Green News

Playmobil launches Discover the Planet theme to reflect sustainability goals

Playmobil owner Horst Brandstätter Group has set itself ambitious corporate sustainability goals which will further its efforts to protect the environment and climate. The group has already pledged to be climate-neutral by 2027, is involved in off-shore renewables and is investing around €50m into climate protection in the coming years. Now, the Group has announced that by 2030, its business models, including that of Playmobil, are to become as circular as possible by continuously improving the environmental balance along the entire value chain. Steffen Höpfner, CEO of the Horst Brandstätter Group, said: “With a wide range of activities, we are supporting the reduction of global emissions and thus also the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below two degrees celsius.” Playmobil’s 2022 product highlights reflect how the company is already acting sustainably. The new theme Discover the Planet, which will be launched this year with an extensive, newly developed product range, consists on average of 80% sustainable materials, including post-consumer recycled materials and bio-based plastics. A large proportion of post-consumer materials includes recyclate obtained from discarded refrigerators. The brand is also staying true to its heritage and reputation within the world of toys: Discover the Planet offers the proven Playmobil quality consumers know and love and, like all of the company’s products, is highly durable.

The colourful play world, which hits shelves in July, invites kids to discover what it’s like to grow up in a world where animals and nature are valued and protected. In a fun and playful way, it provides important knowledge and lets children discover a detailed, exotic animal world at home. Kids can play with, learn about and collect various Playmobil figures of people and animals from around the world and discover the Amazon rainforest, which is vital to the ecosystem. The packaging is made from nearly 100% recycled cardboard, and the building instructions are printed on 100% recycled paper.

Recyclings racks up viewers prior to collectibles launch

Recyclings from Vivid Goliath and Headstart has already racked up 1.2m views on its YouTube channel; this engagement with the digital content is a massive show of support of the consumer appetite for this growing ecosegment and the collectible range is due to launch in stores imminently.

The channel will continue to expand online and showcase a mixture of music videos and animated comedy shorts, with the latest video answering the age-old question; does pineapple belong on pizza? The content will allow kids to learn more about the Recyclings characters and their personalities with new content landing every month.

The world’s first collectible to be made from recycled plastic, Recyclings is available now, backed by a comprehensive marketing campaign that launched in February. A full range TVC across key kid’s channels hs been designed to introduce the fun and eco-friendly ethos of the brand. Recyclings will also be talking to kids on their favourite games and apps and the parent influencer network will showcase the products to grown-ups, with creative content across social media sites.

The cute and collectible Recyclings characters are made from 70% recycled plastic, making playtime matter, by making a difference. Each Recycling saves on average five bottle caps from landfill, which not only means guilt free collecting but also educates kids on sustainability.

Zapf slashes single-use plastic production by 65 tonnes in one year

In the first year of its commitment to plastic free packaging, Zapf Creation has cut production of single-use plastic by over 65 tonnes – the equivalent weight of ten African elephants.

Kasia Leskow, head of marketing UK at Zapf Creation, explained: “2021 saw us take our first major step in reducing single-use plastic across Zapf creation brands. Our commitment to going plastic free with our packaging is in line with both our company beliefs, as well as a growing call for more environmentally friendly solutions from parents and children alike. We are very proud that the changes we’ve made so far, which have reduced single-use plastic production by over 65 tonnes in just 12 months and will continue to drive this initiative across our entire product range in 2022.“

Zapf Creation remains on target with its commitment to have all products in plastic free packaging by the end of 2022, across not only the UK, but the whole of Europe.

New characters join Character Options Eco Plush collection

Character Options’ 100% recyclable range of licensed plush is the next sustainable chapter for the company’s eco-conscious product offering. Following the successful launch of Peppa Pig Eco Plush in 2021, the company showcased the extended range at London Toy Fair 2022, including super-soft eight inch characters from the worlds of CoComelon, Blippi, Barney, Teletubbies and My Little Pony.

“Character Options, like most toy companies worldwide, is working to reduce its environmental impact by reducing waste and building more sustainable materials into packaging and products,” said Mark Hunt, Character Options’ marketing director. “Post Covid, we expect the demand for sustainable toys to grow and become a fundamental part of the industry going forward, and our Eco Plush is the next evolution of that journey. By blending classic and trending brands, wrapped up in a bespoke style guide, we aim to become the destination for collectible licensed eco soft toys, with dedicated retail space for the category that sits outside of the core toy licence”.

Suitable from 18-months, the Eco Plush collection is made entirely from recycled materials, including the fabric, filling and thread, and is displayed within an FSC certified platform box. With a bespoke packaging style guide and green leaf emblem stitched onto each toy, parents and gift buyers will be able to quickly identify the products within the range as eco-conscious options.

“With six new pre-school properties to add to the collection for SS22, and a significant amount of PR and digital support for the range, we are confident that this collection can drive significant volume this year,” added Mark.

Character Options is poised to introduce further developments to the plush range, including more new licences that will be announced for the second half of 2022.

For more information, contact Character Options on 0161 633 9800 or email sales11charactergroup.plc.uk.

Dantoy launches Blue Marine Toys, made from recycled maritime waste

In 2018, Dantoy launched its Bio-line, made from sugarcanes. This was followed in 2020 by the Green Bean line, comprising of products made from internal waste, and the company’s Take Back strategy in 2021, where damaged Dantoy products were collected to make new toys. Dantoy’s latest new toy line, Blue Marine Toys, is made from recycled maritime gear.

“Sustainability is not just a trend – it’s our DNA,” commented Marck Matthiasen, CEO Dantoy. “By being open and welcoming the use of new and different materials, we can crack the need for new materials.”

The Blue Marine line is made from maritime gear such as fishing nets, ropes and trawls. At the company’s own factory in Hobro, Denmark, it is transformed into a collection of sand and waterplay toys in bright colours. “The colours and the surface texture of the Blue Marine products may be different from what we are used to,” explained Marck. “But they symbolize that the product the buyer holds in their hands is a unique and sustainable product.”

Inge S. Knakkergaard, Quality and Environmental co-ordinator at Dantoy, added: “It is exciting and challenging to make colour mixes from fishing nets that have a dark green colour as their base material. You have to think differently to achieve the different shades.” Directly inspired by the material they are made from, the Blue Marine Toys collection features colours and shapes inspired by sand, water, corals etc., which the development department at Dantoy believes adds an extra dimension to the new line.

It is estimated that more than 12m tonnes of plastic ends up in the sea every year. 10% of this is maritime gear such as nets, lines and ropes. Armed with these facts, Dantoy says it was a natural choice for the team to develop a line where such items can become a part of a sustainable and circular economy.

For more information, visit www.dantoy.dk or contact sales manager, Anne Harding, on akh@dantoy.dk or (+45) 40430241.

Magic Box begins plastic packaging phase-out

Magic Box Toys has confirmed that it has begun phasing out plastic from its product packaging, including plastic elements such as blister packs and foil bags.

The first range to feature more than 85% plastic-free packaging is the latest SuperThings series, Guardians of Kazoom, which launched on 21st January. The range, which offers kids 80+ new SuperThings characters to collect, sees foil bags and plastic packs replaced with recyclable packaging made from recycled paper, cardboard bags and boxes.

The move hasn’t just reduced Magic Box’s plastic footprint – it’s also created an attractive new on-shelf look for SuperThings. A wide range of display units and assets will be available for the latest series to ensure the products stand out in any retail outlet.

The SuperThings: Guardians of Kazoom range was unveiled and met with excitement at London Toy Fair. Speaking of the company’s plans to phase out plastic from its packaging, Suzie Howes, head of Marketing at Magic Box Toys, said: “Many toys create plastic waste before the child has even had an opportunity to play with the actual toy. By removing such a high percentage of plastic from our packaging, we will help to eliminate over 200 tonnes of plastic waste each year, creating a more sustainable future for our business.”

“The changes that we are making to our packaging form part of the firm’s wider ambition to reduce our global footprint,” Suzie added. “And, whilst redesigning the packaging across our portfolio of brands is a complex undertaking, it is one that we wholeheartedly believe is important and is a challenge that the team has absolutely risen to. The new packaging is beautifully designed to carry the product in an effective and eye-catching way. We know consumers share the commitment that we have to protecting the environment, and it’s great to be able to offer families a host of products that not only have great play value, but which also come in packaging that is over 85% plastic-free.”

For more information, contact the UK Magic Box Toys team at: sales@magicbox-toys.co.uk