From the children's room to a Circular Economy: Sustainable materials for the toys of the future

In this interview with K-MAG, Philipp Hummel, Head of Sustainability at Schleich, explains how the industry giant plans to follow its ambitious path toward a circular economy, the exciting process of material selection, and how self-reflection and a spirit of innovation are leading the company toward a more sustainable future.

Mr. Hummel, Schleich figures are appreciated for their durability. How will the new material selection affect this?

Philipp Hummel: Sustainable play has always been firmly anchored in Schleich's DNA. For over 85 years, we have been producing high-quality and therefore very durable toys. This durability naturally reduces the ecological impact of toys. For example, we know from surveys that 91 percent of respondents have never thrown away one of our figures.

To further conserve our planet's precious resources, we are working on sustainable materials for our toy figures and, as a first step, we are ensuring that all our figures will be recyclable and Cradle to Cradle® certified by the end of 2027. Even when developing new materials for our schleich® figures, quality, safety, and durability are top priorities – today and in the future. Only the materials that meet all of our high-quality requirements are approved for our toys, so that children will continue to enjoy their schleich® figures for a long time to come, and so that future generations will be able to enjoy them as well.

How is the search for the perfect materials for your ambitious sustainability project shaping up?

Hummel: Our multidisciplinary team from the fields of chemistry, sustainability and engineering is working at full speed to develop new, sustainable and at the same time durable materials for our toys. At the same time, we rely on the know-how of our partners and suppliers, with whom we work together on the development of new materials.

In order to find the ideal material for our play figures that meets our high quality and safety standards as well as being recyclable and more sustainable, we test a wide range of different materials both in our own testing laboratories and at our partners' facilities. In addition to mechanical testing, where we primarily test the quality properties of the material, chemical testing is performed to ensure that the material is safe for people and the environment. Only when all tests have been passed successfully, the materials are approved for our toys.

Which of your products are already recyclable or biodegradable?

Hummel: Most of our figurines are already designed in such a way that they can be easily recycled. Unfortunately, there is currently hardly any possibility to recycle children's toys. When a toy is thrown away, it is usually sent for energy recovery or, in some countries, ends up in landfills.

To change this, we have developed our own recycling program: We accept old schleich® figures and ensure that the valuable resources from which they are made are put back into circulation. However, not all of our schleich® figures are very recyclable yet, such as figures that we use glitter or glue for.

That's why we continue to develop our figures and materials to make them even more sustainable and recyclable.

Exhibitors & products around recycling

• Recycling plants
• Separating and sorting systems for waste
• Size reduction equipment (crushers, shredders, grinders)
• Compounding lines
• Recyclates

How are you going about redesigning the entire product range in terms of sustainability criteria by 2027?

Hummel: We have been working for several years with a large team to develop new, more sustainable materials for our figures. We can show great progress in the area of paints: Since 2022, we have started to paint our products with water-based paint. We are also working with our partners to develop materials and paints that are Cradle to Cradle® certified and are confident of launching our first products soon. We are gradually converting our product range to more sustainable materials.

In addition, we are reviewing all our activities and trying to become even more sustainable in everything we do.

What other challenges do you face with these processes?

Hummel: A major challenge in developing more sustainable materials for our toys is to meet our own very high quality standards while also meeting the demanding sustainability criteria of the Cradle to Cradle® standard. We have been searching for more sustainable materials that will allow us to continue to make our figures as detailed and authentic as possible for several years now, and we are pleased to be making great progress in this area.

Will the toy also change from the children's perspective? Will it look or feel different?

Hummel: The quality and safety of our products are Schleich's top priority. The quality, feel and look of our products are not affected by the use of more sustainable materials. Attention to detail, authenticity and high quality are and will remain our product values that define us. A schleich® lion will always be a schleich® lion and will continue to feel the way children all over the world love it. We make no compromises here. We are working at full speed to find sustainable and recyclable materials that meet these demands.

What are the expectations for toys in 2030 – as opposed to 50 years ago?

Hummel: In light of the limited resources of our earth, the importance of quality and durability of toys, but also their recyclability, is becoming increasingly important. Our figures are timeless and are often passed down from generation to generation. Thus, children today often play with the schleich® figures of their parents or even grandparents. In addition, we have set ourselves the goal of making all our figures recyclable by 2027 and having them certified according to the sustainability principles of Cradle to Cradle® in order to make a significant contribution to the recyclability of toys.