CBC News

Talia Ricci

Toy Exchange Club works like a subscription service, sending new toys once your child outgrows old ones

Before Sonia Nijjar's son was born, she was already researching ways she could raise a child while keeping the environment in mind.

Living in a townhouse in Mississauga, west of Toronto, she says it was not only important to avoid clutter, but also to ensure she wasn't sending stuff her son didn't really need to the landfill.

"You get toys, your baby is interested in them for a while and inevitably they lose interest and in a traditional model when you're buying, you're stuck with that clutter," she said. 

That wasn't very appealing to her.  But in her research, she came across The Toy Exchange Club, which seemed like a good fit.

Co-founder Carissa MacLennan says families receive a box of toys for three months, along with a guide on how to play with them and what developmental milestones the child should be reaching through that play.

"At the end of the three months, the families return the box in exchange for a new box of toys that are more challenging," she explained.

As more people try to find ways to shop in a more sustainable way, businesses that focus on a sharing economy are becoming more popular, says Emily Alfred, the waste campaigner for the Toronto Environmental Alliance.

"When it comes to things like toys or clothes, being able to share, borrow or rent them instead of owning them yourself is a really great way to reduce waste, save money and reduce the environmental impact."

This article was reposted from CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/moms-sick-of-clutter-waste-start-toy-rental-company-1.6724298 This article first appeared in CBC News on Wednesday January 25 2023