Schleich is kicking off the new year by laying out some very aggressive goals for its path toward a sustainable future.
The company plans to begin producing its animal-themed figurines and playsets by exclusively using sustainable materials and packaging by 2027. Its four-year plan is focused on ensuring future resources using the Cradle to Cradle sustainability principle and is being developed in collaboration with EPEA GmbH.
“Our figurines are timeless and have always been handed down from generation to generation. This longevity significantly reduces the carbon footprint of our products,” says Dirk Engehausen, CEO of Schleich. “But we can’t rest on our laurels. We’re conducting research into long-lasting materials that conserve resources, making our packaging more sustainable and shortening our supply chains. By 2027, all our products will be recycled, bio-based, recyclable, or biodegradable.”
As one of its first steps toward sustainability, Schleich says that it’s investing $10 million to implement a range of sustainability efforts, starting with a shift to water-based paints on its products and a significant reduction of plastic content in its packaging. Moving forward, all packaging will use FSC-certified cardboard beginning this year and will be entirely recyclable by 2025. It will achieve Cradle to Cradle certification by 2027.
“Sustainability is a journey, and we’ll be taking some important steps along the way in the coming years,” says Dr. Philipp Hummel, Head of Sustainability at Schleich. “Our products are so long-lasting and of such high quality that it’s very rare that they’re ever thrown away. But should that ever happen, rigorously applying the Cradle to Cradle design principle means that a Schleich dinosaur can be made into yet another Schleich dinosaur — or a lion, horse, or unicorn.”
Schleich says that its sustainability measures have people at its core, and with that in mind the company maintains membership in the ICTI Ethical Toy Program.
For more information on the latest eco-friendly and sustainable toys, check out page 42 of the 2022 Innovation & STEM issue of The Toy Book.
