Lego is one of the most popular toys in the world – around 19 billion Lego pieces are produced every year to keep up with demand! And you can see why it is so popular. As well as being fun it promotes creativity, develops fine motor skills amongst many other things. However, it does come with one problem – the plastic bricks are not the most eco-friendly toy options out there! They do not biodegrade, so the longer they stay out the landfill the better. Luckily, with a little effort you can give your Lego a new home. Here we look at some of the most popular options when deciding what to do with your unwanted Lego.
Donate to Lego Replay program
Lego brings a lot of benefits, but it isn’t cheap. This keeps it out the reach of millions of children worldwide who’s family simply cannot afford the luxury. Lego have set up an initiative where you can donate your unwanted bricks via the organization Give Back Box. The bricks are sorted into packs with lots of brick types and colors and sent to organizations such as Teach for America.
It is so simple. The bricks do not need to belong to a particular set – all bricks are welcome, all shapes and sizes. They don’t even need to be cleaned prior to sending. Everything is dealt with when your bricks arrive at the sorting facility. You simply just need to register, print a label and send – and voila, a world of opportunity has been created for a child out there!
Donate your Lego to charity
At present the Replay scheme is not available in most countries. However, donating to the Lego Replay scheme is not the only way others can benefit from it. Charity shops across the country will be delighted to see you walk through the door with your unwanted Lego – full sets or otherwise. Toys are a particularly good seller, especially Lego.
Although the charity is likely to clean it before it goes on sale – especially in the current Covid-19 climate – it is best to give it a clean first. Although a common practice, Lego recommend against washing the bricks in the dishwasher or washing machine. It will be too hot for them and can cause them to become misshapen and unplayable. Instead, they recommend hand washing them in water no warmer than 40 degrees Celsius (hot but not very hot!) with a mild detergent and soft sponge or cloth. Rinse them with clean water afterwards.
An advantage of a do-it-yourself donation is that you can choose the charity that resonates most with you. One that has personal meaning to you. Your used Lego will provides much needed income to cover their great work.
Resell your Lego
People are always willing to part with a decent amount of cash for Lego. From bundles of random bricks to boxed sets, there is always demand. Online selling platforms like eBay or Gumtree are a great place to check out the market.
Lego retains its value well compared to a lot of other toys. If you looking to sell an unopened rare or retired set, you could make a massive profit – amazingly, some sales since 2014 have reached an eye-watering six figures! According to a study, Lego actually performs even better than large stocks, gold and other investments. Not bad for a toy.
If, like most people, you just have a few kilograms of random bricks collected over the years you can make some decent money too. On eBay, at the time of writing, September 2021, 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of mixed Lego sells for around $30. Making some money and decluttering your house, it’s a win-win!
The bottom line
Whatever you decide to do with your unwanted Lego, do not throw it in the trash! Whether you benefit from the warm, fuzzy feeling of donating it to charity or you want make a bit extra cash, anything is better than adding it to the ever-growing landfill pile. Lego Replay is a wonderful initiative but currently only available in the US and Canada unfortunately. Giving it to a local charity will also give other children the opportunity to develop and grow through play. Everyone wins. Including the environment!
