EASTON, Pa. — For decades, Pennsylvania law has forbidden recycled materials to be used in stuffed toys.
Last month, that changed.
“We were only able to use all new materials to stuffed toys with, basically polyester fibers,” said Francesco Curto, vice president of city-based Curto Toys. “Now that we're allowed to use recyclable materials, we can buy recycled polyester and use it in our plush toys.
“We'll probably start using recycled polyester fibers in our products and offer that to the clients as a sustainable line.”
Gov. John Shapiro on June 28 signed HB 1333 into law, which allows for recycled materials to be used in stuffed toys manufactured and sold statewide. While the new law lifts a decades-long ban aimed at protecting consumers, industry professionals said it’s a much-needed update to keep pace with recycling technology and consumer demand.
And, while environmental advocates have applauded the effort to move toward more sustainable stuffed toys, they also cautioned about overconsumption and the lack of textile recycling currently available to residents.
"The ability to use recycled materials in stuffed toys sold in Pennsylvania will have a positive impact on manufacturing, help to reduce waste, promote environmental responsibility and represents the industry’s dedication to sustainable toy manufacturing."Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of The Toy Association
“This new law is a major step forward for the toy industry in regard to a long-standing piece of legislation in Pennsylvania,” said Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of The Toy Association, in a news release. “The ability to use recycled materials in stuffed toys sold in Pennsylvania will have a positive impact on manufacturing, help to reduce waste, promote environmental responsibility and represents the industry’s dedication to sustainable toy manufacturing.
“We would like to thank Gov. Shapiro and the Pennsylvania legislature for their support in making this update a reality.”
'Consumer demands have changed’
More than half a century ago, state legislators passed the “Stuffed Toy Manufacturing Act,” which mandated that “all material used in stuffed toys shall be new and free from dangerous or harmful chemicals or other substances and shall be free from oil, dirt, refuse and similar substances.”
In doing so, stuffed toys were lumped into a category with pillows, mattresses and other bedding as state lawmakers sought to protect consumers.
“You didn't want to buy a mattress from a seller that had used cotton from a bad mattress and just changed the shell,” Curto said. “That's probably what the law was protecting consumers — it wasn't aimed at the toys, but I think it just fell under the law because of the category.”
Under the new law, stuffed toys sold across the commonwealth may include recycled material on the inside or outside of the toy.
"Not only is the use of recycled materials commonplace because it’s safe and the materials undergo the same extensive testing as new materials, but it also allows toy manufacturers to reach their sustainability goals and is better for the environment."Rep. Jason Dawkins (D-Philadelphia)
Rep. Jason Dawkins (D-Philadelphia), who introduced the legislation last June, called it “common sense legislation.”
“Since the law first went into effect in 1961, the manufacturing industry, the retail industry and consumer demands have changed drastically,” said Dawkins, who also serves as chair of the House Labor and Industry Committee. “Not only is the use of recycled materials commonplace because it’s safe and the materials undergo the same extensive testing as new materials, but it also allows toy manufacturers to reach their sustainability goals and is better for the environment.”
The law had bi-partisan support, with legislators on both sides of the aisle championing it.
State Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-Allegheny) said, “It is long overdue that we modernize the law to align with consumer preferences to purchase items made from recycled materials,” in a news release.
Stuffed toy companies also supported the law change, including Build-A-Bear Workshop.
“The update to Pennsylvania’s 'Stuffed Toy' law, allowing the use of recycled materials in manufacturing and sales, will not only maintain the stringent regulations designed to ensure the continued safety of toys for children of all ages but, importantly, also enables toy manufacturers to more efficiently and responsibly meet the growing demand for sustainable products,” said Sharon Price John, president and CEO of Build-A-Bear.
‘Recycling to meet that need’
Like many residents and officials outside the industry, Faran Savitz, a zero-waste advocate with PennEnvironment, didn’t know Pennsylvania had a law against using recycled materials in stuffed toys until he saw legislators working to overturn it.
“It's one of those cases where the material being put into stuff has changed over the decades,” Savitz said. “I'm sure in the 1960s, the stuffing for toys, stuffed animals, anything like that, was probably cotton or some other more natural fiber. But these days, a lot of the stuffing that goes into these items is synthetic. It's a polyester or other man made fiber — plastic, essentially.
“We have a lot more options with what we're putting into them, and we also have a lot of things that could be recycled to go into them.”
With the ban lifted, it might spur more plastic recycling.
“The more options we have for where we can put recycled material, the cheaper and easier it is to actually do the recycling because if there's no one buying the recycled content, then it's just an expensive process with no use."Faran Savitz, a zero-waste advocate with PennEnvironment
“The more options we have for where we can put recycled material, the cheaper and easier it is to actually do the recycling because if there's no one buying the recycled content, then it's just an expensive process with no use,” Savitz said. “Because whatever you're recycling — whether it's a textile, or plastic or paper or what have you — is just sort of sitting around.
“Allowing recycled content in items like stuffed toys and stuffed animals should hopefully open up this new ability to actually recycle more, because if someone's buying the post-consumer content to put into these items, then hopefully there will be more recycling to meet that need.”
Unfortunately, stuffed animals as they are now aren’t easily recyclable.
Some recycling centers, like the Theis/Cornfeld Recycling Center in Bethlehem, will take clean textiles, like clothing. However, residents should check with their local programs before leaving any stuffies at the curb or bringing them to a center.
“Textile recycling is one of the more niche types of recycling that's separate from curbside or single stream recycling,” Savitz said. “The more uses we have for something, where we can take old, used stuffed animals that can't be reused and use them to make new stuffed animals, then that should hopefully increase the amount of textile recycling.”
However, just because a more sustainable option is available doesn’t mean consumers should rush to buy.
“The best thing would be, as long as it's still a functional item, to just keep using it, to have it be the same thing,” Savitz said. “From an environmental perspective, certainly recycled content is better than new content, because we wouldn't have to create new synthetic fibers for every stuffed toy, every stuffed animal.”
It’d be even better if toys were stuffed with natural, non-synthetic materials, like cotton or wool, but that would be more expensive, he added.
“If we're able to produce those, recycle them and make those readily available, hopefully it would mean that we have better, more sustainable toys and stuffed animals going forward,” Savitz said.
Asked if there was any cost change by using recycled materials, Curto said “there’s pennies difference both ways.”
“If everybody's buying recycled polyester, the price goes up. If everybody's buying new polyester that polyester price goes up,” he said. “I don't think there's a benefit with the cost. I think it's more of an environmental or sustainability benefit.”
As a toy manufacturer, Curto is responsible by law to attach a tag to each plush. This acts as a legal notice to consumers, detailing the materials used in production.
“It states, ‘stuffed with polyester fibers’ and ‘all new materials,’” he said. “Now, with this new line, I would have, ‘made with recycled materials.’”
