ONE in three Scots have thrown away perfectly good toys a recent study has revealed.

The British Heart Foundation commissioned the survey to coincide with their campaign ‘Toy Amnesty.’

The campaign is calling on parents across the country to donate once loved toys to the British Heart Foundation.

Nearly a fifth (17 per cent) of parents in Scotland said their children lost interest in a toy in the first 11 hours of play. 

Furthermore, the figures showed children have an average of four toys they’ve never even played with. This means there could be a staggering 162 million toys that have never been played with in the UK. 

On the upside, over two thirds of UK adults (73 per cent) would buy a second hand toy for their child or children, although just over half (53 per cent) have ever donated a toy to charity that their child or children no longer play with.  

According to the survey, two thirds (66 per cent) of children’s toys in the region are predominantly made of plastic.

In light of these stats, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is urging the public to take part in its ‘Toy Amnesty’ over the Easter break. Donating to one of the BHF’s 550 shops nationwide couldn’t be easier, with the charity offering a free toy collection service between 8th and 12th April. 

Generous donors can use the #MyToyStory hashtag on social media to tell the BHF a bit about the toy they’re donating. Or why not label up your item and tell the new owner a bit about where it came from. 

With the survey suggesting that 66 per cent of the nation’s children’s toys are predominantly made of plastic, the charity say the campaign could prevent many toys ending up in landfill and give them a new lease of life. Last year the BHF enabled 70,000 tonnes of items to be re-used thanks to donations to its shops.  

The proceeds of all toy donations will help fund research into beating heart and circulatory disease.