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Blue Marine Toys
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The circular economy and development
A recycled product with a new purpose
Action can make a difference
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Colour development
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Traceability and safety
What is possible when mixing dyes?
What does it mean and how important is it?
dantoy is launching a new range of toys made from recycled maritime gear
"Sustainability is not a trend – it's our DNA" . For dantoy, sustainability is not a trend or a new phenomenon. It has always been part of our DNA, which means that our journey towards less environmentally damaging production methods is part of our history and evolution. We were among the first toy companies to be globally certified for ISO 14001 and 9001. In 2010, we were the first toy manufacturer in the world to get the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, because we wanted to focus on chemical-free play. We are committed to making proper, durable products that are chemical-free, as research shows that environmental impacts during children's early years can have consequences for the rest of their lives. Over the past year, Covid-19 has demonstrated the importance of our renowned quality. Kindergartens have suddenly had to wash all their toys several times a day, and our products can withstand that. The pandemic reminded us of the importance of always sticking to our principles, such as our high quality standards. We work in a global market, but we also think very locally. That is why we have joined Operation Clean Sweap, which ensures that our whole factory is equipped with grates so that we do not release microplastics into our wastewater. It is important for us to behave with integrity in terms of our global customer base, and also to take responsibility for where we produce locally in Denmark. In recent years, we have done a lot of work on our raw materials. In 2018, we launched the BIO universe, which has taken the world by storm. We often hear from competitors that consumers are not prepared to pay the price of quality, but that is not our experience. That is why we launched our Green Bean line in 2020, made from our own internal excess waste. A concept inspired by the food industry, where it used to be impossible to sell misshapen vegetables – whereas we believe that if our resource consumption is to be reduced, we must compromise on colours and shades, as these processes are among the most resource-intensive in virtually all production methods today. dantoy's first circular concept – but not the last 2021 was the beginning of our collection of our own used toys, also called "dantoy take-back". The concept is that we actively go out and collect our worn out toys, which are regenerated, turned into new toys, and bought off the partners involved. It is dantoy's first 100% circular concept. Over the years, we hope that this will spread to all kindergartens and recycling centres in Denmark, and that dantoy can help make recycling playful. Especially in kindergartens, we want to contribute to recycling and sustainability, as we believe that it is important for our future that children learn about recycling from childhood, and thereby gain knowledge and good habits that they will take with them throughout their lives. – Marck Højbjerg Matthiasen
CEO, dantoy
...By being open and welcoming the use of new materials, we can crack the need for new materials."
made from recycled fishing gear • High-quality raw materials • Made from fishing nets, ropes and trawls • 100% recyclable • Support preventive action to reduce the amount of maritime gear in the environment
Blue Marine Toys consist of sets, so they tell a story about the process of regeneration of the material –
The brand-owner’s role in the circular economy Another circular concept that dantoy is launching in 2022 is "Blue Marine Toys" – a way in which dantoy is not only driving the circular economy, but is taking on the role of brand-owner. We have a network of suppliers who collect used fishing gear, which is then recycled and can be used to make some of our play equipment. The crucial thing is that we, as the brand-owner, dare to venture into new materials. If demand for recycled products does not increase, globally, we will not be able to minimise our need for new materials, and we will continue to overwork the Earth's resources.
Blue Marine Toys We are proud to present Blue Marine Toys – a new and exciting range made from maritime gear which has been turned into sand and water toys in nice bright colours. The products are made of plastic from nets, trawls and ropes from the fishing industry. The range consists of products which can be considered as small parts of a story. Net constructions that are reminiscent of fishing nets, a mill where the sand runs through several processes – mirroring plastic materials being thoroughly sorted, lorries carrying maritime gear, and boats coming from the seas.
All our initiatives centre on the need to improve and push the boundaries of how we can reduce our carbon footprint. These initiatives have been possible because we have dared to lead in new areas, and we are proud of that.
"We all need to become much better at challenging habitual thinking. We must, alongside our customers, dare to use recycling positively in the branding of our products, and not be afraid that a different look might lead to rejection. Consumers must help us by choosing products that are made from recycled plastic, and should ideally demand them directly. This way, we can build more demand for recycling together." – The Danish Plastics Federation
Development department at dantoy
It is estimated that more than 12 million tonnes of plastic end up in the sea every year. 10% of this, or 500,000 kg-1 million tonnes, is maritime gear such as nets, lines and ropes*. *Source: Alexander Nicolas, (October 20, 2020). Ghost Fishing Gear. Visited september 10, 2021 on: https://www.worldwildlife.org/ stories/ghost-fishing-gear
How can we contribute to a sustainable future with a circular economy?
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produc & n g i tio es
Plastic is part of the solution to future resourcing challenges. It is also a material which is easy, cheap and relatively simple to recycle, making it an essential material in the circular economy that can help solve the resourcing challenges of the future.
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Plastic packaging is also an area where recycling, as well as new materials, such as biobased plastics, can be part of the solution to a circular economy.
dantoy is already familiar with recycling principles like this cycle. For example through our BIO line, which is made from 90% sugarcane, or our Gold Award-winning Green Bean line in the category of sustainability, which is made from our own production waste turned into new toys in unique colours. When working sustainably and with recycled materials, consumers must be able to see the uniqueness in the difference of shades. This is another of the challenges of the colour mixes for Blue Marine Toys – not all colours are available. Getting the consumer to choose sustainably in these cases is one of the major parts of a circular development. This helps to ensure proper collection and sorting, so that plastic can have a new life, rather than ending up in our environment and oceans.
– The Danish Plastics Federation
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As centres for child care, it makes sense that we should show children how to look after our shared Earth, that things are not infinite, and that we should not just buy new things. – Bente Devantie
Daycare Manager, Randers Municipality
lection & sort i n g col
material
A circular recycling principle The Blue Marine Toys line is made from materials which were created for a completely different purpose. In this case, marine products for the fishing industry. The materials are recycled to develop new products – a new, 100% recycled toy line.
Source: https://plast.dk/cirkulaer-oekonomi-vejen-frem/
dantoy material & quality assurance for sustainable play To ensure that the raw material which dantoy receives from fishing nets is of a quality that can be used for toys, dantoy has developed a procedure for handling recycled raw materials. We require suppliers to take samples during production, and to send us samples when whole orders are finished. Several different chemical tests are carried out, including a REACH test for 216 chemical substances and tests for the release of various metals. The raw material then remains at the manufacturer's warehouse until dantoy has received all the results and then releases orders for shipment. After receipt at dantoy, orders are registered and are ready for production. After the manufacturing and assembly of the toy, it is sent for testing per the Safety of Toys Directive before being sent out to consumers for many happy hours of play.
"My vision is to integrate more play into packaging. This makes even more use of the packaging. We're not there yet, but we've taken the first step with one single product. Another way to make use of packaging is to sell the product in packaging that the customer is likely to continue to use afterwards. So a couple of our new Blue Marine Toys sets come in a small backpack," says Creative Manager Anette Joy from the Marketing & Development Department at dantoy. A circular recycling principle is not only relevant when talking about material use in product development – packaging is another area of interest when talking about a circular economy. With Blue Marine Toys, some of the products have a label as packaging because they are aimed at kindergartens, or a simple swing tag that tells the consumer a bit about the positive story. Other products have a cardboard cover, but they are all FSC-labelled so that we – and not least the consumer – can buy the product with a clear conscience, knowing that no more forests are being cut down than they can reproduce in our use of packaging. However, our little backpack can do something else. Here, we have considered how the packaging will be used in its next life – not just as packaging on a shelf. This way, the packaging will have a longer life and more potential uses than it was intended for.
4940 Blue Marine Toys Boat and Sand Set
4925 Blue Marine Toys Bucket Set
The boat and sand set from dantoy's maritime world, Blue Marine Toys, consists of several elements that provide ample opportunity for sensory play and exploring sand and water in the great outdoors.
The bucket set from dantoy's maritime world, Blue Marine Toys, consists of several elements that provide ample opportunity for sensory play and for exploring sand and water in the great outdoors.
"When we use recycled plastic, it means that products may have different colours, surfaces or sheen than we are used to. Unfortunately, this is currently a barrier to using recycled plastics. Plastic must be designed to remain a valuable resource, where the properties and value of either the packaging or the material are maintained in a circular cycle." – The Danish
Plastics Federation
Packaging - Backpack netting
Source: https://plast.dk/vi-skal-genanvende-langt-mere-plast-saadan-goer-vi/
The unknown colours Our supplier receives marine waste such as ropes, trawls and fishing nets. These have some of the hardest fibres, but are of high quality. During their processes, marine litter which is collected through various collaborations with ports, fisheries, waste sorting companies and other natural collection points is sorted. The collected gear is often unpredictable. The available colours depend on which colours the collected materials have. An example of one of the supplier's standard colours is the dark green which is the colour of our raw material. It is one of the purest colours, without added pigmentation. This is possible because 80–90% of their materials are green. The colour of ropes varies widely, which is why these are typically limited-edition colours, and why we do not know when or how much of them will be available. That is why we have chosen a pure material to be dyed in the colours which we think best complement our Blue Marine Toys range. Normally, you order a colour based on a colour code, add it to the raw material, and you get items in the colour you ordered. When working with recycled material, the raw material has its own colour which must be compensated for before you can get near the desired colour. There will be a part of the colour spectrum which is impossible to hit, such as yellows, because there is a lot of "blue" in the raw material that will give the yellow a greenish hue. On the other hand, you can get many shades of blues and greens, as well as the more red, brown and purple shades.
"It is exciting and challenging to make colour mixes from fishing nets that have a dark green colour as their base material. You have to think differently to achieve the different shades." – Inge S. Knakkervgaard Quality and Environmental Coordinator, dantoy
The colourful world of corals When creating the Blue Marine Toys concept, it was crucial for us in the Development Department that the product and material matched. Sand and water toys go well with materials sourced from fishing gear, such as ropes and nets. There is a cohesion that makes sense. The colour palette, inspired by sand, water and coral, adds an extra dimension to the assortment. This idea has been carried on to the name, Blue Marine Toys – made from recycled fishing gear. "It is important to me to constantly try to optimise our packaging in a sustainable direction. On the other hand, it is essential that we work to avoid unnecessary packaging. It is also our ambition to be able to present a beautiful product, where the product and packaging go together. I believe these two things can be combined." – Anette Joy
Creative Manager, dantoy
"It is wonderful to see dantoy taking a next large step into more sustainability and the use of high quality recyclates in dantoy products on a journey towards circularity in the toy industry. Especially in a time where circumstances forces all of us to rethink our footprints, we as consumers are key to make different choices when purchasing products. We as parents and adults also have an increased responsibility to educate our children. In the new dantoy line of products all these factors come together and material loops are being closed Now it is up to you as consumer to really make the difference! and support the transition into a better tomorrow. " – Bernard Merkx Co-founder, Waste Free Oceans Foundation
98% of a recycled material must be food-approved before the new product is authorised for its purpose dantoy is a sustainable company that wants to care for the environment while supporting children's development and bringing joy, skills and imagination to children and families. dantoy is quality- and environmentally certified, which is how we ensure a description of our development processes and the evolution of it. dantoy has had the Nordic Swan Ecolabel for more than 10 years. Blue Marine Toys products can meet its requirements in many areas, but although they are made from sustainable materials, they cannot be Swan-labelled as we do not know exactly where the nets were originally produced, which means we lack traceability. In order for materials to be able to come into contact with food and be food-approved, they must meet EU requirements. The requirements are for materials to be exposed to various liquids (water/oil/vinegar) and not to release certain substances. This does not apply to recycled materials. For these, the first requirement is that they MUST contain at least 98% recycled food packaging to be approved. That requirement is almost impossible to meet unless you are using PET plastic bottles. That is why dantoy has added an extra layer of testing to this group of materials. We believe the solution to the recycling problem with food-approved products is in more testing, so that dantoy can ensure a chemical-free play experience with toys made from recycled materials.
The Safety of Toys Directive´s view on recycled materials It is at the heart of our members’ work that they can ensure that the toys they supply to children and their families are safe and of high quality, and that they contribute to the play which is such an important part of children's development. When it comes to the sustainability of the toys themselves, a major challenge for any toy company is ensuring that the toys are safe, meet the strict physical and chemical safety requirements of the Safety of Toys Directive, and are sustainable. We are therefore impressed that dantoy’s new Blue Marine Toys line is contributing to mitigating the presence of more marine litter for the benefit of marine life, and is giving the collected worn out gear new life, as well as making sure that the collected marine litter is integrated into a toy that is safe and useful for children to play with. – Betina Schiønning,
Head of Secratary, Legebranchen
"If you take an example like a bottle deposit return machine, you can see when and where the bottle was handed in, but not who handed it in. If traceability is lacking, it is difficult to get food approval when the base material was not made for food."
”As a trade association, it makes us proud when our members not only contribute to this, but also go out of their way to help make the world in which playful children and their grandchildren will grow up more sustainable.” – Betina Schiønning, Head of Secratary, Legebranchen