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Sabic announced today that Mattel will incorporate its certified renewable polymers across its product lines, the first toy company to use these polymers in a mass balance approach. Mega and Matchbox products will enter the market in 2022 using certified renewable polypropylene from the chemicals company. More will follow, according to Sabic.

Mega Bloks Green Town will be first out of the gate. The new construction play sets, including the Grow & Protect Farm and Build & Learn Eco House, are designed to help teach kids about green behaviors, according to Mattel. The use of renewable polymers in their fabrication is part of the message. It’s the first-ever mass retail toy line to be certified carbon neutral, according to Sabic.

Image courtesy of Mattel

Mattel’s Mega Blok toy line incorporates renewable polymers from Sabic’s TruCircle portfolio.

From the Matchbox brand, all Action Driver play sets and Matchbox Recycling Trucks contain Sabic materials, supporting the brand’s Driving Toward a Better Future initiative. The company is committed to making all Matchbox die-cast cars, play sets, and packaging with 100% recycled, recyclable, or biobased plastic materials by 2030, in line with Mattel’s corporate goal.

Praising Mattel as a pioneer in the toy industry, Sabic’s Lada Kurelec noted that the “materials from renewable sources facilitate the change-over from existing fossil-based applications without compromise on purity and quality. We are happy to establish such a good cooperation with Mattel and create value with more sustainable material choices through our TruCircle portfolio.”

“As a global leader in the toy sector, we strive to develop innovative products that are better for our planet by integrating sustainable materials and principles of product stewardship and circular design,” said Pamela Gill-Alabaster, Head of Global Sustainability at Mattel, in a prepared statement. “Aligned with our strategy, this new partnership with Sabic will allow us to be first to market with products made from ISCC-certified renewable feedstock that has a lower carbon footprint but the same quality and safety as products made with traditional virgin plastics.”

Sabic said that its certified renewable polymers include various polypropylene and polyethylene materials derived from second-generation renewable feedstock that is not in direct competition with human food or animal feed production. A cradle-to-gate lifecycle analysis reportedly showed that each kilogram of the company’s biobased resins reduces CO₂ emissions by an average of 4 kg, compared with fossil-based virgin alternatives, while cutting fossil depletion by up to 80%. In addition, plant-based materials facilitate the change-over from existing fossil-based applications without compromises on purity, quality, safety, or convenience, said Sabic.

The sustainability of Sabic’s certified renewable polymers is validated using a mass balance approach under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) scheme. Mass balance is determined to allocate the renewable content used in production and conversion of the plastic material to the ultimate application. In addition, the certification also provides traceability throughout the partners’ entire supply chain from the feedstock to the final product.