RELEASE — For a limited time, eligible toys that have reached the end of their useful life, as well as packaging, can be brought in to participating Walmart Canada stores across Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario for recycling in collaboration with Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) and TerraCycle.
Through December 4th*, Canadians are invited to bring any such toys and their packaging to the participating Walmart Supercentre at 1130 Midland Ave in Kingston.
UPDATE: Thanks to the program’s success thus far, the in-store toy recycling opportunity has been extended through December 31st at all participating locations across Canada.
Accepted toys include board games; paper, cardboard, metal, rigid plastic and wood toys; action figures; dolls; and plush toys and any packaging. Batteries, toys with electronic components or that are battery-operated, and large items that cannot fit into the collection boxes will not be accepted by this program.
Toys or packaging can be dropped into collection boxes located at all participating Walmart Canada stores, near the customer service desk. Eligible toys and packaging collected in connection with this program will be recovered through TerraCycle, for the purpose of recycling and keeping these materials out of landfill.
“At this time of the year, toys are top of mind for Canadians. We’re proud to be offering Canadians the opportunity to recycle well-loved, non-donatable toys in collaboration with Mattel, providing our customers with a more sustainable solution,” explains Marc Ruffolo, Senior Director, Toys, Walmart Canada. “Providing an opportunity for our customers to recycle hard-to-recycle goods, like toys, is just one way we’re making an impact on our journey to becoming a regenerative company.”
“In addition to our take back program Mattel PlayBack, we are proud to collaborate with Walmart and TerraCycle to provide parents with yet another way to responsibly dispose of their Mattel products that have reached the end of their useful life with the aim of keeping these valuable materials in play and out of landfill,” said Pamela Gill-Alabaster, SVP Global Head of Sustainability and Social Impact at Mattel. “As we work to achieve our goal of 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic materials in our products and packaging by 2030, collaborations like these help us to contribute to the circular economy.”
“Through the Toys Free Recycling Program, all brands of well-loved toys can now be diverted from landfills,” said Tom Szaky, CEO and Founder, TerraCycle. “It’s through beneficial collaborations, like the one we enjoy with Walmart Canada, and ground-breaking initiatives, like the Toys Free Recycling Program, that drive the importance of recycling, elicit change in the consumer and lead to the preservation of our environment for future generations to come.”
Learn more about this program and accepted waste
TerraCycle works with major manufacturers and retailers to recycle “difficult-to-recycle” products and packaging that would normally be thrown away. To learn more about TerraCycle and its innovative recycling solutions, please visit terracycle.ca.