For earth day I would like to share with you some of the ways I have made my business more eco-friendly.
I use Kapok fiber to stuff my creatures. Kapok fiber is the seed pod fluff of a rain forest tree called the Ceiba tree or the silk cotton tree. The pods are harvested in the East and the trees are left standing. It’s the most sustainable fiber in the market today, leaving no human footprint behind. Combine this with numerous properties like being silky soft and dry to the touch, as well as antimoth, antimite and insulation properties.
For the eyes of my creatures I 3d print with a plastic filament called PLA. It is a type of polyester made from fermented plant starch like corn, cassava, maize, sugarcane or sugar beet pulp. The sugar in these renewable materials are fermented and turned into lactic acid, which is then made into polylactic acid, or PLA. Though this plastic is heavily touted as biodegradable, it can only be properly disposed of in industrial environments. Most recycling plants aren’t set up yet to be able to do that, but someday they might. So for now my goal is to learn how to make recyclable filament, but with science forever progressing I’m sure their will be a new sustainable plastic to use in the future.
Lastly is the yarn I use. My favorite type of yarn (bernat blanket) is sadly made from synthetic fibers. I love it for its super fluffy feel, but haven’t been able to find a non-synthetic yarn that matches. Hopefully down the line I can find a better option without having to compromise the feel of the yarn.
Overall I would love to be able to create a sustainable toy that can easily be shared as well as recycled back into the earth without harm.