Toys By: Johnny Koch
Toys By: Johnny Koch Hansen Sales Manager Dantoy Hobro, Denmark dantoy (Hobro, Denmark) has been developing and manufacturing quality toys in Denmark for more than 50 years. In that time, the company has grown into one of the biggest manufacturers of plastic toys in the Nordic countries. In February 2018, dantoy launched its new line of BIO products, which has gained much more attention than initially anticipated. Today, more than 15% of all dantoy’s products are made from bio materials, a development clearly contributing to this toy company’s healthy sales figures. Located in the middle of Jutland in Denmark and employing some 50 employees, most of whom have been with the company for more than 10 years, dantoy’s production facilities span an area of 15,000 m 2 . In addition, dantoy employs a number of affiliated colleagues who assemble the products at home or at sheltered workshops. All this says something about dantoy’s DNA, and the company culture dantoy is known for. There is nothing strange about dantoy’s decision to introduce its new bio line last year. It is simply a part of the company’s DNA. Ten years ago, the company’s first products certified with the Nordic Swan, the official ecolabel of the Nordic Countries, appeared on the market. Dantoy’s much-loved scooter, a product familiar to almost every child in Denmark, was the first to bear the label. Today, more than 98 % of all dantoy’s core products have earned certification and carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and more are on the way. Dantoy chose to have its products certified because it was the best way to show the customers that children can use all these products without any concerns. Plastic toys licensed for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel must Danish bio-toys a success story Products made from sugarcane are a natural development for the Danish toy manufacturer dantoy comply with the world’s strictest requirements for plastic contents, going far beyond the Danish law. For instance, products bearing the Nordic Swan Ecolabel may not contain harmful substances such as phthalates, perfume, BPA or endocrinedisruptive substances. All this says much about the high standard to which dantoy’s products are manufactured. The world’s first toys to be licensed for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel were from dantoy. The company received their first licence for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel as early as in 2010. The bio product line started with an idea. Like any other dantoy product, the new line needed to comply with the company’s strategy and goals to develop high-quality toys with an environmental focus. There was no doubt that dantoy wanted to create a bio line but achieving the quality required to meet dantoy’s high standards proved to be a challenge. After a few years of struggle and cooperation with the different raw material suppliers, dantoy found a raw material good enough for their new bio line: Braskem’s Green PE, supplied by FKuR. For now, dantoy is happy to produce its high-quality products in the new bio 18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/19] Vol. 14
Toys material, but the company continues to further develop and improve its bio products on an ongoing basis. At the moment, dantoy has only one raw material at its disposal to make the bio products, while it uses more than twenty different raw materials for its other products. For example, it is currently not possible to produce the scooter from bio material, although this remains a long-term goal for the future. The newest member to join the dantoy family of products is its Tiny line: bio products especially developed for babies. Dantoy is the first in the world to make baby products in bio material, certified with the Nordic Swan. All dantoy products stand for both high quality and care for the environmental, so customers can choose between bio or conventional. One of the company’s goals is to broaden the knowledge of its products in all its 50 different markets. In addition to using biobased plastic raw materials for the bio and Tiny lines, dantoy tries to minimise the impact of its operations on the environment. The company has therefore implemented eco-friendly processes to manage the consumption of energy, water and raw materials and to prevent the possibility of accidental releases or emissions via the manufacturing process. It is important for dantoy to be the best, and to produce the best toys possible, so that children around the world can play safely every day, while they develop their motor skills, learning skills, social skills etc. This is what drives dantoy forward and also the main reason the company chose to certify its products with the Nordic Ecolabel 10 years ago. It’s also why it has now chosen to produce the new Tiny line. www.dantoy.dk 14 –15 NOVEMBER 2019, MATERNUSHAUS, COLOGNE, GERMANY The BIOCOMPOSITES CONFERENCE COLOGNE is the world‘s largest conference and exhibition on the topic. This conference offers you the unique opportunity to gain a comprehensive overview of the world of biocomposites in Cologne. The conference at a glance: • More than 250 participants and 30 exhibitors expected • Innovative raw materials for biocomposites – Wood, natural fibres and polymers • Market opportunities for biocomposites in consumer goods (such as music instruments, casing and cases, furniture, tables, toys, combs and trays) as well as rigid packaging • Latest development in technology and strategic market positioning • Trends in biocomposite granulates for injection moulding, extrusion and 3D printing • Latest developments in construction and automotive Conference Manager Dominik Vogt Phone: +49(0)2233-48-1449 dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de Organiser: Sponsor Innovation Award: VOTE FOR the Innovation Award “Bio-based Material of the Year 2019”! www.nova-institute.eu www.coperion.com www.biocompositescc.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/19] Vol. 14 19
