Toys Speaker at 7-8 Sep
Toys Speaker at 7-8 Sep 2021 Sustainable toys from Sweden Viking Toys is a small family-owned and family run toy business based in Torsås, Sweden. Starting in 1974 and selling toys in over 40 countries the core of the company has always been: family, play (toys) that lasts generations & quality. bioplastics MAGAZINE spoke to the sisters Magdalena (Marketing and Creativity) and Caroline Kjellme (CEO), daughters of founder Gösta Kjellme. bM: “The sixth S” – what is that all about? Magdalena: The five S: Safe, Soft, Silent, Simple and Strong are the foundations of our toys. The design, the purpose, the production, the material, the qualities, the characteristics. They are all being based on these 5 words. We have worked hard to be able to extend the 5 S family with an extra S in 2018: The 6 th being Sustainable This is when we launched our assortment made of bioplastic. We call it ECOLine and this line is produced out of bioplastic, mainly LDPE, from sugar cane made by the Brazilian company Braskem. The start of the line was an assortment of our vehicles in mixed sizes and a dining set. We add more toys to the line every year. The goal would be in the future to have the entire line in biobased plastics or alternative materials. bM: You said the cost is an important factor? Caroline: The reason to use bioplastics for us is obvious. We love toys and we don’t believe the production of toys should stop. But if there is a way to make production more sustainable, then that is what we want to try to do in order to continue producing toys and take our responsibility. Our first challenge has always been the cost of biobased plastics. When your material costs twice as much as oil/ fossil fuel based plastics it can be very difficult to justify using bioplastics. Although this is a very heavy argument for most companies out there, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a solution. But this then directly correlates with our second biggest challenge. bM: How do you manage these challenges? Magdalena: The communication to the customer. We need to justify the price to the end consumer. We know the toys are made of sugar cane and we know why. Without understanding the production of plastics and manufacturing, the challenge is in conveying the benefits to the customer with just one look or gaze. Therefore everything from the overall design, choice of colours and textures, how the packaging is designed and how it looks to even your social media presence and look, word of mouth especially online – it all matters. bM: What are your future prospects? Caroline: Through all the challenges we face, we see a positive trend in the end consumers. Every year we see a growing market for the ECOLine. People are getting more aware of the state of the world every year. They educate themselves more about what is offered on the market and demand more. Although we see differences between markets, we do see an overall positive global change. Hopefully growing even stronger in the coming years. www.vikingtoys.se 20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/21] Vol. 16
LEGO bricks made from recycled PET bottles 7-8 Speaker at Sep 2021 Toys The LEGO Group (Billund, Denmark) recently unveiled a prototype LEGO ® brick made from recycled plastic, the latest step in its journey to make Lego products from sustainable materials. The new prototype, which uses PET plastic from discarded bottles, is the first brick made from a recycled material to meet the company’s strict quality and safety requirements. A team of more than 150 people are working to find sustainable solutions for Lego products. Over the past three years, materials scientists and engineers tested over 250 variations of PET materials and hundreds of other plastic formulations. The result is a prototype that meets several of their quality, safety, and play requirements – including clutch power. Vice President of Environmental Responsibility at the Lego Group, Tim Brooks said: “We are super excited about this breakthrough. The biggest challenge on our sustainability journey is rethinking and innovating new materials that are as durable, strong, and high-quality as our existing bricks – and fit with Lego elements made over the past 60 years. With this prototype we’re able to showcase the progress we’re making.” Uncompromised quality and safety It will be some time before bricks made from a recycled material appear in Lego product boxes. The team will continue testing and developing the PET formulation and then assess whether to move to the pilot production phase. This next phase of testing is expected to take at least a year. Brooks said: “We know kids care about the environment and want us to make our products more sustainable. Even though it will be a while before they will be able to play with bricks made from recycled plastic, we want to let kids know we’re working on it and bring them along on the journey with us. Experimentation and failing is an important part of learning and innovation. Just as kids build, unbuild, and rebuild with Lego bricks at home, we’re doing the same in our lab.” The prototype is made from recycled PET sourced from suppliers in the United States that use US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approved processes to ensure quality. On average, a one-litre plastic PET bottle provides enough raw material for ten 2 x 4 Lego bricks. Journey towards more sustainable products The patent-pending material formulation increases the durability of PET to make it strong enough for Lego bricks. The innovative process uses a bespoke compounding technology to combine the recycled PET with strengthening additives. The recycled prototype brick is the latest development in making the Lego Group’s products more sustainable. In 2020, the company announced it will begin removing singleuse plastic from its boxes. In 2018, it began producing elements from bio-polyethylene (bio-PE), made from sustainably sourced sugarcane. Many Lego sets contain elements made from bio-PE which is perfect for making smaller, softer pieces such as trees, branches, leaves and accessories for minifigures. Bio-PE is not currently suitable for making harder, stronger elements such as the iconic Lego bricks. Brooks said: “We’re committed to playing our part in building a sustainable future for generations of children. We want our products to have a positive impact on the planet, not just with the play they inspire, but also with the materials we use. We still have a long way to go on our journey but are pleased with the progress we’re making.” The Lego Group’s focus on sustainable material innovation is just one of several different initiatives the company has in place to make a positive impact. The Lego Group will invest up to USD 400 million over three years to 2022 to accelerate its sustainability ambitions. MT www.lego.com/Sustainability Info See a video-clip at: https://tinyurl.com/ Lego-rPET bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/21] Vol. 16 21
