Mattel, Inc. is expanding its sustainable product releases with the debut of environmentally-friendly products from its popular MEGA and Matchbox brands.
One of Mattel’s corporate goals is to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials in all its products and packaging by 2030.
In line with this goal, the preschool construction toy brand, MEGA is releasing MEGA BLOKS Green Town which is the first-ever toy line available at mass retail to be certified CarbonNeutral by the climate finance experts Natural Capital Partners.
To achieve the CarbonNeutral product certification, MEGA purchased carbon offsets from the Darkwood Forests Conservation project in Canada.
Each Green Town playset is made from a minimum of 56% plant-based materials and a minimum of 26% certified bio-circular plastics.
The packaging for the products is created with 100% Forest Stewardship Council certified paper, soy-based inks, and water-based varnishes to enhance recyclability.
In 2021, Matchbox announced Driving Toward a Better Future, a pledge to make all Matchbox die-cast cars, playsets and packaging with 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials by 2030.
Illustrating these principles, Mattel is releasing the Matchbox Tesla Roadster, its first die-cast vehicle made from 99% recycled materials and certified CarbonNeutral. It is currently available as a pre-sale item on Mattel Creations.
This year, Matchbox is introducing several other products designed to have less impact on the environment.
These products include electric vehicle, die-cast multi-packs from brands like BMW, Nissan, Honda, as well as a new Recycling Truck made from 80% ISCC-certified bio-circular plastic and Action Drivers playsets made from at least 40% ISCC-certified bio-circular plastic.
“At Mattel, we are focused on developing innovative products and packaging that are better for our planet by integrating more sustainable materials and principles of product stewardship and circular design,” said Pamela Gill-Alabaster, Head of Global Sustainability at Mattel.
“These new products from MEGA and Matchbox demonstrate our commitment to our 2030 goal to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials in all our products and packaging and to create a more sustainable future for the next generation.”
MEGA and Matchbox are also part of Mattel PlayBack, a toy takeback program launched in the US, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK in 2021. The toy takeback program is designed to recover and reuse materials from old Mattel toys.
In honor of Earth Month, the Mattel website will feature sustainability-focused content throughout the month of April. This will include profiles of Planet Heroes, information about ecosystems, a guide on How to Talk To Your Kids About Climate Change, DIY eco-crafts, and lists of relevant movies and books to extend the learning process.