The excitement, the songs, the magic: St Nicholas is one big adventure for children. And yes, that includes presents. But this magical experience can be created just as well without mountains of plastic toys or kilos of sweets. Meet Recycle Piet, the club's most fun and sustainable helper. Believe us: success guaranteed!
Celebrating Sinterklaas more sustainably
For children, St Nicholas is about much more than presents. It's the jitters when you get to put your shoe, the song by the shoe, the sneaky peeking the next morning. But those little presents in the shoe? Unfortunately, they are often junk. Candy that gives you a stomach ache or toys that break faster than you unwrap them. Usually made of plastic, produced on the other side of the world - with a lot of CO2 emissions and resources like oil, water and energy. And then it's already in the bin after just a few plays. Add to this the fact that toys often only remain interesting for a short time and that we produce mountains of waste every year... well. Pity, and a waste of money and the environment.
Recycle Pete to the rescue
Fortunately, St Nicholas also has Recycle Pieten on his team these days. They have a very different mission: they collect toys that children have run out of. No waste, then, but treasures that can conjure up happy faces elsewhere. Because second-hand can also be magical to give and receive. Through the thrift shop, old toys find a new home. Good story, right? Here's how it works (and trust us: your child will love it). Your child gets to play sleuth in the toy bin himself. Which dino is long forgotten? Which book is lying dusted? Together, collect the items and put them, together with the shoe, ready. Sing a song, maybe draw a nice picture, and go: under the covers.
En de volgende ochtend… zijn de spullen weg. Spannend! En het mooiste? Recycle Piet laat soms een kleinigheidje achter. Een mandarijntje, een tweedehands boekje, een betere chocoladeletter of gewoon een bedankbriefje. Kleine moeite, grote magie.
A follower, @Marjatreep, took up the idea and made her own variation: a Recycle Pete box with poem that her children put toys in.
Giving Sinterklaas presents feels as fun as getting them
With Recycle Pete, children playfully learn that sharing is fun. That not everything has to be new. That giving also makes them happy. And what about you? You have less clutter in your house and a good feeling about it. Win-win-win. So: find a box, dive into the toy cupboard together and let Recycle Piet do his job. Chances are he will drop by tonight!
More sustainable Sinterklaas tips
- Also see: Here you will find great second-hand toys for St Nicholas.
- Also see: This is how Sinterklaas does it: scoring the best second-hand gifts.
- Also see: sustainable packing paper, what to look out for?
Photo credits: Angela de Vlaming (main image), other: Marja Treep (box), thegreenlist.nl.
