Toy Makers Are On the Lookout For More Sustainable Plastics

Plastics have always been the ideal raw material for toys since it is easy to clean, durable, relatively inexpensive and can be molded into just about anything. Plastic is one such material that can easily mold anything a child’s imagination is capable of cooking up. Teethers, rattlers, walkers, stack toys, play food and other early childhood toys are all reliably made from plastics these days.

The indispensable properties and feasibility of plastic allow its mass production. In an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint and give the vulnerable user-base other play alternatives, toymakers are exploring options for using more sustainable plastics over petroleum-based incumbents. These alternatives are promising spins from both a sustainability and performance perspective, that toymakers are exploring with success.

Various bio-based plastics like PLA, PHA and starch polymers are made with renewable feedstocks instead of petroleum-based feedstock. These alternate materials are replacing traditional plastics used in toys to preserve our finite natural resources. To make durable weather-resistant toys, these biocomposite plastics mix natural fibers or wood flour with recycled, biodegradable or biobased plastics to create toys that are durable and weather-resistant. The beauty of biodegradable plastics like PLA, PHA or compostable soft plastic elastomer is that it can be used to make toys that can be returned to nature when they have served their purpose.

Luke’s Toy Factory, a startup, designs eco-friendly, sustainable and safe toys from recycled, organic materials. These toys are made of waste materials outside the food stream and are combined with plastic. These toys are durable, attractive, and contain 40% less plastic than conventional toys.

Although the driving force for this change is sustainability, opting for sustainable plastics has other advantages that make it viable to toymakers. On exploring options for less toxic materials, toymakers have discovered an unexpected marriage between sustainability and performance. Biocomposite materials that utilize natural fibers such as wood pulp, flax, starch, come with superior performance characteristics such as durability and natural feel. Choosing sustainable plastics made with biocomposite materials gives toymakers a degree of flexibility and a chance for creativity.

Toymakers are consciously refraining from using petroleum-based feedstock for the toys. By exploring more environmentally-friendly raw materials, toymakers signify an interest in what sort of planet their users will grow up to inherit. By opting for sustainable plastics, made with bio-based, biocomposite or biodegradable raw materials, toy-making companies reflect a desire to preserve our planet’s natural resources and ensure their toys successfully lead by example and leave a legacy of innovation and care rather than waste and degradation.

PlastiVision 2020 is an International plastic trade exhibition for all in the plastic industry. Here you can showcase the toy products or its applications used to manufactur, export or distribut to both the domestic and foreign market. Come visit us or book your booth today!