Products of Change member and industry activist, Sonia Sanchez has partnered with the Dutch toy foundation SGN to launch Toys that Last: A Circular Design Course developed to educate the global toy industry on the opportunities within the circular economy.
Through the course, members of the industry will gain the chance to develop a deeper understanding of the circular economy and the opportunities it presents the toy sector, while helping course attendees make a start on real-life circular toy projects.
Co-created in partnership between Sonia – the author of the research paper Changing the World Toy by Toy – and SGN, the organisation behind the annual Toy of the Year awards in the Netherlands, the course will run over the duration of six weeks.
In this time, participants will learn about circular design strategies and business models, redesign their product or service using circular design strategies, develop a new circular business model for their product and service, create a roadmap for implementation to transition to their circular model, and build a network of like-minded people.
“Worldwide, every year, an incredible amount of toys end up as incineration, landfill, or as drifting plastics in our oceans. This needs to change. In order to practically support the industry to begin their journey to a more sustainable and circular way of working, we want to offer some practical support and a platform to exchange experiences,” said Emile Kalis, head of SGN.
“In 2021, we started with the nomination of toys in the category ‘sustainable toys’, at our annual award gala. This was just the beginning. Within not too long, this will no longer be a separate category, but a prerequisite to be awarded at all.”
The educational course will be based on the Circo Method, an academic framework from the Technical University of Delft in The Netherlands called Products that Last. The framework explains five circular business models and six circular design strategies.
To make the most of the Toys that Last course, the creators recommend each company sends two delegates. Spaces are currently limited to 12 companies.
The Circular Design Course will be hosted by two Circo educators and toy industry insiders, one being Bas Roelofs, the former director of marketing and R&D at BERG toys.
“Everybody talks about the circular economy, though few comprehend its opportunities,” Sonia told Products of Change. “This hands-on course will guide its participants to spot the possibilities for a circular toy industry and grab them through innovative solutions.
“Its focus on toys makes this course unique and highly relevant for all those professionals in the toy industry involved in business models, product development, innovation and design.”
