HAND-ME-OVER

Many children’s rooms are stuffed full of toys. Toy cars, dolls, hula hoops, balls, talking stuffed animals and much, much more. Often, kids stop playing with these toys because they have outgrown them or lost interest in them. Nothing wrong with that. But what do you do then?? Put them up in the attic or out in the garage? Throw them away?

ASTRUP Group A/S says, “HAND-ME-OVER” - pass on that toy to someone else who can get some joy out of it. It might be your family, friends, neighbours, charity shops etc., or you could hold onto the toy for the next generation.

At ASTRUP Group, we want to break the “Buy it and chuck it” culture and instead to care for the planet’s resources by encouraging consumers to pass on or sell their used toys to others. Our toys are produced to a high level of quality. They are built to withstand generations’ worth of play, so don’t chuck them away once your child loses interest in them. Our philosophy is:

Buy less – Buy better – Use toys longer – PASS ON YOUR TOYS

We have designes a pictogram that symbolies the idea behind HAND-ME-OER. The pictogram will appear on all our products where printing is possible.

Recycling is trending

Fortunately, recycling is starting to trend meaning that many people - especially the younger generation - are much more aware of their consumer habits. More and more people are buying second-hand toys, furniture, clothes etc..
For many years, buying second-hand mostly meant buying products at a good price in order to save money. Buying second-hand was for people who were less well off. Today, it’s something for everyone and it’s now more about the attitudes and values you have when you buy second-hand. Walking around in second-hand clothes or buying used furniture shows that you care about responsible consumption, the environment and sustainability.  
Can toys always be reused?

Yes and no. A lot depends on the age and condition of the toy. Plastic toys made before 2007 are not suitable for reuse as they may contain phthalates that act as endocrine disruptors. Phthalates are used to soften plastics and there are currently regulations in place in Europe stipulating that plastic toys for small children may not contain these substances. If you buy a toy outside of Europe, on the other hand, and especially if you are not sure if the toy has been tested according to EU regulations, this toy may still contain these phthalates.

However, a little stain or a bit of scuffing is certainly no reason to not reuse a toy. The play value is not at all diminished by a small tear, and kids often don’t notice these things anyway.

The more kids who can enjoy a toy, and the longer the toy can be in circulation, the better it is for the environment.

Where can I give away used or old toys?

Maybe you don’t have any cousins who can take your old toys and maybe you don’t want to keep them for future generations.
If you still want your toys to get a second life, there are plenty of places that will be happy to receive them from you.
Most charity shops, for example, love getting used toys.
Some of these shops may even donate the toys straight to children who need them. These could be socially disadvantaged children in Denmark, children in asylum centres, children in refugee camps or children in children’s homes in the poorest countries. Many of these organisations also sell the toys themselves in their shops, donating their proceeds to good causes.
In Denmark, Mødrehjælpen is another place that loves receiving used toys. Mødrehjælpen supports pregnant women and families with children in particularly vulnerable situations.



If you want to be a part of taking care of Mother Earth, looking after the environment and protecting the earth’s resources for future generations, then only throw away toys that are unsafe to play with. Pass on your toy to someone else.  Think like us: “HAND-ME-OVER”