Parents set to throw nine million toys in household bins before Christmas

• One in five (21%) parents will throw old toys away in the household waste before Santa visits
• Around seven toys per household will end up in the bin, totalling up to nine million
• Less than four out of ten parents will check and remove lithium batteries from toys before they dispose of them which creates a fire risk
• Freedom of information data obtained by Zurich Municipal found that bin lorries hit by blazes has leapt 62% in the last two years alone
• Further research shows found more than 700 fires in refuse trucks and recycling centres were caused by batteries that had been dumped in general waste.

Some nine million¹ toys will be thrown into household bins across Britain before Santa arrives, new research from Zurich Municipal² has revealed.

The poll, of 1,000 parents with children under 11, found that nine in ten (95%) are planning to declutter unwanted children’s toys to make room for new ones this Christmas. However, around one in five (21%) will throw these toys away in the household waste bin, ditching seven toys each on average².

Dads are the biggest culprits for binning unwanted toys with a quarter of men saying they will chuck old toys (24%), compared to a fifth of mums (19%).

Worryingly, fewer than four out of ten (38%) said they will check them for lithium batteries before throwing them in the household waste, raising the risk of bin fires.

A range of toys contain lithium batteries, from remote control cars and helicopter drones to iPads and other gadgets that require re-chargeable power. While these devices are generally safe, the batteries within them could potentially spark fires if damaged.

Last year, research by Material Focus³, a non-profit organisation that promotes the recycling of electrical items, found more than 700 fires in refuse trucks and recycling centres were caused by batteries that had been dumped in general waste.

Freedom of information data obtained by Zurich Municipal this year found that the number of bin lorries hit by blazes has leapt 62% in the last two years⁴. In fact, fire crews in the UK were called to 125 fires in 2022, up from just 77 in 2020.

Donate, re-gift and bin

Zurich’s poll shows almost seven in 10 (68%) parents will donate unwanted toys to charity this year and half (47%) of mums and dads will sell old toys on pre-loved sites – perhaps to help fund Christmas this year.

Furthermore, more than a quarter of parents (28%) will encourage children to gift unwanted toys to schools or hospitals and a fifth (21%) of sustainably minded mums and dads will make sure old items are recycled.

Stephen Curtler, product safety manager at Electrical Safety First, said:

“Never throw away batteries along with your everyday household rubbish or recycling. Standard AA or button batteries risk highly hazardous materials entering the ecosystem, killing wildlife or poisoning water supplies. You can recycle these batteries at most supermarkets.

“Likewise, lithium-ion batteries can cause explosive fires if they get damaged. This means putting items that contain these batteries in your regular waste or recycling bins could endanger people’s lives – even if their power’s been fully used up. Always take them to household waste recycling centres, e-waste collection points or battery recycling drop-off locations.”

Alix Bedford, a risk expert at Zurich Municipal, commented:

“Decluttering before Christmas can feel cathartic and help make room for new toys before Father Christmas visits.

“But over recent years we’ve seen an increase in fires caused by batteries in bins, whether this is batteries sparking fires in bin lorries or at waste centre sites. It can be easy to forget that some toys contain batteries especially if they are old and are no longer working.

“If you want to be on the ‘nice’ list this year, remember to check old toys for batteries and dispose of them correctly – perhaps in the designated battery bins in supermarkets when doing your Christmas food shop.”

Disposing of batteries safely

• Use a local refuse collection: Some local authorities offer the specific option to pick up electrical waste during the usual collection or on request. Contact your local authority or visit their website to find out if this is an option in your area.
• Go to a local recycling bank: Some recycling banks in carparks and designated roadside areas have dedicated bins specifically for the disposal of electrical waste. In fact, some councils, such as Gravesham Borough Council, have installed electrical recycling banks around their boroughs to help reduce e-waste so keep an eye out for these.
• Visit a local authority recycling centre: Bins are typically provided for the safe disposal of batteries.

Notes to editors

^1. Nine million toys:

• The 2021 household labour force data shows there are 5,973,352 households in the UK with a child under 11 years old
• Research shows, 21% of household will dispose of toys in the general household waste before Christmas = 1,254,404
• On average, each household will dispose of seven toys - 1,254,404 x 7 = 8,780,827

^2. Based on an online survey of 1,000 parents with children aged up to 11 years old. The survey was conducted by OnePoll between 24^th November and 28^th November 2023.

^3. www.materialfocus.org.uk/press-releases/over-700-fires-in-bin-lorries-and-recycling-centres-are-caused-by-batteries-many-of-which-are-hidden-inside-electricals/

^4. Freedom of Information requests based on responses from 30 out of 48 UK Fire and Rescue Services contacted by Zurich Municipal