With soft toys a staple for almost every child’s playtime or bedtime set up, new technology has been developed to eliminate the need for them to be made from plastic. Products of Change and Bio-Fluff have begun a working group to actualise this innovation.
Plush or soft toys have a long and much-loved history as companions and playthings for children, from the early homemade rag dolls dating back over two thousand years, the first commercially available stuffed toy in the late 19th century, the origin of the ‘teddy’ bear, named after Theodore Roosevelt at the beginning of the 20th century, to the beginnings of mass market production during the baby boom after the first world war.
Soft toys have evolved from something handmade from fabric scraps, to high-quality manufactured toys for wealthier children, before becoming something readily accessible to all, as fabric innovations and production technology developed, making them softer, more durable, as well as more affordable
To achieve this standard, most manufacturers utilise synthetic and plastic-based textiles and stuffing. As the research into the impacts of microplastics and the environmental impact of plastic itself continues to evolve, it seems there are unintended consequences of plush toys that needs to be addressed.
A bio-material start-up may hold the answer, as Roni Gamzon, co-founder and CCO of Bio-Fluff revealed when speaking at the POC Conference in November.
Roni explained that the trouble with being an aunt in the materials science space is being hyperconscious of all the plastic-based toys she sees her niece touch and hold close to her mouth.
“Did you know infants can have up to ten times more microplastics in them than adults?” Roni asked. This can come from their dummies, bottles and largely their toys.
“From their blankets their fashion to their soft toys, everything around them is made from plastic, and plastic that sheds,” said Roni, “We can all agree we need a healthier and more sustainable solution.”
Roni said she has the solution, and that’s Bio-Fluff, a bio-material start-up focused entirely on reimagining fluffy materials.
“We have created the world’s first plant-based alternative to fur, shearling, and plush. We use flax, nettle and hemp which we source in Europe, and then produce our materials entirely in Italy.
“The hairs you are seeing on-screen, on my clothes, and even in the toys we left out front are not even processed yarn, they are the true natural form of the plant fibre” explained Roni.
Bio-Fluff does not use any harmful chemicals and it is certified safe for children’s use. It is also bio-degradable, recyclable, and is already being produced at scale at over 15,000 metres a week.
“Based on our preliminary ACA, our products produce up to 95% less GHG emissions than animal fur and 75% less than plastic faux fur,” said Roni.
Roni’s company has its origins in fashion where it works with some of the world’s largest brands to replace their animal fur, where there are still a hundred million animals killed every year for fashion.
The fur alternative was launched by Savian at Cop28 with Stella McCartney as part of her pre-fall 2020 collection. This was followed up by a collaboration with Danish brand, Ganni, which together had a pop-up in Selfridges.
“We work collaboratively with each brand to develop an individual solution that fits their needs,” explained Roni.
Bio-Fluff has now just entered the interior space and launched its first collaboration at Barcelona Design Week with the Italian design brand, Redduo.
However, its latest venture, Roni announced for the first time at the POC Conference 2024, is for Bio-Fluff to begin operating in the toy space, “An opportunity which I am personally very excited about,” said Roni.
“This is why we are partnering with Products of Change to create a working group,” explained Roni, “to come together and create the perfect plant-based plush for the toy industry.”
The purpose of the working group is to bring the industry together to define what criteria is needed, what the best ways are to create a pilot, and to start working on it.
“Our solution is here, it exists, it’s at scale and it’s truly sustainable. All that’s left is just refining it for the toy industry and coming together to drive innovation, so that Moksha [Roy], who opened this day [POC Conference], my niece, your loved ones, and our planet can all have a healthier future.”
Bio-Fluff working group
POC hosted the first Bio-Fluff working group on 10 December 2024, bringing together the POC community and interested parties from the toy and manufacturing industry.
It was very well attended, including notable individuals and companies from big brands. There was a level of excitement from attendees towards this “unicorn” material and enthusiasm to take it further.
Roni was keen to understand from the audience what their requirements would be for a pilot of this plant-based plush, concerning price, safety criteria, quantity, manufacturing location, and durability.
It was also discussed whether it would be worthwhile to have some percentage of plastic-based plush in the product to bring its price down initially, such as in the filling of the toy, where the risk of the microplastic shedding would be reduced but not eliminated.
A roadmap was set out, with the plan to do a small pilot range first, and then slowly introduce it further, since it a new product
Queries were posed regarding end-of-life options, as well as possibilities of refining the softness, which Roni said was something Bio-Fluff continues to improve upon.
The next steps are to bring the design teams into the conversation to actualise the pilot.
The second working group with Bio-Fluff will be held in the new year, the date for which will be announced shortly.
The recording of the first Products of Change and Bio-Fluff working group is live under Resourced on the POC website. Find it here.
