PLAYMOBIL – Wiltopia toys made from old refrigerators

Toy of the year in 2022

Producers are looking for high-quality circular raw materials. As is PLAYMOBIL, the toy manufacturer with the highest standards for longevity and health of their materials. The Horst Brändstatter Group, the company behind PLAYMOBIL, approached Renewi subsidiary Coolrec to enquire about circular raw materials. Thanks to recent innovations, Coolrec is able to meet demand with plastic from old refrigerators. PLAYMOBIL, with its successful range of Wiltopia toys, has proven that this plastic is highly suitable.

From old refrigerator to brand new toy

Björn Seeger, Press Officer at the Horst Brändstatter Group: 'We have quite high ambitions. Sustainability is a kind of fundamental orientation across our entire group of companies, including PLAYMOBIL. Our aim is to be climate neutral by 2027.'

In Europe, millions of electrical appliances are used, and eventually thrown away, every single year. All of them contain materials that we can reuse, including plastic. Coolrec dismantles refrigerators, washes them and processes the plastic into granules. This is a high-quality raw material for new plastic products and even meets the stringent quality standards for toys – both at European Union level and at PLAYMOBIL level.

Björn Seeger: 'We want to play an active role in the circular economy. This means there are many initiatives ongoing across our companies. Wiltopia is a very prominent example of this.'

Wiltopia – safe and highly successful

Anja Beck, Com Mgr Wiltopia at Horst Brändstatter Group: 'The safety of toys is very important to us. It has also been one of the biggest challenges we have faced during development. Coolrec supplies granules that are safe for children and compliant with the safety regulations for children's toys. That has helped us tremendously. There’s no doubt that this unique process has saved us considerable time.

Ultimately, the market determines whether or not something is a success. Beck: 'We can safely say that Wiltopia is the most successful new launch in the sustainable toys segment. This applies to Germany, but also to France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.' In the Netherlands and Belgium, Wiltopia won the jury prize in the Speelgoed van het Jaar 2022 (2022 Toy of the Year) awards.