6 Ways to Create More Sustainable Toys

Sustainability

Nov 30

We only have one earth, and we need to take care of it. You may feel that there is little you can do, as someone in the toy industry, but there are actually many ways we can help the cause by making sure our toys are more sustainable than those that came before. Here are some ways you can make more eco-friendly toys.

1. Use More Sustainable Materials

Did you know that only 9% of the world’s plastics are recycled? That means the remaining 91% of plastics goes into the ocean or landfill, and pollutes our environment. We are basically consuming microplastics daily due to this. We can combat this effect by using more sustainable materials in our toys. These are materials that come from natural sources, will biodegrade more easily, and may be easier to recycle. The best materials to use would be wood, or pressure molded sawdust. One particularly eco-friendly material is rubber wood. This is wood that comes from rubber trees that are at the end of their latex-producing cycle. They have served a great purpose for their lifespan of 25-30 years, and now can live a new life as a toy! It is also renewable because most of the time, when a rubber tree has exhausted it’s supply of natural latex, new trees are planted to begin the cycle again.

However, the base material isn’t the only thing that can be sustainable. Entrepreneurs can focus on using water based natural dyes and make sure that each part of the product is better for the environment.

2. Think Locally

It’s not only the toy itself that contributes to a product’s carbon footprint. The transportation involved is also a huge factor. Shipping different components of a product all over the globe to get a finished result is going to lead to higher emissions and a less eco-friendly product. Consider local sourcing and manufacturing options to reduce your impact and use of fossil fuels.

3. Think Circular - Not Linear

Our usual product lifecycle, especially for toys, is that a consumer buys the product, the kid uses it for a time, and then the toy is thrown out, or perhaps given to another child to enjoy in the best case scenario. The reason this is especially true in our industry is that toys are usually created for a certain developmental age, and kids grow out of them rather quickly.

The manufacturing process itself also often leads to a lot of waste that exits the production system in a linear fashion - basically, it gets thrown in the trash. However, if we can challenge ourselves to think circularly instead of linearly, we can keep products in the economy for longer, reducing our waste. Sustainability is not just about the materials used to make toys, it’s also about the process.

A great example of circular thinking is when companies use the heat already produced by their computers to heat a building. An experimental version of this has been in use in Stockholm, Sweden for a few years.

So, we need to think of new business models that do two things. First, we need to keep our toys in the economy for longer. That may mean creating new specialists who repair and restore toys once kids are done using them. It may also mean finding new ways to locally pair toy owners and those needing toys for the same age range.

Second, we need to find ways to make the manufacturing process more circular. We need to search for the ways that we can actually use our waste for a good purpose.

4. Support Sustainable Legislation

While it is nice to believe that everyone will always do the right thing, we know that is simply not true. Some companies need to be forced to do the right thing. That’s why supporting eco-friendly legislation aimed at sustainability can help. If you aren’t sure where to begin, get plugged into your local politics. Read about city and state legislation on the matter and find out how to get involved.

5. Rethink Ownership

The way things work now, toys are owned by kids or families who then do whatever they want with them when they are done. What if another system was possible? When she was on my podcast, Making it in the Toy Industry, Leticia Suarez, an expert on sustainability in the toy industry, suggested a new idea.

“What if, for example, you get just a service, where you just get the toys that you need for that stage of the child’s development?” It would be like a subscription service. You get the toys you need for that age, and then when you’re done, you pack them up and send them on to the next family. That way you don’t have years of old toys in your garage piling up and toys get to live a second life (and beyond!) There are already a few toy subscriptions that are starting to do things like this.

6. Remember: Packaging Is Part of Your Product

One of the details that sometimes get left to the last minute when it comes to sustainability is packaging. Don’t forget that this is part of your product, too! If you want to make a sustainable product, the packaging needs to fit that description too. There are ways you can avoid plastics and use more biodegradable materials like mycelium (a fungus). This can even be composted at home if you have your own compost bin!

A single person can’t save the earth on their own, but if everyone does just a little bit, we can make things a lot better. Making toys more sustainable is just one small thing we can do as inventors and entrepreneurs to make the world a better place, and feel good about what we do.