Mattel launches "PlayBack": new toys from recycling of old toys

Mattel announced the launch of Mattel "PlayBack", a toy takeback program that will enable families to extend the life of their plastics Mattel toys once they are finished playing with them. The new program is designed to recover and reuse materials from old Mattel toys for future Mattel products, and supports the company’s goal to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials across all products and packaging by 2030.

To participate in the Mattel PlayBack program, consumers can visit Mattel.com/PlayBack, print a free shipping label, and pack and mail their outgrown Mattel toys back to Mattel. The toys collected will be sorted and separated by material type and responsibly processed and recycled. For materials that cannot be repurposed as recycled content in new toys, Mattel PlayBack will either downcycle those materials or convert them from waste to energy. At launch, the program will accept Barbie, Matchbox and Mega toys for recycling with other brands to be added in the future.

Last year, Mattel introduced several toys as part of its goal to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials across all products and packaging by 2030, including the Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack and Fisher-Price Baby’s First Blocks, made from bio-based plastics, three Mega Bloks sets made from bio-based plastics, and UNO Nothin’ But Paper, the first fully recyclable UNO deck without cellophane packing materials. 

Last month, Mattel also announced Drive Toward a Better Future, its product roadmap 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 overarching goal, and unveiled the Matchbox Tesla Roadster, its first die-cast vehicle made from 99% recycled materials and certified CarbonNeutral, available starting in 2022. Mattel PlayBack will initially be available in the United States and Canada. The program will extend to France, Germany and the United Kingdom through third-party recycling partners.

Programs like Mattel PlayBack are an integral part of Mattel’s broader sustainability strategy and efforts to teach children about the importance of protecting the planet. Mattel PlayBack also supports the company’s ongoing commitment to advance a circular economy, which includes pre-competitive collaborations with other members of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and circular design training, led by global design firm Ideo, for its design, development, global brand and supply chain teams.