Mattel has unveiled the Matchbox Tesla Roadster, the toy brand’s first CarbonNeutral-certified die-cast vehicle made from 99% recycled material.
The first-of-its-kind toy car, which will be available starting next year, was unveiled on Thursday as part of Mattel’s Drive Toward a Better Future announcement. Drive Toward a Better Future is the toy company’s product roadmap to make all Matchbox die-cast cars, playsets, and packaging with 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic by 2030. The Matchbox Tesla Roadster serves as a blueprint for the future of Matchbox products.
To achieve this goal, Matchbox plans to create new vehicles, playsets, and packaging that are made from more environmentally friendly and innovative materials. The toy brand also intends to elevate its commitment to promoting recycling among consumers through better product designs and packaging labeling that make the recycling process easier. Lastly, Matchbox aims to come up with an exciting eco-friendly themed approach to play, with more e-vehicle product offerings and e-vehicle chargers in fuel station playsets.
“Since the inception of the modern-day die-cast car nearly 70 years ago, Matchbox has been using design and innovation to connect kids with the real world around them through play,” Roberto Stanichi, global head of vehicles at Mattel, said in a statement. “Matchbox is committing to using 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials to do our part in addressing the environmental issues we face today, and empower the next generation of Matchbox fans to help steer us towards a sustainable future.”
While Mattel has just announced the Drive Toward a Better Future product roadmap, Matchbox’s efforts to become an eco-friendlier toy brand have actually started long ago. For instance, several Matchbox products now use zero-plastic packaging that features Forest Stewardship Council-certified content in the paper and wood fiber materials.
And as mentioned above, Matchbox has been promoting proper recycling and waste recovery by designing recyclable and easy-to-disassemble toy parts that help make the local e-waste recycling process easier. Matchbox toys available on the market today also come with How2Recycle labeling that guides consumers on the proper disposal of packaging materials.
Mattel also said that Matchbox is continuously exploring ways to reduce energy use, carbon emissions and waste in operations while still delivering the same standard of excellence across the brand’s products.