Wondering what to do with those old Barbie dolls you left in a drawer in your child’s room? You can now send them back to their manufacturer. That’s right, Mattel has launched a vast circular economy program in five countries. The principle is simple: consumers send their old toys to the company. Once received, the toys will be cleaned and then recycled.
The company behind the famous doll has just launched “Mattel PlayBack,” a recycling operation in five countries (Germany, Canada, the United States, France and the United Kingdom). The objective of this pilot project is to give a second life to toys that are piling up in homes, while offering them a better fate than that of the landfill. It applies to Barbie dolls, as well as to all Mattel toys marketed by the Matchbox and MEGA brands.
“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,” said Pamela Gill-Alabaster, global head of sustainability for Mattel.
This collection and recycling program will be entrusted to a recycling organization, which will sort the toys by type of plastic and clean them. The objects will then be transformed into plastic granules, from which new products will be made.
To take part in this operation, simply fill out a form on the program’s website, then print the prepaid return label and affix it to the package containing the toys you wish to part with.
With this new campaign, Mattel continues its strategy to “green” its products. Last April, the American toy giant presented a collection of plant-based plastic toys for its Fisher-Price and MEGA Bloks brands.
Mattel also earlier unveiled its first pilot model of the “Matchbox Tesla Roadster,” made from 99% recycled materials and certified carbon neutral. JB
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