Brought together by a shared desire for a healthier and more sustainable global toy industry, the Sustainable Toys Action Consulting team – made up of Sonia Sanchez, Sharon Keilthy, Harald Käb, and Arco de Leeuw – first met at Europe’s bioToy Conference.
They quickly found that combined, the group not only had the passion but the skillset to assist the toy community on a journey of sustainable development through education and implementing ‘actionable solutions.’
Sharon – who has spent many years at McKinsey, today runs the eco toy shop Jiminy; Sonia runs her own sustainability and B Corp certification consultancy business; Harald is a chemist and pioneer in the biobased and circular plastics space; while Arco runs his own toy company called Fun2Give, bringing first-hand experience as a toy maker to the outfit.
It’s a line-up that, to date, has served their combined effort – operating under the name Sustainable Toys Action Consulting – very well indeed. So well, in fact, that next year the four will be delivering a ‘revamped’ platform for showcasing sustainability in the toy sector with the launch of a special Toys Go Green initiative at Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, Europe’s largest toy fair.
“In a World facing enormous challenges threatening our future, parents and children would love to see solutions to safeguard a thriving future and quality of life for themselves and the generations to come,” Sonia tells Products of Change.
“Toys are an excellent tool for learning about and experiencing these solutions and a tangible example of progress with sustainable materials and design.”
Here, Products of Change catches up with Sonia Sanchez and the team to learn more about the combined mission and vision for a more sustainable toy industry.
Hello Sonia, it’s great to chat. Can we start with the basics? What do we mean when we talk about sustainability in toys?
The best sustainable toys are long-lasting, and quality allows for re-use, repair, and recycling, which is imperative for packaging. Ideally, toys are made of recycled and circular materials from renewable feedstocks. In almost every case, these simple principles will improve a toy’s environmental footprint.
The biggest misconception is that changing and improving is too hard, expensive, and complex. Through awareness and will, step-by-step improvement is always possible. Tackling product design and material choices are critical areas. Toy distributors can boost change by supporting toy makers’ efforts and rewarding them by favouring the most eco-friendly options.
Every little step matters and the possibilities for improvement will grow over time. Start learning the basic principles and focus on the easy wins first. It’s all about awareness and motivation, and STAC is here to help.
So, how can we start to engage toy companies in the right conversations? How can we start to drive areas like repair, refurbishment, and the circular economy over simply producing new? And how receptive is the industry to having these conversations?
Shared knowledge is key; we need to learn about the challenges, the solutions, the failures, and the successes. The best platforms for that are the industry media and information hubs such as Products of Change. Conferences and product shows are ideal for hands-on experiences (we are social and haptic beings).
Some companies already put sustainability at the highest strategic level and have a targeted approach, while others are still lagging and ignoring the topic. There is no specific legal driver yet for toys, but eco-design and circularity policies will spread from packaging to other product groups. And the high pressure on material (plastic) producers will increase offer and drive competition.
What are some of the stand-out companies, from your perspective, that are moving things in the right direction?
Several well-known companies have dedicated targets for material use and environmental footprint. The most addressed topics are circularity and carbon footprint. It’s mostly about material choices for toy companies: about 90% of the potential to improve is often linked to materials, especially for plastic toys. The three bioTOY conferences brought many leaders on stage, and we can all learn from them.
What kind of conversations are you looking to bring to the Toys Go Green zone at Spielwarenmesse next year?
The show area will be a place for inspiration. There will be toys made from sustainable raw materials, and we will be there to raise awareness and inform and orientate toy makers and distributors about how they can start their journey. Don’t reinvent the wheel and start from scratch – get inspired, and then search for your solutions. We are here to help.
Spielwarenmesse’s effort to promote sustainability is remarkable and unseen in other industry events worldwide. They give visibility to the topic through the Business Forum and the Toys Go Green exhibition, which is becoming an unmissable point of interest within the event. This year, Toys Go Green will be more exciting than ever, with presentations from eco-brands and the STAC team welcoming everybody, from seasoned eco-leaders to total beginners.
Sustainability is not a temporary trend; it’s vital for any company that wants a bright future. Everybody has a role to play, and we invite industry associations and trade events to follow Spielwarenmesse’s lead and treat sustainability as a perennial strategic matter.
Thank you so much Sonia. Before you go, can you give us one parting fact about sustainability in toys?
The toy industry is the most plastic-intensive industry worldwide. Green electricity for your offices and electric cars are excellent choices, but most of the toys’ impact comes from the materials they are made from. The wrong choice will easily overcome all your other efforts.
