Zuru Toys details plans to make all Five Surprise products from recycled plastics

Zuru Toys has revealed plans to make its two largest global brands under the Five Surprise banner – Mini Brands and Mini Toys – 100 per cent virgin plastic free.

Its latest stride in the company’s ongoing mission for better sustainability measures and a reduction of its own carbon footprint on the planet, the global toy maker has today confirmed that it will be introducing 100 per cent certified, traceable recycled plastic across the brands.

The announcement was made during last week’s Sustainability in Licensing Conference, an online event focusing on the sustainability developments and measures of some of the world’s leading brands names and retailers.

Speaking at the conference, Zuru’s co-founder and CEO, detailed the company’s move to implement new sustainability measures across its leading Five Surprise brands: Five Surprise Mini Brands, and Five Surprise Mini Toys, the number one and number five toy brands in the US markets, respectively.

The move will prevent an estimated 180 tonnes of virgin plastics from entering the environment and will match the recent environmental moves made across its wildly popular Bunch O Balloons brand. Combined, the latest measures will prevent around 3,000 tonnes of virgin plastics from entering the environment.

“Sustainability is a big passion of mine, and is crucial to the longevity and prosperity of all companies,” said Anna Mowbray, CEO and co-founder of Zuru Toys. “It’s not only important to me in business, but also as the parent of young children who are growing up to inherit all that lay down.

“Bunch O Balloons had been our biggest transition towards sustainability within our products to date, but I am super excited to announce our most recent initiative in this space, introducing measures to make every single unit across our Five Surprise brands entirely from certified, traceable recycled plastic.”

Zuru Toys has taken the sustainability message to the next level in recent months with the first roll out of its ‘summer just got greener’ campaign for its leading seasonal product, Bunch O Balloons, highlighting the company’s move to more sustainable production methods by using 100 per cent certified and traceable recycled plastics to make its stems and caps.

The company also switched its balloon pieces to be made from natural rubber (derived from plants).

The original goal was to remove 500 tonnes of virgin plastics from entering the environment, but Zuru subsequently doubled the number of its original target this summer season.

Mowbray added: “Our goals for the future are mapped out across manufacturing, packaging, product, and the supply chain, and include key components such as making our packaging across all ranges 100 per cent recyclable, transitioning three major brands to 100 per cent recycled plastic and packaging, and all of this we want to do by 2025.”