Toys Reimagined: How Kidults as a New Target Group and Sustainable Plastics Are Changing the Market
Exclusively for K-Mag
Manufacturers must now consider material selection, design and recyclability together
25.02.2026
The global toy market is undergoing change. While classic children's products continue to be in demand, new target groups such as kidults – adults who use toys as lifestyle, design or relaxation products – are becoming more prominent. This is changing not only marketing and design, but also requirements for material selection, safety and production.
At a glance
The toy market is growing thanks to new target groups such as kidults.
Sustainability is also becoming an important purchasing and differentiation criterion for toys.
Material choices influence design, safety, recyclability and brand positioning.
Key Takeaway:
Those who take an integrated approach to material design, sustainability and target group strategy can differentiate themselves in the growing toy market.
Kidults Are Driving the Market
The growing importance of adult target groups is significantly changing the requirements for toys. Products with high material quality, well-thought-out design and durable construction are in demand. For manufacturers, this means focusing on materials that reliably combine haptics, stability and design freedom – while also meeting regulatory and sustainability requirements.
Unlike in the traditional toy market, price plays a lesser role in many kidult products than design, brand loyalty and material appeal. Surface quality, colour brilliance, scratch resistance and weight are becoming distinguishing features.
For manufacturers, this means:
Material quality is becoming a strategic brand factor. Those who use durable polymers and focus on high-quality workmanship can clearly position themselves in the growing kidult segment.
Toys are no longer just for children. Adults are discovering them as design, collectible and relaxation products.
The more durable a toy is, the better its environmental footprint. Quality beats disposable design.
The choice of materials determines whether toys can be recycled later on – design for recycling starts right at the beginning.
Sustainability in the Nursery
At the same time, consumer expectations for sustainable toys are rising. Products that are safe and as recyclable as possible are in demand. Aspects such as reparability, freedom from harmful substances and transparent material concepts are gaining in importance.
Sustainability is evolving from an image issue to a purchasing criterion – both in the traditional children's segment and among design-conscious adults. Retailers and brands are increasingly demanding transparent material strategies.
At the same time, conflicting goals are emerging:
- Recycled materials can affect colour consistency and surface quality.
- Monomaterial design improves recyclability but limits design options.
- Repairability increases material and construction costs.
For product development, this means:
Sustainability must be taken into account early on in the concept phase. Changing materials at a later stage is technically and economically costly. Integrating design for recycling from the outset reduces long-term adaptation costs and strengthens the future viability of the portfolio.
Modern Plastics as Enablers
Material innovations make it possible to combine different requirements. Bio-based plastics, quality-assured recyclates and design-for-recycling approaches contribute to making toys more resource-efficient. At the same time, they must meet high safety standards and be efficient to process.
This makes material design a strategic decision – not just a technical one.
Key questions for manufacturers include:
- Bio-based material or mechanical recyclate?
- Monomaterial for better recyclability or multimaterial for greater design freedom?
- Additives to extend service life or reduce material diversity?
The decision is less about individual measures and more about the system perspective: material selection, design, processing and subsequent recycling must be considered together – along the entire networked value chain.
Examples From Industry
K exhibitors develop solutions for the toy industry along the entire value chain – from child-friendly polymer materials and additives for durability and colouring to energy-efficient machines and systems.
- K exhibitor Grafiche Lama Srl develops in-mould labels (IML) in which the decoration is firmly integrated into the plastic component during the injection moulding process. For toys, paints and varnishes without critical chemical components are used that meet international safety requirements and enable durable, process-integrated labelling.
Strategic relevance: IML solutions can replace separate labels or adhesives, thereby reducing material diversity.
- In the field of recycled materials, too, approaches are emerging that make the circular economy practicable in the toy market. One example is the Saxony-based company HolyPoly, which collects and recycles plastic and reuses it as a raw material for new toys.
Strategic relevance: Closed material cycles enable brands to communicate sustainability credibly.
Opportunities for Manufacturers
The transformation in the toy market opens up new opportunities for differentiation. Strategies that clearly combine target group, design and material concept are particularly successful.
Possible positioning approaches:
- Premium & durable (kidults): High-quality materials, robust construction, long product cycles.
- Recyclable & transparent: use of recycled materials, clear material labelling, design for recycling.
- Modular & repairable: interchangeable components, reduced variety of materials.
- Resource-efficient production: energy-efficient machines & systems, optimised processing.
The plastics and rubber industry provides the technological basis for this – from innovative polymers and additives to automated, sustainable production processes.
Three key questions for toy manufacturers
- Which target group are we addressing – children, kidults or both?
- Is our material strategy designed for recycling from the outset?
- What role should sustainability play in our brand and pricing strategy?
Author: Simone Ernst | K-Mag
Simone Ernst has been writing for various industry magazines for eighteen years and has been part of the K-Mag editorial team since 2024. She is particularly interested in topics such as plastics recycling, sustainability in the plastics industry and career paths in the plastics and rubber industry.
