While the packaging they come in is recyclable, the Little Shop toys themselves are not.

“While the mini collectables and accessories are not made from recyclable materials, our customers and enjoying and keeping them for the future which means they aren’t heading to landfill,” a Coles spokesman said.

“Customers are able to recycle the wrappers at their nearest store through our in-store REDCycle program.”

The toys have been a hot topic with some consumers, as the plastic toys were brought in around the same time as Coles removed single-use plastic bags from its checkouts.

The supermarket chain then changed tack, announcing it would offer free reusable plastic bags indefinitely, before again changing its mind and ending the free bag offer on August 29.

The spokesman said the idea behind the toys was they were kept and collected rather than thrown out.

“We are already finding Little Shop is popular with many of our customers of all ages and customers have said they are excited about being able to collect tiny versions of the products they buy every week,” he said.

The spokesman added that Coles customers have the option of not accepting a toy – one is offered for every $30 spent – at the checkout.

There is an online market for the toys, as people look to buy the missing ones to complete the set.

Online site eBay has thousands of listings for people looking to sell the toys.

Some of the more extreme prices include a $7000 asking price for a complete set, or $2500 for the miniature version of toilet cleaner or $500 for a tiny jar of Nutella.

There are some more reasonable prices too – like 50 cents for the box of tea or dog food collectable.