by KRISTIN MORENCY GOLDMAN, Senior Advisor, Strategic Communications, The Toy Affiliation
One in every of The Toy Association’s high traits of 2023 is “Be Genuine.” This development speaks to aware dad and mom who’re looking out for toys that train children the significance of social accountability, sustainability, variety and inclusion, and different values which are significant to households.
A OnePoll survey of U.S. dad and mom commissioned by The Toy Affiliation final fall discovered that greater than half (52%) of fogeys consider toys are a number of the greatest academics their children will ever have, and two-thirds (67%) of fogeys consider toys play a big function within the improvement of youngsters’ beliefs and values. Greater than 1 / 4 (28%) of fogeys additionally search for toys that train children about environmental points, along with 68% who need toys that expose children to variety and inclusion, and 63% who search for merchandise that educate children on the consequences of bullying.
“Toy firms are main the best way in offering youngsters with instruments that deal with environmental and social points and create a extra inclusive and caring world,” says Adrienne Appell, Govt Vice President of Advertising and marketing Communications at The Toy Affiliation. “Now whenever you enter the toy aisle, you’ll be met with essentially the most numerous assortment of dolls ever, toys which are made by means of sustainable manufacturing processes, and playthings that assist children handle their feelings and have a good time completely different cultures. These merchandise assist instill values in youngsters that may final a lifetime.”
Tied to this development, toy firms are setting and dealing towards sustainability targets by enhancing the recyclability of their toys, decreasing packaging waste, and using extra sustainable supplies of their merchandise. The next are just some examples of the various firms which are devoted to defending and preserving the surroundings:
Hape’s Inexperienced Planet Explorers line introduces sustainability to children at a younger age, educating them easy methods to care in regards to the surroundings by means of imaginative play. Panda’s Bamboo Home (pictured high) is a three-story, open-floor playhouse product of bamboo that comes with 4 poseable panda figures (additionally product of bamboo). Every stage of the solar-powered home highlights eco-friendly residing with equipment like a suspension bridge, a slide, a rope ladder, hammocks, and extra. Along with bamboo, the playset is created from eco-friendly, renewable supplies together with Inexperienced PE (created from sugar cane vegetation) and FSC-certified wooden.
Mattel’s overarching sustainability targets embody attaining 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic supplies in merchandise and packing by 2030 and sustaining 95% recycled or FSC-certified content material within the paper and wooden fiber utilized in its merchandise and packaging. The corporate’s eco-friendly merchandise span a number of manufacturers, together with Barbie, MEGA, Matchbox, and Thomas & Pals. Coming this fall, the MEGA Bloks Inexperienced City Ocean Time Clear Up set evokes little builders to hitch the Ocean Time Clear Up crew and study inexperienced behaviors like sorting plastics and cleansing the ocean. The set’s three included Block Buddies figures are created from at the least 90% ISCC-certified plastics.
Plus-Plus is a socially and environmentally accountable firm that runs its manufacturing facility and headquarters on 100% inexperienced power from wind energy. All of its merchandise and packaging are 100% recyclable. New this spring is the corporate’s Study to Construct Individuals of the World 275-piece set, with which children ages 3 and up can study to construct 2D and 3D folks with completely different physique sizes, pores and skin colours, hair sorts, and clothes kinds.
Steiff’s Teddies for Tomorrow line focuses on sustainability and environmental conservation. The plush are created from non-animal supplies corresponding to hemp, linen, bamboo viscose, and recycled polyester fibers, in addition to stuffing created from recycled PET bottles or wooden wool. The corporate has reintroduced its iconic Richard Steiff bear, first launched in 1902, as a part of its Teddies for Tomorrow assortment. The brand new iteration of the bear is sewn from bamboo viscose, full of a corn-based fiber, and has paw pads created from plant-based felt.
Miniland’s sustainability mission consists of creating eco-friendly merchandise product of bio-based supplies, corresponding to wooden and pure fibers. The corporate’s new Eco Knitted Clothes vary designed for its dolls options new outfits created from pre- and post-consumer textile waste to assist forestall additional landfill and incineration. Made in Spain, the garments are made by mixing undyed, recycled cotton fiber with different help fibers to create new supplies, and the dyeing course of creates distinctive colours with out utilizing water or chemical compounds.
The Butterfly Wood Shaker from Petit Collage is a colourful rattle toy for infants that’s created from responsibly sourced FSC wooden and packaging created from 75% recycled supplies.
As extra firms decide to eco-friendly targets, The Toy Affiliation acts as a useful resource for its members, providing steering and instruments to help sustainability within the toy area. To hitch The Toy Affiliation’s Environmental Sustainability Committee so as to keep on the forefront of environmental points impacting toys, contact Jennifer Gibbons (jgibbons@toyassociation.org).
Along with eco-friendly merchandise, the “Be Genuine” development consists of toys that deal with variety and inclusion and merchandise created in partnership with instructional consultants and worldwide analysis facilities that attraction to savvy consumers looking for genuine manufacturers.
Go to toyassociation.org/trends to see examples of those toys and extra in The Toy Affiliation’s 2023 Toy Developments Briefing presentation.
A model of this text was initially printed within the 2023 Classics & Specialty Subject of The Toy E-book. Click here to learn the total subject! Need to obtain The Toy E-book in print? Click here for subscription choices!
