WiT is launching its new Sustainability Learning Community. | Source: WiT

by Kelsey Alpaio, copywriter, Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment

As members of the toy community, we are united by kids — their learning, development, and joy. The products and services we create are there for them during the most important and formative years of their lives. And, in that way, we have the opportunity to help kids build the best possible future. 

But it’s impossible to talk about the future without acknowledging the danger that climate change poses to our world. We are already seeing its impacts on a daily basis and we have a responsibility to address the role that the toy industry plays in creating this global emergency. We owe it to kids worldwide to make play more sustainable and help them create a more positive future.  

How can the toys we provide protect our climate, planet, and kids’ safe futures? What can we do as an industry to be more sustainable? Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) is launching a new Sustainability Learning Community to discuss these questions and more. WiT, the industry’s leading nonprofit organization for the advancement of women, recently debuted this initiative to bring its members together to ask questions, find answers, and help the toy industry become more sustainable. 

The WiT Sustainability Learning Community — along with its co-chairs Paola Dyboski, owner and managing director of Dr. Zigs, and Sharon Keilthy, founder and CEO of Jiminy Eco Toys — will open this discussion and create a shared space where industry members can discuss ideas, solutions, and challenges. This initiative welcomes everyone and every question because the topics that members raise during these meetings will help shape the community. 

“As an industry, what we do best is inspire, enable, and create opportunities for role play, skill development, problem-solving, and of course, laughter,” Dyboski says. “We are there for the early years, in those crucial learning moments. It’s so important that these years are filled with games and toys that are right for kids, and that these items are ones that families can feel good about.” 

Source: Adobe Stock

“When I speak with members of the toy industry about sustainability, I see that people really want to do better, but often don’t know how,” Keilthy says. “Which materials are sustainable and workable? Is the toy or packaging more important? Which has a bigger effect: choice of material or transport-distance? It’s very clear that our industry — and every other industry — needs to urgently reach net-zero emissions. It’s a no-brainer to bring everyone together to swap what they know and to energize each other about this change.”

The term sustainability can mean a lot of things, but Keilthy shares a few ways to think about it. A “sustainable” product in 2022: 

• Is made from plants (because we can regrow those) or recycled materials (using up waste — such as recycled plastic, wood, or cotton);

• Protects our climate by being carbon neutral (plants and recycled materials help achieve this);

• Protects our environment by minimizing trash, which doesn’t just mean recyclable packaging. It also means making toys durable, recyclable, modular, and repairable.

There are already major players in the toy industry that offer eco-friendly inspiration, such as LEGO and its 2030 Sustainability Plan. LEGO has promised to make 100% of its business sustainable, including toy materials, reusable toys, packaging, and renewable electricity. Mattel has also committed to 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic materials in all of its products and packaging by 2030, and recently unveiled a new range of carbon-neutral toys from Matchbox and MEGA. 

These changes matter, not only to build a better tomorrow but also for the success of the toy industry. A recent Toy Association-commissioned survey revealed that 78% of parents believe that the sustainability of a toy for their kids is important.

WiT is uniquely positioned to bring people together to move the needle on toy sustainability, most notably because its gathers women in this industry together. As with most challenges we face as a society, we must approach sustainability with intersectionality in mind. For something to be truly sustainable, it must involve all of us.

“It is well known that to achieve any form of true change, equality is crucial,” Dyboski says. “As women, we play key roles in managing everyday resources. We see the importance of sustainability in our everyday lives. We are the key to change. But this isn’t just women’s rights — it’s about equality for all. It’s about the rainbow. It’s about gender, racial, and ability equality, too. We are more likely to succeed at finding peace, prosperity, and, of course, sustainability, if everyone has an equal voice.” 

That is what WiT’s Sustainability Learning Community is all about. This community will be a place to exchange ideas, connect with others, ask questions, and truly bring about change — together. We are at a turning point in our industry and the possibilities for innovation are huge. Although it can be scary, it can also be empowering. Shifting to a more sustainable approach is no longer optional. It’s a must-do for every maker and for every toy. Once we accept that as an industry, we can start making progress. 

Related: LEGO Celebrates the Power of Play For 90th Anniversary 

WiT’s Sustainability Learning Community is just the beginning. As it creates a roadmap for a topic-focused, global learning community, WiT anticipates creating additional learning groups focused on other important topics in the future.


This article was originally published in the June 2022 edition of the Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue!

About the author

Hannah Sacks

Hannah Sacks

Hannah Sacks was an editorial assistant at The Toy Insider, The Pop Insider, and The Toy Book. An avid reader, her first love is late Victorian literature paired with a huge plate of dumplings. When she’s not reading, she loves to attend concerts, cook elaborate dinners, and snuggle up with her two cats, Oscar and Percy.

archivearrow-chevron-downarrow-chevron-left-greyarrow-chevron-leftarrow-chevron-rightarrow-fatarrow-left-blackarrow-left-whitearrow-right-blackarrow-rightarrow-roundedbookscalendarcaret-downclose-whiteclosedocumenteditorial-archiveeyefacebook-squarefacebookfilesgifthamburgerheadinghearthomeinstagram-squareinstagramlatestlinkedin-squarelinkedinmailmedia-inquiresmessagenewsopen-boxpagination-leftpagination-rightpauseplayprintproduct-archiverecent-productssearchsharesort-filterspotifysunteamtiktoktime_purpletimetrendingtvtwitter-squaretwitteryoutube