Why we write about this topic:
Toys are not only fun but also necessary for the healthy development of children. However, most of today’s toys are less healthy for the planet. 80 percent of them end up in a landfill or disappear in an incinerator. “That is an outdated practice,” says Bas Roelofs, who worked in the toy industry for years. So he decided, together with Emile Kalis, chairman of the Toy Netherlands Foundation (SGN), to launch the initiative ‘Toys That Last‘. Goal: to encourage companies in the toy industry to get started with the development of circular toys.
What is the current state of circularity in the toy industry?
“Let me put it this way: I don’t like it. Last week, after an absence of almost 10 years, I was back at the Spielwarenmesse in Nürnberg, the world’s largest toy fair. There I came across all kinds of sustainability claims. Which, when questioned, turned out to be mainly empty talk.
Even if you compare the toy industry with other industries, such as the car industry, the food industry or even the construction industry, you come to the conclusion that there is a considerable backlog. ‘Sell more, sell faster’ is still the norm. On average, children receive hundreds of euros per year worth of toys. These toys are of poor quality, so they are only used for a very short time and are made of ‘virgin’ plastic in 90 percent of cases.
Fortunately, I do see that sustainability is becoming more and more a topic of discussion among producers. That’s the good news. Now it’s time to translate it into concrete action. We’re happy to contribute to that.”
How did you come up with the idea of creating ‘Toys That Last’?
“When I was often in China at the end of the noughties as head of product development at a manufacturer of go-karts and trampolines to help set up a production line there, I was astounded by the environmental and working conditions I saw there. Situations that were no longer accepted in the Netherlands for decades. But over there it’s far away, out of the picture, and apparently, that’s good enough for a lot of disposable trade that is in great demand here in the Netherlands. That was the case then and still is. Crazy actually, because we want to change towards a sustainable society without waste.
Since 2015, I have been guiding companies in developing sustainable products and services and I am a trainer at Circo (a circular design program for companies). When I spoke to Emile from SGN, we realized that in the toy sector, bar a few exceptions, little has changed in terms of sustainability compared to 10 years ago. Thus the idea of ‘Toys that Last’ was born. The link to Circo was quickly established. With a first series of circular design training courses, we want to help a number of front runners in the toy sector develop circular toys.”
Which type of toys should and can be made more sustainable?
“It concerns toys in all shapes and sizes. From outdoor toys such as go-karts to craft toys for the living room, such as ironing beads.”
How exactly does ‘Toys That Last’ help toy companies with sustainability?
“Many companies realize they must become more sustainable, but then don’t know where to start. Together with the companies, we analyze the entire value chain of a product they sell by means of, among other things, the Circo training program, which has helped 1500 companies in all kinds of sectors in the Netherlands alone. We start at the very beginning, with the raw materials. Can the products be made differently or with less material? Are biobased materials a solution? We then look one step further at a time: to the production process, distribution, sales phase, and use phase up to and including the end of life. Where is the ecological or economic value lost?
We always find blind spots of producers, who are mainly concerned with reducing value losses within their own walls. The larger the blind spot, the greater the loss of value, the greater the chance of doing something with it (and also designing a revenue model around it). The best approach can differ per company and per product. We encourage them to set at least one goal and to get to work on it in concrete terms.”
Do you have an example of a company you’ve already helped?
PLAN toys from Thailand participated in the first Circo track in Thailand. Although they are already at the forefront of sustainable toy development, they also identified several business opportunities they are now pursuing. For example, they are currently experimenting in New York with a party that rents out toys instead of selling them, so that fewer unused toys pile up in drawers and children can try something new more often at less cost.”
Can companies earn a good living with sustainable toys?
“Of course. There are huge business opportunities here. Take go-karts or trampolines, for example. In principle, they are very sustainable products. They last longer than children play with them. The industry currently works almost exclusively with a linear model. When children are done with it, such a go-kart or trampoline ends up in a shed, on an online marketplace, or eventually on the garbage dump. But as a producer you create a new revenue model if you work in a circular manner, for example by offering a buy-back guarantee and using the used toys as the basis for new products. Companies can also offer a repair service, for example, and thus earn something a second or third time on the same product.”
What does the toy industry of the future look like?
“I am certainly not anti-toys or against making money. But in the future, let’s focus as much as possible on toys where there has been thought about their impact on the earth. So no unnecessary trinkets will be sold. The materials used are sustainable, products can be repaired. When children have had enough or have outgrown their toys then the toys get a second, third or umpteenth life with the next child. This way, children all over the world can continue to enjoy toys, because they are and remain extremely important for their development.”
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