The Toy Industry and Climate Change

What do toys have to do with climate change?

The global toy industry is the most plastic intensive in the world with a linear business model based on high consumption of disposable plastic toys. It is on track to produce 1 million tonnes of waste annually. At the same time 75% of kids are worried about their future because of climate change and the oceans are in a plastic-waste crisis.

Toys shape how kids see and interact with the world, which gives us the opportunity and responsibility to use play to help them become more climate confident. I think we can leave them a better legacy than ocean waste and toys they lose interest in after just one week!

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  • Environmental regulations that may affect the t...

    As the world takes action on climate change and pollution, an increasing number of environmental regulations may impact the toy industry. We have started gathering them here to make it...

    Environmental regulations that may affect the t...

    As the world takes action on climate change and pollution, an increasing number of environmental regulations may impact the toy industry. We have started gathering them here to make it...

  • Carbon Offsetting - Green Solution or Green Washing?

    Carbon Offsetting - Green Solution or Green Was...

    In the last two articles we saw that the most important ways to deal with carbon is to reduce it at source through well designed products and energy efficient businesses....

    Carbon Offsetting - Green Solution or Green Was...

    In the last two articles we saw that the most important ways to deal with carbon is to reduce it at source through well designed products and energy efficient businesses....

  • Four wooden toy iceblocks lying on a beige sheet. The text across the image reads "Reducing Carbon at Source". The logo for World Sustainable Toy Day is in the bottom right corner.

    Reducing Carbon at Source

    There’s a lot of talk by governments and business about how they are going to reduce their carbon emissions but the truth is we’re not doing anywhere near enough to...

    Reducing Carbon at Source

    There’s a lot of talk by governments and business about how they are going to reduce their carbon emissions but the truth is we’re not doing anywhere near enough to...

  • The hands of a girl and an elderly woman doing a jigsaw puzzle. The puzzle is 'Whale Poo and CO2'. The text across the image says 'Reducing Carbon by Prioritising Quality over Quantity'. The logo of World Sustainable Toy Day is in the bottom right corner.

    Reducing Carbon by Prioritising Quality over Qu...

    This article is the fourth in a series leading up to World Sustainable Toy Day 2023: Towards a Carbon Neutral Toy Industry. Discussion prompts are at the bottom of the page,...

    Reducing Carbon by Prioritising Quality over Qu...

    This article is the fourth in a series leading up to World Sustainable Toy Day 2023: Towards a Carbon Neutral Toy Industry. Discussion prompts are at the bottom of the page,...

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