Toy Reborn: From Surplus to Sharing, Passing on Love

With the rise of living standards, many children in Hong Kong now own more toys than they need, this coincides with a large amount of brand-new or good quality toys being disposed of, leading to wastage and environmental burden. On the other hand, there are grassroots families who have difficulties getting toys for their children due to financial constraints. The number of toys being disposed of is growing by the day, and as most toys on the market are made of plastics which are difficult to recycle and do not easily decompose, this is becoming a crucial environmental issue.

This year, the CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team has actively supported the “Toy Reborn” project organised by the YMCA of Hong Kong to help promote a culture of recycling and donating toys to children in need. On 16 May, CARE@hkjc initiated a toy drive at the Headquarters and the Sha Tin Communication and Technology Centre. A large number of enthusiastic colleagues contributed to the event by making generous toy and stationery donations.

On 18 May, 20 CARE volunteers and their family members took on the role of “Toy Engineers” to sort, repair, and clean the collected toys. Each volunteer took on different tasks, some cleaned toys, while others made repairs, with everyone thoroughly enjoying the process. Through this experience, the volunteers not only found joy in sharing and helping others, but also deepened their understanding of waste reduction at source. The children volunteers also promised to cherish their toys more in future.

In addition, 12 CARE volunteers participated in the Toy Paint Workshop in the YMCA of Hong Kong Tung Chung Centre on 12 July. The workshop integrated three core ideas of environmental protection and sustainability: waste reduction at source, upcycling, and resource sharing. Using building blocks made from recycled plastic, CARE volunteers encouraged the young participants to unleash their creativity and imagination to collaboratively create unique 3D toy art pieces with a range of themes, including animals and robots. The workshop had a cheerful and positive atmosphere, with everyone enthusiastically exchanging ideas.  When the workshop ended, both the children and the volunteers were all smiles, fully reflecting the joy of upcycling and sharing love.

Through a series of activities such as toy recycling, refurbishment and donation, and creative upcycling, we not only reduced the environmental burden created by excessive toy disposal, but also passed on love and happiness through the toys to more underprivileged families. At the same time, these meaningful activities raise environmental awareness in the community, promote green living, and foster social inclusion.