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Playback Mattel Program
Europe – Toymaker Mattel is responding to the growth in eco-conscious mindsets among children and parents with a plastic toy upcycling scheme.
PlayBack is launching initially in the UK, Germany and France, allowing parents and carers to return outgrown, broken or worn-out Mattel toys for upcycling into new materials. After selecting the toys they want to return – be it Barbie dolls, Matchbox cars or MEGA Bloks – a free shipping label is generated, which families can print out before packaging up.
Once received, Mattel is working with TerraCycle to separate the toys by material, clean them if necessary, and then extrude the materials into plastic pellets to make new recycled products and toys. ‘By keeping Mattel toys out of landfills and reusing the materials in them or appropriately converting from waste to energy where recycling is not an option, we are taking a big step to build a waste-free future for our products and packaging,’ reads a brand statement.
In our Conscious Play microtrend, we further examine the toy brands and schemes supporting parents and carers in their quest to make play more environmentally friendly.
US – Clean cosmetics brand Kosas is launching accessibly-priced, postable samples of its products allowing curious consumers to try before they buy.
Tapping into the rise of beauty e-commerce over the last year and people wanting to experience brands from the comfort of their own homes, Kosas Try Outs are samples of lipsticks, foundations, highlighters and mascaras priced at £3 and £5 ($3, $5 or €2.45, €4).
The brand is offering 10 different types of Try Outs, presented as sample cards or miniature products. Encouraging shoppers to give its products a go, Kosas also offers ‘site credits’ for each sample purchased – for example, a spend of £3 equals £3 towards future products, which can be redeemed online against full-size versions of its cosmetics.
As explored in our beauty and wellness macrotrend Recuperative Living, brands are finding new ways to engage beauty shoppers cautious about touch or product sample contamination but still wanting to experience the brand. In this way, Kosas has created a simple solution to engage shoppers safely and drive future sales.
Kosas Tryouts, US
