Retoy – Playful swapping activities
Retoy offers meeting places for children and their parents where play and experience-based learning is the essence of the business.
In Retoy’s premises, parents are given the opportunity to experience how old gets new by swaping instead of buying. The ambition is to inspire the children and their parents to live in more sustainable way.
Challenge
The average five-year-old in Sweden owns more than 500 toys. At the same time, the industrialized nation of Sweden consumes the resources of approximately four Globes.
Target group
- Adults with kids (Parents);
- Children;
- Education providers.
Solution
Retoy wants to offer all parents and children a sustainable relationship to consumption, while educating both them, their parents and other adult role models on children‘s rights.
Innovation
At toy swap events parents are taught how to encourage children to exchange toys they no longer use, donate them to kids in need, or upcycle them in the Retoy Lab. Potentially harmful toys containing toxic chemicals are sorted out in the process.
Unique Selling Point
- Reduced consumption of newly produced physical products;
- Increased product life;
- Promotes more sustainable attitudes and behaviors;
- Promotes human needs such as participation, creativity, play and joy;
- Environmental and human rights education.
Impact
A total of 70,000 toys have already been exchanged since 2011, equal to 120 tons of CO2 saved from swapping instead of buying new toys.
Feasibility / Transferability
Retoy could potentially be adapted to other countries and contexts with some modifications to account for local cultural, economic, and logistical factors. For example, in countries where access to toys is limited, Retoy could provide a valuable resource for children who may not have many toys of their own. However, in countries where toys are more readily available, Retoy may need to focus more on education and awareness-raising to encourage families to donate and exchange toys rather than buying new ones.