Jiminy Eco Toys is an eco-specialist toy company, retailing and distributing the Earth’s kindest toys across Ireland and the UK. Named after Pinocchio’s conscience Jiminy Cricket, it is the brainchild of Dublin mum Sharon Keilthy, who found toy shopping for her daughter frustrating, as everything was made from plastic, wrapped in plastic and had been shipped 22,000km around the world. Sharon founded Jiminy and as they say the rest is history.
The toy industry is gradually embracing sustainability, but there is still a long way to go. Currently 90% of toys are made from new plastic, resulting in significant CO2 emissions during the extraction and refining processes. To absorb all the emitted CO2, it would require 1 billion trees. Additionally, most plastic toys are made from mixed materials that cannot be recycled, further contributing to waste. Moreover, around 80% of toys are manufactured in China, leading to long transportation distances of 22,000km and increasing carbon footprint by an additional 20%.
Jiminy is making a difference, using sustainable materials, not just wood but also innovative bio-plastics made 100% from plants, recycled cardboard and paper, as well as using safe recycled plastics. They also have a much lower toy miles being made in Europe with a maximum of 2,000km, 10 time lower than China.
Jiminy doesn’t solely sell brand new toys; they also offer pre-loved toys, repairs and upcycling services. The believe in giving old toys a new lease of life, enabling them to be enjoyed for more years and reducing waste. On their website, they provide short video demonstrating how to repair certain toys at home within minutes. They also facilitate the sale of pre-loved toys, ensuring that another child can experience the excitement on the toy.
Jiminy’s Eco toys are not only sustainable but also educational, well-designed, well-made and fun. They aim to provide children with toys that foster creativity, learning and a connection to the environment.
The stats collected are from Sharon’s article ‘’Plastic Free, Why?’’ The full article and more can be read of the Jiminy website: https://jiminy.ie/blogs/news/plasticfree-why
You can also check out a short documentary film on Jiminy’s commitment to being a circular economy business: https://youtu.be/dY6Fsw9JjvY
