LEGO Bricks Aren't Recyclable, But You Can Donate Them

LEGO Mindstorms robots or Venom figurines might be all the rage right now, but what happens when your kid grows up and loses interest, leaving you stuck with bins full of bricks? As Lifehacker reports, the ABS plastic used in LEGOs makes it difficult to get rid of them—they aren't recyclable, so if you throw them away, they'll still be sitting in the landfill centuries later—but it's not impossible to find a new home for them.

If you can't find any friends, family, or neighbors to take them off your hands, a couple other options are available. An organization called Brick Recycler lets you donate your pre-loved LEGOs by mailing them directly to their facility in San Jose, California. Brick Recycler then matches those donations with recipients, which may include hospital patients, children in foster care, or kids living in low-income areas. To sweeten the deal, the organization says you don't have to worry about sorting or cleaning the pieces. Brick Recycler accepts mismatched sets or those with missing pieces, and they also handle the sanitation themselves.

Other sites like The Giving Brick (based in Kansas City, Kansas) and BrickDreams (based in Folsom, California) also accept donations of LEGO bricks in all conditions. The latter organization is run by two teen boys, and they donate the LEGOs to child victims of domestic violence and abuse.

If California or Kansas seems too far to ship a heavy box full of LEGOs, you may want to check out the charities in your area. Some, like Goodwill or the Salvation Army, may accept the boxes of bricks. However, it's always best to call first and double check before dropping off a truckload of mismatched LEGO sets that they might not have the time or resources to handle.

Lastly, if you're going to give away your LEGOs to a friend, just be sure to clean them first, following the instructions on LEGO's website. After all, they tend to harbor lots of bacteria, and you wouldn't want the neighbor kid to get sick after sticking a dirty Batman figurine in their mouth.

On the bright side, there's now hope that getting rid of old LEGOs won't be as difficult or as big of an environmental issue in the future. Last March, the company announced it would start manufacturing some bricks made from a sustainable bioplastic derived from sugarcane.