Plastic continues to be a growing problem around the world, and while more is being done to reduce consumption (think drinking straws and plastic bags), it seems like one genre hasn’t quite caught up – children’s toys. It’s almost impossible to go to anyone’s home that has children and not spot a dozen oversized plastic toys that parent’s hate and kids love, or take a stroll down the toy row at your closest big box store and see that 90% of the options are ugly plastic. Longing to do something about it, two Antwerp-based designers spent two years exploring ways to sustainably recycle old plastic toys and the result is ecoBirdy. The new European brand crafts really cool design pieces for kids that are made using 100% recycled plastic waste from unused toys.
The collection, which includes Charlie the Chair, Luisa the Table, Kiwi the Storage Container, and Rhino the Lamp, features a speckled, terrazzo-like appearance, thanks to the bits of plastic. The plastic waste used in each product is 100% safe, as it’s been carefully sorted and cleaned during the recycling process. Besides creating adorable items for kids, they’re raising much-needed awareness about sustainability.
ecoBirdy will be presenting their first collection of wares at London Design Fair next month.