Mattel Rolls Out PlayBack Toy Recycling Effort

Mattel Inc., the toy company, rolled out a toy takeback effort called Mattel PlayBack that will let families “extend the life of their Mattel toys once they are finished playing with them,” according to a Monday (May 10) announcement.

The effort is meant to harness materials from old Mattel toys for Mattel offerings in the future, while helping with the firm’s aim to have completely “recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials” throughout all items and packaging by the end of the decade, according to the announcement.

Individuals can go to a page on the Mattel website, obtain a complimentary shipping label, and pack and ship their toys back to the company to take part in the effort. The toys will be organized and divided up by the kind of material and will be processed and recycled.

In addition, toys that aren’t able to be reused as recycled content will be downcycled or changed from waste to energy.

Initially, the effort will take MEGA, Matchbox and Barbie toys for recycling, while other brands will be added at a later time. Mattel PlayBack will be available at first in the United States in addition to Canada.

“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,” Mattel President and Chief Operating Officer Richard Dickson said in the announcement. “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.”

Separately, Spin Master Corp., the children’s toy company whose iconic brands include Etch A Sketch and Rubik’s Cube, has teamed with TerraCycle to make its toys and games recyclable inside of the U.S.

“The Spin Master Recycling Program is a perfect chance to engage the next generation through sustainability in a fun and approachable way,” TerraCycle CEO and Founder Tom Szaky said in a previous announcement.