Best Toy Garbage Trucks of 2023

This well-built and sturdy Playmobil recycling truck comes with a recycling garbage can and lots of recyclables. There are also two figures who can stand and sit. They come with safety vests and rubber boots.

The garbage can be rolled onto the truck’s lift. Then you turn the crank, and the can is tipped up, emptying the recycling into the back of the truck. The back of the truck opens easily to retrieve the recycling.

As the truck works with other items in the Playmobil line, it is easy to add extra items to “recycle” or replace lost ones.

The 1:16 scale Scania is a big orange garbage truck made by Bruder, the German maker known for its high-quality toys.

The truck comes with two garbage cans. They can be placed on the tailgate, which can then be lifted, emptying your garbage into the rear compactor. Once the garbage is in the truck, use the compactor to squish it to the back, ready for the next load.

The truck can be emptied by lifting the rear, twisting the knob, and pushing the trash out of the back.

Other Bruder garbage cans of different colors and styles are available.

Made in the U.S., Green Toys uses recycled milk jugs made of HDPE #2 plastic to create the Big Green recycling truck. It is also free from phthalates, BPA, and PVC.

However, despite being made from plastic, it is a tough truck that stands up well to toddlers.

The truck body has three slots along each side, into which your child can sort the cardboard newspaper, bottles, and glass cut-outs. Once sorted, little ones can open up the back of the truck, tip up the body to empty it, and start again.

This is an excellent toy for practicing fine motor skills and learning how to sort the recycling.

With a light-up cab and realistic sound effects, the Tonka Lights and Sounds garbage truck is a modern classic. The generic garbage truck shape will work for most kids, no matter what the garbage trucks look like in their neighborhoods.

Press the buttons on the top of the garbage truck cab, and you’ll hear engine noises, reversing beepers, and cute sayings. As a bonus for adults, when the button is pressed, the sound plays once and then turns off again. It requires two AAA batteries which are included in the package.

It’s one of four light and sound vehicles with similar features. You can also buy a fire truck, police cruiser, and rescue chopper.

Recommended for children aged 3 years and older, the Matchbox garbage truck is made for curious toddlers.

Your little one can use a hook mechanism to attach the garbage can onto the rear of the truck. Then they flip the lever and watch as the contents tumble out and into the back.

The big, bright blue garbage can is more the size and shape of a small dumpster, which makes this a realistic option for those who live in buildings with communal garbage systems.

Constructed from plastic and measuring 6.5 x 16 x 10 inches, this is a big, bold garbage truck made for fun.

The second Bruder toy on our list, this Mack garbage truck comes with a pair of garbage cans to help clear up the trash. When the trash hits the back of the truck you can push it to the back of the vehicle and empty it when you get to the “landfill.”

Opening doors, fold-back rearview mirrors, and rubber tread tires all provide realistic details. That will help your little pretender feel just like the real thing. A Bruder light and sound kit can be added to the truck for even more realism, and there is also a snowplow blade add-on available.

The wooden garbage truck from the Brio “My Home Town” series is more than the basic garbage truck shaped vehicle you might expect.

Fitted with lights and sounds, the truck also comes with a stylized wooden driver and two wooden shapes that fit into holes in the rear.

Brio prides itself on the fact that it conducts over 1,000 safety tests on its toys every year. So, you can be sure you are giving the garbage truck fan in your life a gift that is as safe as it is fun.

Although not specifically labeled as such, this 90-piece set is an excellent LEGO model for beginners.

While there is some requirement for classic LEGO building, at the same time, much of the model is made from larger, pre-formed components. As a result, the model can be put together by younger children with minimal, if any, adult help.

Once built, you can attach the garbage can to the lift at the rear of the truck and tip it to empty the garbage into the truck body.

Something that I particularly liked was that one of the garbage collectors is a smiling female figure.

This garbage truck is unusual in that it has a reverse gear mechanism that lifts the dumpster up and over the front of the truck. The garbage then falls from the dumpster into the body of the truck through a large opening in the roof.

The lifting arm is motorized and controlled by a lever on the side of the truck. Our kids particularly enjoy pushing the truck up to the dumpster, then using the lever to make the lifting arm do its thing.

The truck empties via an easy-to-use rear door, and 3 AA batteries are included.

This remote-controlled car is duly licensed from the world’s best selling car, Mercedes-Benz, and is made specifically for the little hands of garbage truck lovers.

The design is exquisitely crafted to simulate the real-life garbage truck. Along with the fine details, the addition of lights and sounds makes it realistic for each tot to play.

It has obtained certifications from both the American Society for Testing and Materials and European Committee for Standardization so you can be sure it’s safe and durable for your baby to play.

These easy-to-apply garbage truck wall decals will brighten up any little one’s room.

Included in the set are three different style garbage trucks, three square plastic style garbage cans, two traditional metal style garbage cans, one dumpster, and 15 feet of straight gray road.

Printed with odorless, water-based inks, the decals are made from fabric rather than the vinyl that is used for the majority of similar items.

The decals can be taken off of the wall and reused as many times as you like, and they do not leave any sticky residue or marks.

This friction-powered garbage truck comes as a kit, with a toy screwdriver so your child can put the truck together themselves.

The pieces are large, so the assembly is not complex, and there is an instruction book and a YouTube video to guide you through each step.

The kit has a deck of cards, each of which has a different waste item printed on it. These cards are then put into the different garbage cans, and if your child needs help sorting out the garbage and recycling, there is also a booklet to help them learn.

A chunky plastic garbage truck designed for those over 3, this R/C model comes with a garbage truck and a power drill that can be assembled into four different types of vehicles.

The power drill can be controlled remotely as well. All the materials used for the construction of this toy were free from BPA and lead so you’d have peace of mind letting your precious one play with it. Moreover, it features playful sounds and sirens that are sure to attract tots.