The Greening of the Toy Industry: A step in the right direction

How is the toy industry responding to the environmental crisis? What steps are firms taking to respond and lead the change to more circular and restorative practices? What is the designers’ role in the process? In the United Kingdom there have been several campaigns led by children, initiatives by educators and range changes proposed by retailers to change the industry and citizens behaviour. This paper explores the impact on these changes both in the UK and to practices globally.

The methodology used in this research is both historical and ethnographic. A series of case studies have been explored through participant observation, semi-structure interviews and literature reviews. Historically, this paper builds on previous research into the toy industry when companies and designers adopted plastics in toy production in the 1950s. It looks in part at how the changes made post war, are now being reversed or evolving alongside the digital revolution.

The research has been undertaken in collaboration: with the Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Northampton, Products of Change leading sustainability in the licensing industry, Wastebuster’s work with schools, and Vicki Thomas Associates through design experience in the heritage sector. The companies vary in size from Lego, through to firms like Inside Out Toys and Big Jigs sourcing globally, to products designed to be produced and recycled in the UK for specific locations and organisations.

The conclusions are provisional and reflective. The initial research indicated that some more sustainable materials such as using water bottles to product soft toys or recycled aluminium may not be long term solutions. There is an effort to start with packaging but the toy itself is difficult or uneconomic to recycle. The changes are being made outside in the industry itself, in waste collection and material processing. For some, the solution is to use natural materials and the use of found objects as playthings. Yet, work with National Parks, has shown we must work with nature and create restorative play spaces and practices .

Toys should be designed with the circular economy in mind and the next project should be to create new toy design guidelines. Alongside sustainable design, the necessary infrastructure should be place, to encourage not only recycling but also reuse. Collaboration is occurring that may lead to more circular and restorative toy production.