Old toys being given new life by recycling service

Toys 4 Life collects about seven tonnes of toys a week from around the country

A county's household recycling centres now include containers for toys that can be reused and sent to other countries.

They have been installed at Wiltshire's eight recycling centres for donations to Toys 4 Life and will be emptied weekly.

The toys - which should not be broken - are sorted through and sent around the world to children in places where it is harder to afford new toys.

Charlotte King, a director of Toys 4 Life, said: "We're looking for plastic toys, but we do take cuddly toys as well. As long as they're usable, that's the main thing."

Wiltshire is the first county in the region to offer the donation containers, which in total collect about seven tonnes of toys a week from all over the UK.

Ms King and her mother started the toy collections in 2017, supplying the large bins but also picking up from schools and businesses.

"Toys are a big thing for us - I've got four children. I realised there was nowhere you could reuse except charity shops, but they have restrictions.

"They were getting put into landfill. That's when we started collecting toys. With experience in the export business we found customers and people who wanted to resell. It was definitely inspired by my children," said Ms King.

The containers have been placed at household recycling centres in Wiltshire

She added: "We don't really want to take broken toys. Ideally working toys - any plastic toys, wooden toys, musical toys.

"One thing we don't take is puzzles. We wouldn't have time to check if the puzzles have all the pieces."

The containers can be found at recycling centres in Stanton St Quintin, Melksham, Devizes, Marlborough, Trowbridge, Warminster, Amesbury and Salisbury.