Former university lecturer, designer, and founder of Vicki Thomas Associates, Vicki Thomas herself is reviving a proposal to establish an industry-wide and collaborative Toy & Play Sustainability Research Hub.
The Hub, it is proposed, will be a part of The University of Northampton’s Sustainable Future research hub, an initiative that was launched in 2020 and of which Vicki Thomas has recently been appointed a Research Fellow.
The concept for the research hub was first instigated following a period of extensive research carried out by academic at the university in collaboration with toy companies like John Crane and Big Jigs alongside charities such as Sue Ryder and UNICEF and the British Toy and Hobby Association and The Good Toy Guide.
Vicki has pinpointed Northampton as the ‘home of material and manufacturing innovation’ dating back to the 1950s and ‘60s when the East Midlands led in the introduction of new machine tools and synthetic materials. Used to produce all manner of toys, these tools and technologies were exported worldwide and while toy production has since largely migrated out of the UK, the area ‘remains a hub of toy distribution’ and creative pioneering.
“What I have learnt from visits to trade shows and discussions with toy companies, licensors, retail buyers, and many involved in education is it’s vital toys become recyclable, greener, more sustainable, or regenerative,” says Vicki. “Children learn through play and the toy industry simply must understand the environmental crisis. We need international collaboration and the toy industry needs to take the lead.
“We may strive towards a circular model but research indicates that industries cannot work in silos. Soft toy producers have to be working with the textile industry; electronic educational gadgets need to be recycled with domestic appliances. A hub is needed to share information that can be acted on.”
The concept for the Toy & Play Sustainability Research Hub takes inspiration from the University of Northampton’s Sustainable Business Practice through which those working in the fresh produce sector have established Freshppact – an industry consortia to identify and evaluate solutions to shared sustainability challenges in the fresh food supply chain.
Vicki will be heading to London Toy Fair next week to connect with the UK toy industry. For anyone interested in sharing ideas, contact Vicki Thomas at vicki@vickithomasassociates.com
