Sustainability Spotlight: Shore Buddies

March 15, 2022 | As The Toy Association continues to track sustainability trends across the industry, we are highlighting the initiatives member companies are putting into action. This week’s Sustainability Spotlight is on Shore Buddies, best-known for its stuffed animals made from recycled plastic bottles.

Since the company began, it has made it its mission to weave sustainability into play while teaching the importance of keeping plastics out of our oceans. Each of its plush marine animals is made entirely from recycled plastics, from shredded plastic flakes that make up the filling to woven polyester yarn for their soft exteriors. Each character also features a backstory that addresses how plastics are harming the oceans, such as plastic straws and abandoned fishing nets.

One dollar from each product purchased goes toward funding outreach campaigns that educate children about the dangers of ocean plastic pollution, help save marine life, and keep plastics out of the ocean. During the pandemic, Shore Buddies also partnered with the Dolphin Research Center (Grassy Key, FL), The Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito, CA), the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center (Charleston, SC), and the San Diego Humane Society - Project Wildlife (San Diego, CA), donating 100% of its profits to the animal care facilities which were struggling to provide continuous care for their animals.

This year, Shore Buddies is focusing even more on the educational component of its business to teach kids about the harmful impact of single-use plastics and help move the needle toward a truly circular economy. The company now offers a series of educational videos, a digital Ocean Activist Game, as well as a plastic footprint calculator on its website.

To learn more about Shore Buddies’ ongoing efforts, visit shorebuddies.com.

To have your company's sustainability efforts featured by The Toy Association, contact Jennifer Lynch for more information.