The launch of a new collection of Little Changers toys made from renewable sources and with reduced single-use plastics marks “a significant shift” in the way IMC Toys makes toys “now and in the future”, the team has declared.
Little Changers is billed as the “eco-friendly sub-brand” of the toy business’ popular Cry Babies range and denotes a new ambition for IMC Toys to focus on production using renewable sources and reduced single-use plastics and non-recyclable materials over the next 10 years.
Consisting of six characters – each representing a natural element of the Earth, the Little Changers sit within unique flower-shaped capsules which include accessories for ‘nature-themed imaginative play.’ Accompanied by a series of one-minute ‘edutainment’ webisodes, the Little Changers takes ‘an eco-approach’ that aims to encourage kids to care about the world around them by highlighting the small ways they can look after the planet.
This nature-minded approach is reflected in the materials they toys and its packaging are made from. IMC Toys uses a plant-based material created by BioLogiQ, which is then mixed with fossil-based plastic in the toy production process.
Produced from industrial starch waste, BioLogiQ’s material – called NuPlastiQ – is said to be durable, biodegradable, and recyclable. It also purports – in a press release – to “accelerate the biodegradation of normal plastics without causing the production of microplastics.”
A closer look into the process via the BioLogiQ’s website reveals that NuPlastiQ has ‘demonstrated a potential to accelerate biodegradation of ‘normal’ plastics – under ‘non-typical conditions’ – via a mechanism ‘that is not fragmentation’, reducing – it states – the ‘potential for the accumulation of microplastics.’
While it is – as yet – not fully determined just how effective NuPlastiQ is in the biodegradation process, the adoption marks a significant gear change for the international toy company as it turns its attention to researching new processes to reduce its environmental impact.
“The launch of Cry Babies Little Changers marks a significant shift in the way IMC makes toys now and in the future,” said Kerry Tarrant, UK marketing manager for IMC Toys. “It has taken a lot of time and effort to source the right renewable materials in order for us to be able to ensure the quality remained high in line with our wider portfolio, but we’re really pleased with Little Changers – the colours are bright and vibrant – and perfectly packaged for stand-out shelf appeal.”
