Planet Kind Child Kind

PLANET KIND, CHILD KIND...

And it's only waste if you throw it away!

JUNKO combines our belief in the importance of developing creativity with a desire to reduce and reuse waste.

Our kits provide instant creative fun, but they also encourage more rewarding play, as all the parts can be reused with waste materials. It’s close to zero-waste play – or you could describe it as play that eats waste! And to get kids started on their craft adventure, there’s a growing bank of ideas on our website , TikTok, Instagram and YouTube channel .

Many kids from previous generations grew up playing with repurposed materials… it’s only in recent times that kids have been inundated with more plastic toys than they can ever play with. Often these quick-fix toys only get a few hours of play before kids lose interest or they break. I read the other day that the average child will have been given 493 toys* by the time they’re 13! The danger is that this gives kids the feeling that everything is disposable. Like many parents, I’m uncomfortable with that. When you factor in that 6% of all landfill is toys and around 80% of all toys end up in landfill, it’s all far from ideal.

The sensible solution is fewer, better-quality toys, made from sustainable materials, which encourage repeat play. Easier said than done when you’re dealing with pester power, I know!

Our ultimate goal is for kids to grow their skills and learn how great it feels to make things with their hands – to imagine and build something using stuff from their recycling bin. It gives satisfaction, builds confidence and is better for their development than just being bought new stuff. You can read about the learning benefits here.

We take our zero-waste play thinking into manufacturing too... we only use recycled plastic. This is a subject about which there are many opinions, and there has been scaremongering about the safety of recycled plastics – sadly, some of it from the UK’s toy trade association. We test all of our recycled materials and have never had any issues. Most recycled plastic used in manufacturing is not post-consumer waste; it’s the waste created by the injection moulding process in factories (there’s plenty of it), and it’s very clean.

Bioplastics are an alternative, but there’s a concern that wild land is cleared in order to grow the plants needed. Just the act of ploughing an established grassland releases a large amount of CO2, and we all know what happens when a forest gets cut down. Additionally, most bioplastics still present environmental challenges when they’re thrown away.

I also have concerns about the overuse of wood for manufacturing… we can’t switch to making everything from wood without reducing the amount of natural forest. I fail to see how ‘sustainable forests’ can keep up with modern levels of demand, as wood takes a mighty long time to grow. Plus, chopping down trees uses fossil fuels, and wood needs to be seasoned in large electric kilns before it can be shaped into products. That’s why we believe reusing existing materials is the best way to go.

Hopefully all this adds up to an appealing recipe for how we’re trying to help kids build a better world, one toy at a time!

Happy creating :)

Love from our little family business,