Every year, Australians spend over $1 billion on buying new toys at Christmas. A staggering 26.8 million toys are thrown in the bin, meanwhile 1.6 million Australians can't afford a Christmas gift for their child. It doesn’t have to be this way.
This year, to help disadvantaged children enjoy a “surprisingly better Christmas”, we are inviting you to help make a change by transforming your pre-loved toy into another child’s Christmas surprise.
Send Us Your Pre-Loved Or Unwanted Toys
From 17th - 17th December 2021, you can send us pre-loved or unwanted toys. Each toy will be professionally upcycled by the Peninsula Senior Citizens Toy Repair Group and donated to grass roots charity We Care Connect to help bring Christmas joy to a number of disadvantaged children this year. Some of the upcycled toys will also be re-sold on the Flora & Fauna website as the perfect Christmas gift, with all proceeds donated to We Care Connect.
By taking in the discarded pre-loved toys and giving them a new purpose, not only are we saving them from landfill, but we’re also fulfilling the wishes of many children who simply want to wake up on Christmas Day to the teddy bear they’ve been dreaming of having.
Toys We Can Take
Before sending us your pre-loved toy, please make sure:
- The toy is not broken, ripped, damaged, soiled or beyond repair. The toy needs to be in good condition.
- The toy does not include any broken glass, sharp edges or splinters
- That you clean the toy with disinfectant solution before posting
- You have removed any batteries from the toy before posting
- The toy is no bigger than 50cm and weighs less than 1kg
How To Donate A Toy
- Select one pre-loved toy from your house to be restored and re-homed. Please ensure it adheres with the donation guidelines below.
- Place your pre-loved toy in a box or postage satchel (try to reuse an old one if you can) with a note telling us the life-story of your toy so far, and post it to Flora & Fauna Toy Recycling Unit 4/25 Loyalty Rd, North Rocks NSW 2151.
- Your toy will then be restored by Peninsula Seniors Toy Recyclers with eco products from Flora & Fauna, to give it a new lease of life
- Once restored, your toy will be donated as a Christmas gift to a child in need through We Care Connect.
- Some of toys will be made available to purchase as the Perfect Christmas Gift
- 100% of the funds raised from rehoming the upcycled toys will go to We Care Connect.
- Any toys that can’t be restored will be recycled.
Tell Us About Your Toy
Before your pre-loved toy starts its journey to a new home, we would love to hear about the history of your toy. So when you post your pre-loved toy, please include a note explaining:
- When it was bought
- Who it was bought for
- Why you’re donating it
- The postcode you are sending it from
- If it has a name (e.g if it is a soft toy)
Our Partners
The Peninsular Senior Citizens Toy Repair Group are real life elves. They repair and upcycle toys (and many other things) so they can have a second life and find a new loving home. Based in Mona Vale on the Northern Beaches of Sydney the group is run entirely by volunteers and we're delighted we're working with them to recycle your old toys.
We Care Connect is a volunteer powered local charity on the Central Coast of NSW rehoming quality preloved children’s essentials with families who need them most. There are over 30,000 children living under the poverty line on the Central Coast and Hunter region. Hopefully we can help a few children have a surprisingly better Christmas.
FAQ's
How many pre-loved toys can I donate? We can accept a few toys per family . Please post to Flora & Fauna Toy Recycling, Unit 4, 25 Loyalty Rd, North Rocks NSW 2151.
Are there any size restrictions for toy donations? We ask that your toy is no bigger than 50cm.
Where do I deliver my toy donation? We are accepting toy donations via post to Unit 4/25 Loyalty Rd, North Rocks NSW 2151. You can drop off your toy to our North Rocks warehouse too. We are unable to arrange pickup of your donation.
What items can I donate? We are only accepting preloved toys for children under the age of 15 which are in good or like new condition. We are NOT accepting any second-hand clothing, shoes, furniture, mattresses, household items, homewares, white goods, green waste, makeup, household waste, books, electrical goods, CD’s, DVDs, or anything that isn't kids toys.
How long do I have to post my donation? We are accepting donations posted from 17th November - 17th December 2021, so that we have enough time to upcycle your pre-loved toy and send it to its next home before Christmas. If you miss the deadline, here are a few companies who may be willing to accept your donation instead but please check their donation guidelines for more information: Dandelion Support Network, Mummies Paying It Forward, Vinnie’s, The Salvation Army.
Will I be compensated for delivery costs? Once your toy has been received and, provided it meets all the requirements above, we’ll give you a $10 Flora & Fauna credit in the same way as we do with our Recycling Program.
What will happen to my toy donation once I post it to Flora & Fauna? Once your toy arrives at our warehouse, we will send it to the Peninsula Seniors Toy Recyclers to be given a new lease of life. It will then either be donated to We Care Connect who will distribute it as a Christmas gift for a child in need or it will be sold online at Flora & Fauna to raise critical funding for We Care Connect to continue to help Aussie children in need. The majority will be donated to We Care Connect.
We hope you'll join us in helping more children have better Christmases this year. Thank you for taking the time to support us in this campaign to help give disadvantaged children something to smile about this Christmas.
Team F&F x
