Sittard, The Netherlands - American multinational toy manufacturer Mattel, whose products and brands currently include Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and many more, is set to become the first toymaker to use materials from Sabic’s Trucircle certified renewable polymers portfolio in its products.
According to the announcement today, the first Mattel toy products to enter the market in 2022 using certified renewable Sabic PP will be from Mega and Matchbox, with more to follow.
First up will be Mega Bloks Green Town, the first-ever toy line available at mass retail to be certified carbon neutral. From the Matchbox brand, all Action Driver playsets and the Matchbox Recycling Trucks contain Sabic materials, which supports the brand’s Driving Toward a Better Future initiative, to make all Matchbox die-cast cars, playsets and packaging with 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials by 2030, in line with Mattel’s corporate goal.
Sabic’s mass-balanced renewably-sourced resins are based on second-generation feedstock that is not in direct competition with human food and animal feed production. The materials include various polypropylene and polyethylene polymers that make the change-over from existing fossil-based applications possible without having to compromise on purity, quality, safety or convenience. A cradle-to-gate lifecycle analysis has confirmed their superior sustainability, concluding that each kg of the company’s bio-based resins reduces CO2 emissions by an average of 4 kg as compared to fossil-based virgin alternatives, while at the same time cutting fossil depletion by up to 80%.
Opting for Sabic’s Trucircle polymers directly supports Mattel’s goal to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials in its products and packaging by 2030, and is an important step forward in their transition towards a circular economy.
The sustainability of Sabic's certified renewable polymers is validated using a mass balance approach under the widely recognised International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) scheme. Mass balance is determined to allocate the renewable content used in the production and conversion of the plastic material to the ultimate application. In addition, the certification also provides traceability throughout the partners’ entire supply chain from the feedstock to the final product.
“As a global leader in the toy sector, we strive to develop innovative products that are better for our planet by integrating sustainable materials and principles of product stewardship and circular design,” said Pamela Gill-Alabaster, Head of Global Sustainability at Mattel.
By partnering with Sabic, she added, Mattel will become the first to market with products made from ISCC certified renewable feedstock that has a lower carbon footprint but the same quality and safety as products made with traditional virgin plastics.