In recent years, major toy brands -- such as Lego, Hasbro and Mattel -- have launched various initiatives as part of a wider move towards environmental responsibility. – Photo: Shutterstock via ETX/Relaxnews
On May 11, toy-maker Mattel announced the launch of a vast circular economy program across five countries, by which consumers can return old toys from Mattel's Barbie, Matchbox and Mega brands to the manufacturer. These will then be cleaned and transformed into plastic granules, which will then be used to make new products. The initiative forms part of a wider drive towards sustainability for the group.
And, like Mattel, Hasbro has started using plant-based plastic to make some of its products. Plus, a vast collection of used toys organised in 2019 by the brand in partnership with TerraCycle will make use of the plastic from old toys to create public benches or play areas. These ambitious objectives are in step with the new expectations of consumers. And these brands have made quite a turnaround, it seems. Just 10 years ago, Greenpeace singled out these three toy giants for using materials sourced from Asia Pulp and Paper , directly contributing to rainforest deforestation in Indonesia.