Mattel has launched Mattel
PlayBack, a toy takeback
program that will enable families to extend the life of their Mattel toys once
they are finished playing with them.
Joining other toy companies that have embraced a circular model — including
Hasbro and
LEGO,
which also offer used-toy takeback for recycling — the new program is designed
to recover and reuse materials from old Mattel toys for future Mattel products;
and supports the company’s goal to achieve 100 percent recycled, recyclable or
bio-based plastic materials across all products and packaging by 2030.
“Mattel toys are made to last and be passed on from generation to generation,”
said Richard Dickson, President and Chief Operating Officer at Mattel. “A
key part of our product design process is a relentless focus on innovation, and
finding sustainable solutions is one significant way we are innovating. Our
Mattel PlayBack program is a great example of this, enabling us to turn
materials from toys that have lived their useful life into recycled materials
for new products.”
Customers interested in returning old Mattel toys can
visit Mattel.com/PlayBack, print a free shipping
label, and pack and mail their outgrown toys back to Mattel. The toys collected
will be sorted and separated by material type, then processed for recycling. For
materials that cannot be repurposed as recycled content in new toys, Mattel says
it will either downcycle those materials or convert them from waste to energy.
At launch, the program will accept Barbie®, Matchbox® and MEGA® toys
for recycling, with other brands to be added in the future.
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“At Mattel, we are committed to managing the environmental impact of our
products,” added Global Head of Sustainability Pamela Gill-Alabaster. “The
Mattel PlayBack program helps parents and caregivers ensure that materials stay
in play and out of landfills, with the aim to repurpose these materials as
recycled content in new toys. It is one important step we’re taking to address
the growing global waste challenge.”
Last year, Mattel introduced the Fisher-Price® Rock-a-Stack® and
Baby’s First Blocks, and three MEGA Bloks® sets — all made from
bio-based plastics; and UNO® Nothin’ But Paper — the first fully recyclable
UNO® deck without cellophane packing materials.
And last month, Mattel also announced Drive Toward a Better
Future — its product
roadmap to make all Matchbox die-cast cars, playsets and packaging with 100
percent recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials by 2030, in line
with Mattel’s overarching goal; and unveiled the Matchbox Tesla
Roadster,
its first die-cast vehicle made from 99 percent recycled materials and
certified CarbonNeutral®
, available starting in 2022.
Mattel PlayBack will initially be available in the US and Canada. The
program will extend to France, Germany and the UK through
third-party recycling partners.
Programs such as Mattel PlayBack are an integral part of Mattel’s broader
sustainability strategy, its commitment to advance a circular economy, and its
efforts to teach children about the importance of protecting the planet.
For more information on recycling Mattel toys, visit Mattel.com/PlayBack.
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Sustainable Brands Staff
Published May 11, 2021 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST