Your child is growing fast, and with that comes the dilemma of what to do with everything they've outgrown. From your child's once-beloved Thomas & Friends train set to the Little People characters they played with constantly as a toddler, there is a GENIUS (and sustainable!) solution ...

And it means the toys they no longer play with can be passed on and used again.

If you can't give the toys to charity or another organisation - or if they're broken - there is another option. Rather than simply chuck them away, Mattel has introduced a new programme that aims to keep outgrown, unusable and worn-out toys out of landfill.

Mattel PlayBack is a clever toy ‘takeback’ programme that lets parents recycle their eligible Fisher-Price and Mattel toys in a few simple steps. And from our Netmums Families Refocused Survey, we know this sustainability is important to mums and dads.

Our survey found that, for the first time, parents are now thinking about the environment AND price when they shop. In fact, a massive 66% said they wished brands and shops would make it easier to purchase sustainably and ethically.

Which toys are accepted in the Mattel PlayBack programme?

Fisher-Price non electronic toys have just been added to the list of toys you can send back. Hurrah! Which means all those toddler and preschool toys that are past their useful shelf life can be reused to live on.

The Fisher-Price and Mattel toys you can send include:

• Thomas & Friends
• Imaginext
• Barbie
• MEGA toys
• Matchbox

You can find the full list here.

How does Mattel PlayBack work? 

It’s simple. Post off your eligible child’s toys that they have outgrown, that are unusable or worn-out, and Mattel will recycle them. 

They will either be used to make other toys or, for anything that can’t be reused, they will be ‘downcycled’ to make other plastic products or converted from waste to energy.

Where do I send my child’s old toys?

Life is busy enough when you’ve got kids. Which is why it’s super easy to send your toys off for the PlayBack programme. Here’s how …

1. Fill in the form and print a free shipping label at Mattel.com/PlayBack
2. Package up and send back!

That’s your decluttering, sorted.