Look! This New Barbie Is Made From Recycled Plastic

In a press release shared with Smart Parenting, Mattel, the company behind the famous Barbie dolls, announced the launch of their first-ever doll collection made from recycled plastic.

The collection dubbed, Barbie Loves The Ocean, includes three dolls whose bodies are made from 90% recycled ocean-bound plastic parts. It also comes with a Beach Shack playset and accessories, also made from 90% recycled plastic. Recycled plastic parts were sourced within 50 km of waterways in areas lacking formal waste collection systems.

Teaching kids how to love nature

Mattel shared that this is in line with its sustainability goals to use 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastics materials in both products and packaging by 2030.

Richard Dickson, President and Chief Operating Officer at Mattel said, “At Mattel, our commitment is to empower the next generation to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. We take this responsibility seriously and are continuing to do our part to ensure kids can inherit a world that’s full of potential, too.”

Moreover, Mattel also launched a Barbie vlog that teaches young fans about the importance of taking care of the planet and everyday habit changes they can make to create an impact. 

Barbie Vlogger is an online series that provides a platform for Barbie to talk directly to her fans, while balancing “teachable” moments that highlight Barbie as a role model, along with fun YouTube trends, like DIY challenges.

You can watch it here:

Aside from sustainability, Mattel also aims to be inclusive by launching Barbie dolls with Vitiligo and prosthetic legs.

3 Benefits of letting kids play with dolls

Playing with dolls helps a child's imagination and literacy skills.

In pretend play, dolls can be whatever and whoever the kids want them to be. A doll can be a baby, an airplane, a ball, or anything. "As a child selects a doll and embarks on an adventure, he or she is crafting a narrative or storyline, involving literacy skills, flexible thinking, self-expression, taking initiative, and more," Jody DeVos, Director of Child Development and Learning in the strategic technologies department of Mattel tells Fatherly.

Pretend play with dolls helps kids learn kindness and empathy.

Imaginative play that involves tapping a doll’s back for comfort and wrapping it with a blanket are acts that promote human kindness. Kids also learn to be responsible by taking care of dolls, which they can use to take care of pets or themselves as grownups. Research on pretend play shows kids use dolls to create scenarios and explore both sides, learning about communication, responsibility, and empathy.

Dolls are vital in teaching social skills and problem-solving skills.

When kids play house, they learn social skills to help communicate and cooperate with each other. "The open-ended nature of doll play can allow children to practice routines or social interactions that might be tricky—such as how to resolve a conflict with a friend from their real life," DeVos shares. With dolls, kids can make mistakes in interaction but not suffer the consequences, and instead learn from them.

Barbie Loves The Ocean is available at Toys ‘R’ Us

Toys ‘R’ Us is the first toy retailer in the Philippines to carry the Barbie Loves the Ocean collection. Price starts at P1,199 per doll.

“We are proud to launch Barbie Loves the Ocean in the Philippines. One of our goals is to encourage children to be more environmentally conscious and learn about sustainability at an early age. Through this partnership, I believe we are a step closer to achieving this goal,” said Celina Chua, Group General Manager of Toy ‘R’ Us. 

Toys ‘R’ Us has 41 stores nationwide and is available online via GoRobinsons.