Throughout the automotive industry, we know that manufacturers are tripping over each other working to develop “greener” mobility options. This of course involves the electrification of their products, but also plans to make their factories and offices carbon-neutral plans - starting in 2030 for some, 2035 or 2040 for others.
Now another automotive voice is announcing a similar kind of transformation. But we're not talking about just any manufacturer, because this time it's the miniature die-cast carmaker Matchbox.
The Mattel-owned company announced last week that it plans to make all of its cars, games and packaging with 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic by 2030. While Matchbox is the first of its horde to announce such a goal, so will all of parent company Mattel's brands. That means Hot Wheels, Barbie and Polly Pocket will follow suit.
As such, Matchbox unveiled its new “zero plastic” packaging to coincide with the announcement. Gone is the traditional hard plastic piece glued to a piece of cardboard, a format used for decades. Instead, the car will be sold in a small cardboard box, just as the company did in its early years. The paper and wood fiber materials that make up the packaging will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, a pioneering forest certification organization with over 25 years of experience in sustainable forest management.
The cars themselves will be made from recycled plastic and zinc. The only non-recycled material will be the axles, which are made of stainless steel. This represents about 1% of the components. Matchbox also encourages the recycling of its toys when they reach the end of their life. For example, games will be designed so that the electronic components are contained in a single, easily disassembled module to facilitate waste recycling.
And it's not just the construction of the toys that will be green. Even the subject matter will be updated to reflect the evolution of the automotive industry. The first toy car to be designed under the sustainability mandate is a Tesla Roadster. Other green vehicles in the lineup include the Nissan LEAF, BMW i3 and i8, Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Tesla’s Model S and semi truck. At the same time, play sets will include items such as charging stations.
This is interesting and will allow fans to collect other items that will surely become collector's items.
