Feature - Eco-friendly / Sustainable toys

Changing the world one step at a time

Our annual feature on Sustainable and Eco-Friendly toys always falls not long after the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference which, from 30th November – 12th December 2023, was held in Dubai, UAE (ironically, one of the world’s biggest crude oil producers). As always, the COP28 conference hammered home the need to protect our planet and its inhabitants with actions both big and small, from overhauling our transport and energy sectors to reassessing small consumption choices – such as which toys to buy our kids.

In the 12 months since we last ran this feature, toy companies have continued to step up their efforts when it comes to creating products that tread more lightly on the earth. Packaging plays an important role in this: in August 2023, Sambro took one step further in its ESG commitments by launching cardboard packaging to replace the egg-shaped plastic designs it was using for its collectibles, while Winning Moves has eliminated unnecessary single-use plastic from its Top Trumps Collector’s Tins and Ridley’s Games has switched the internal trays across all its Selfish titles from black plastic to pulp waste materials.

Consumers familiar with the Brainstorm Toys brand, meanwhile, will see that the company is also one of those that has been busy redesigning its packaging to make it more eco-friendly. To help consumers understand the options available to them, the company has introduced a clear eco-friendly packaging logo on its Brainstorm Toys and distribution lines, and all its products carry the recognisable ‘Recycle’ logo so consumers know they can recycle packaging themselves at home. All these small changes add up to big reductions in the amount of plastic heading to landfill (and after all, the packaging is the one part of the toy that’s supposed to be got rid of).

What’s inside the packaging also continues to benefit from innovations in material use and end-of-life options. Wild Republic, for example, has recently announced the launch of its National Parenting Product Award (NAPPA) winning biodegradable toy line, headed up by the Green Guardians range of play sets. Established in 1979 by G.B. and Kamala Pillai, Wild Republic was founded with a clear mission: to foster wildlife education and conservation by forging a deep connection between children and animals through play. Their accomplishments were celebrated at the annual Toy of the Year Awards in New York this past September, with a prestigious Champion of Sustainability award from The Toy Association.

Part of its ongoing mission to protect the environment and promote sustainability, Wild Republic's CEO, Vishnu Chandran, emphasises that this new biodegradable toy line is not just about play, rather, it's a testament to the brand's unwavering dedication to environmental stewardship and a shared vision of a world where humans and animals coexist peacefully.

"Our new biodegradable toy line represents a significant milestone in our—and the toy industry at large’s—journey towards a more sustainable future," said Vishnu. "We don't just focus on our own products and business. Instead, we are working sector-wide to urge collective action to inspire and mandate greener and more sustainable manufacturing. Our company is on a mission to spearhead and redefine our industry's impact on the planet."

Melissa & Doug approaches the production of toys in a similar fashion, placing sustainability at the heart of everything it does and always keeping kids’ futures in mind. David Lubliner, head of Customer Marketing –Europe at Melissa & Doug, says the company’s toys are crafted with care to be passed down from generation to generation, or shared family to family, relying on wood whenever the company can because it’s both natural and renewable. He adds that all Melissa & Doug toys are designed to be durable, with the intention that they will never be sent to a landfill.

“Whether it’s creating high-quality toys that are made to last, planting trees to help restore the resources we use, or ensuring our products inspire open-ended play for all kinds of kids, sustainability is at the heart of what we do here at Melissa & Doug,” David adds. “In partnership with One Tree Planted, we’re planting 10m trees by 2030, and in 2023, 100% of our innovation and paper products were made with FSC certified materials. At Melissa & Doug, we take sustainability seriously and have a genuine commitment to making the world a better place. We prioritise our sustainability improvements and have rigorous processes in place to ensure that statements we make are indeed true, accurate, and something we can stand behind. In fact, the Forest Stewardship Council honoured us with a 2022 FSC Leadership Award, for ‘Uncommon Excellence’ in the use of FSC-certified products and our commitment to responsible forestry.”

From the hardness of wooden toys to the softness of plush ones, Keeleco, from Keel Toys, is a charming soft toy collection crafted from 100% recycled materials. As Patrick Downs, head of Design at Keel Toys explains, each and every Keeleco soft toy is manufactured and filled with 100% recycled polyester made from plastic waste. He explains: “This process gives plastic a second life and uses less energy to produce than virgin polyester. For example, 10x 500ml water bottles will produce enough fibre to make an 18cm toy. The iconic Keel logo and hangtag are now formed from FSC card and attached to the toy with cotton - and even the shipping cartons are made from recycled materials and sealed with paper tape.”

What’s more, all Keeleco toys are manufactured in an Ethical Supply Chain Program (ESCP, formerly the ICTI Ethical Toy Program) factory audited to the highest social and environmental standards. The ESCP provides a one-stop-shop offering to toy suppliers wanting to ensure compliance with global Environmental, Social and Governmental (ESG) standards, including an Environmental Assessment that enables companies to understand the environmental impact of their global supply chain. The Ethical Supply Chain Program also helps businesses to find suppliers in new geographies, with a growing number of factories in Europe and the Americas, meaning companies looking to nearshore for environmental reasons can do so responsibly and with confidence. Readers can find out more about the services offered by the ESCP on pages 66-67.

Eurofins, meanwhile, is also poised to assist companies with their sustainability responsibilities, as a raft of new legislation and regulations promises to provide financial incentives favouring those aligned with eco-friendly ideology whilst simultaneously cracking down on greenwashing – a mainstream issue across all industries that misleads consumers by exaggerating or inflating a product or company’s eco/sustainability credentials.

“Greenwashing is, and will potentially become, even more of an issue,” says Patrick at Keel Toys. “I think the toy industry can tackle this by adopting a similarly open approach to the one taken at Keel Toys. Our goal with the Keeleco range was to be totally transparent, and to back up every claim we make with accurate information. Our factories are fully certified to GRS standards and all ecofriendly materials used have a full traceability trail.”

He adds: “Keel Toys’ commitment to building a sustainable future doesn’t end with our beautiful products, it is the core that underpins our entire business operation. We have just installed over 300 solar panels (making us self-sufficient during the summer months), as well as LED warehouse lighting and electric charging points at our Ashford head office and distribution centre. We have even moved our company fleet of vehicles over to fully electric and hybrid cars, making Keel Toys the perfect Eco-Centric business partner. In just the four years since launching Keeleco, we have recycled more than 250m water bottles in the manufacture of the range. And with over 450 products and counting, across Wild, Farm, Sealife, Dinosaurs, Teddy Bears, Puppies, Kittens, Nursery, Pink, Seasonal, and Keeleco Adoptable World, Keel Toys remains committed to expanding the Keeleco collection throughout 2024.”

Of course, Keel Toys isn’t the only company placing sustainability at the heart of its business. Curious Universe’s Curiously Green Initiative encourages the reuse, regifting and recycling of its products, including its Cutesville arts & crafts line, Colour and Carry Activity Kits and Kaleidoscope Colouring Kits, and its brand new, completely plastic-free Curious Universe Games range. CEO John Styring says longevity is a key focus for the company when it comes to sustainability: only by creating products that stand the test of time can they be enjoyed over and over.

Other new ranges for 2024 that have put eco credentials to the fore include Hama Bio Beads, from Pat Avenue, carbon neutral, recyclable, sugar cane derived beads and pegboards. These join Pat Avenue’s 100% recycled Ecoplush collection. Playmobil, meanwhile, is expanding its sustainability efforts with the introduction of three new ranges made with a minimum 80% sustainable materials - Playmobil Dino, Wiltopia and Horses of Waterfall – and, just in time for summer, Zuru is launching its new Bunch O’ Balloons Reusable Water Balloons. Safe seal magnetic technology allows the water balloons to be used multiple times, with up to 1,500 reusable splashes per balloon.

Just before this issue went to press, Brainstorm Toys announced that it would be expanding its portfolio with an exclusive distribution deal in the UK & Ireland for Create N Colour, which allows kids to use water to ‘paint’ colours onto an assortment of cute animals. When dry, the colours fade, meaning the play can be repeated again and again. Create N Colour will sit nicely alongside one of Brainstorm’s most popular existing distribution lines, Eugy, long lauded for its eco-friendly credentials.

“Brainstorm is consistently working towards making rolling changes to its sustainability practices, either by tweaking the products themselves, the packaging or the shipping methods,” explains Debra Tiffany, marketing manager at Brainstorm. “We have worked closely with the suppliers for our distribution lines to ensure that these products follow the same eco ethos, including POS for retailers. Year on year, trade customers will notice the tweaks that are being applied to each product, making them as environmentally friendly as they can be. These continuous improvements will be highlighted at the forthcoming trade shows. When making selections and designing new products, sustainability is our priority: we know customers are increasingly conscious of investing in our planet.”

This knowledge will be music to the ears of Vishnu at Wild Republic. He says: "We are not just a toy company: we are storytellers, advocates and educators. It’s our responsibility to inspire children to connect with the wonders of the natural world by fostering their love for wildlife through imaginative play. Our journey towards a more sustainable future is a collective effort. Together, we can build a world where humans and animals live in peace, and where our children inherit a planet rich in beauty and biodiversity. As my grandmother Ammama says during her daily prayer on Mother Earth: ‘May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.’”

Over the coming pages, Toy World brings readers a raft of new toys that promise to be both gentle on the environmental yet big on fun.