheld video game, or a robotic dog. Have you ever thought about what happens to a toy after you no longer want to play with it? It’ll likely end up in the trash. 

Any toy with a plug or battery is an electronic toy, or “e-toy.” According to a recent report, people worldwide tossed more than 7 billion e-toys in 2022. 

Many people don’t realize that e-toys can be recycled. Even if they do, recycling electronics isn’t easy.

“You’re not supposed to throw them away in your regular garbage,” says Callie Babbitt. She’s a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology. “You can’t recycle e-toys by throwing them in the recycling bin outside your house either.”

But Babbitt says there are ways to recycle your old e-toys. And doing so is important for the environment.

Think about any toy you’ve had that moves, lights up, or makes noise. Maybe it’s a remote-controlled race car. It could be a handheld video game or a robotic dog. What will happen to that toy after you no longer want to play with it? It’ll likely end up in the trash. 

Any toy with a plug or a battery is an electronic toy. That’s “e-toy” for short. According to a recent report, people worldwide tossed more than 7 billion e-toys in 2022. 

Many people don’t realize that e-toys can be recycled. Even if they do, recycling electronics isn’t easy.

“You’re not supposed to throw them away in your regular garbage,” says Callie Babbitt. She’s a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology. “You can’t recycle e-toys by throwing them in the recycling bin outside your house either.”

But Babbitt says there are ways to recycle your old e-toys. And doing so is important for the environment.

Phones, tablets, toasters, TVs—we use a lot of electronics each day. In the United States, we produce more than 7 million tons of electronic trash each year. That’s enough waste to fill more than 400,000 garbage trucks!

E-toys are a part of the electronic waste problem. Billions of e-toys are thrown away worldwide each year. 

By one estimate, about 90 percent of them don’t get recycled. Instead, most end up in landfills. Over time, chemicals in e-toys’ electronic components can seep into the soil and groundwater. That can put people and wildlife at risk. 

What’s more, many e-toys contain valuable metals like gold and copper. When e-toys aren’t properly recycled, these metals go to waste.  

We use a lot of electronics each day. Phones, tablets, toasters, and TVs are some examples. In the United States, we produce more than 7 million tons of electronic trash each year. That’s a lot of waste. It’s enough to fill more than 400,000 garbage trucks!

E-toys are a part of the electronic waste problem. Billions of e-toys are thrown away worldwide each year. By one estimate, about 90 percent of them don’t get recycled. Instead, most end up in landfills. Over time, chemicals in e-toys’ electronic components can seep into the soil and groundwater. That can put people and wildlife at risk. 

Many e-toys also contain valuable metals like gold and copper. When e-toys aren’t properly recycled, these metals go to waste.  

So why don’t more e-toys get recycled? For one thing, many people don’t know that they should be recycling them. It’s no wonder, considering the lack of regulations. In the U.S., only 25 states and Washington, D.C., have laws about recycling electronics. But no states have laws that specifically mention e-toys. As a result, many recycling centers don’t accept them.

Also, it’s much harder to recycle e-toys than other items. Some e-toys are glued or screwed together, making it difficult to reach the electronic components inside. Plus, some e-toys contain various types of materials, including plastic and fabric. Each material must be recycled separately, which takes a lot of time and money.

So why don’t more e-toys get recycled? For one thing, many people don’t know that they should be recycling them. It’s no wonder, considering the lack of regulations. In the U.S., only 25 states and Washington, D.C., have laws about recycling electronics. But no states have laws that specifically mention e-toys. As a result, many recycling centers don’t accept them.

Also, it’s much harder to recycle e-toys than other items. Some e-toys are glued or screwed together. This makes it difficult to reach the electronic components inside. Plus, some e-toys contain various types of materials. These include plastic and fabric. Each material must be recycled separately. That would take a lot of time and money.