Mattel has announced the launch of Mattel PlayBack, a toy takeback program that will enable families to extend the life of their Mattel toys once they are finished playing with them. The new program is designed to recover and reuse materials in Mattel toys for future Mattel products, and supports the company’s goal to achieve 100 percent recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials across all products and packaging by 2030.

“Mattel toys are made to last and be passed on from generation to generation,” says Richard Dickson, president and chief operating officer, Mattel. “A key part of our product design process is a relentless focus on innovation and finding sustainable solutions is one significant way we are innovating. Our Mattel PlayBack program is a great example of this, enabling us to turn materials from toys that have lived their useful life into recycled materials for new products.”   

To participate in the Mattel PlayBack program, consumers can visit Mattel.com/PlayBack, print a free shipping label and pack and mail their outgrown Mattel toys back to Mattel. The toys collected will be sorted and separated by material type, processed and recycled. For materials that cannot be repurposed as recycled content in new toys, Mattel PlayBack will either downcycle those materials into other plastic products or convert them from waste to energy. At launch, the program will accept Barbie, Matchbox and MEGA toys for recycling. Other brands will be added in the future.

“At Mattel, we are committed to managing the environmental impact of our products,” says Pamela Gill-Alabaster, global head, sustainability, Mattel. “The Mattel PlayBack program helps parents and caregivers ensure that valuable materials stay in play, and out of landfills, with the aim to repurpose these materials as recycled content in new toys. It is one important step we’re taking to address the growing global waste challenge.”