Environmental Responsibility
As the founder of Hape, Peter attaches great importance to environmental protection whenever it comes to his decisions. He insists that a commitment to the environment is indeed the commitment to children, because one day our children will inherit the world.
Peter’s belief has led Hape’s sustainable growth over the past decades. From product design and material selection to the manufacturing and packaging process, Hape strictly follows the “Minimum ecological cost” principle, marking its every achievement with a green medal.
As early as the design stage, Hape toys are severely assessed on the possibility of their safe, ecological disposal after usage. Adopting the simplest structures to realize the most functions, incorporating interactive open-ended features and streamlining packaging are just a few of the measures that we’ve taken. Besides, we pay constant attention to minimize hazardous waste like batteries without comprising play function. Following this thinking, emerging solar-powered and kinetic toys have been introduced to Hape’s collections with promising forecasts.
Originally stemming from wooden toys, Hape now tries to diversify its raw materials. More sustainable replacements have been introduced, for example bamboo, the fastest-growing plant on Earth.
Based in Ningbo in the southeast of China, where bamboo plants grow vigorously, Hape had built a workshop to research the plant and developed bamboo toys. The workshop was originally surrounded by 16 acres of bamboo forest in a local village. Then, a year later 50 more acres were rented to support the bamboo product line. Since then, designers and students from world famous design academies have been invited to the workshop to join the biannual research and development events which make Hape’s bamboo toy series flourish and grow like the plant itself!
Plastics are also widely used in the toy industry. Traditional plastics come from fossil fuels and irresponsible producers may add phthalate or other chemical agents to make them perform better. Hape never allows such unqualified or unsafe materials to enter our supply chain. We put extremely strict standards on material admittance and re-inspection and have also introduced Green PE, which is made from sustainable sugar cane. Not only this, we have also found some superior replacements such as the rice-based material made with Japanese rice, and FASAL which is synthesized from wood powder. These upgraded plastics come with fine physical properties, zero toxins and are absolutely safe to make children products with. Some even retain the pleasant fragrances of their original plants! In 2020, Hape has taken new steps into sustainability. One is a kind of softwood synthesized from the bark of Corkwood. Another is natural rubber produced from plants. Both of these are renewable and are obtainable without the necessity of felling. In the future we can foresee Hape toys becoming even more natural with even less consumption.
Plastics are also widely used in the toy industry. Traditional plastics come from fossil fuels and irresponsible producers may add phthalate or other chemical agents to make them perform better. Hape never allows such unqualified or unsafe materials to enter our supply chain. We put extremely strict standards on material admittance and re-inspection and have also introduced Green PE, which is made from sustainable sugar cane. Not only this, we have also found some superior replacements such as the rice-based material made with Japanese rice, and FASAL which is synthesized from wood powder. These upgraded plastics come with fine physical properties, zero toxins and are absolutely safe to make children products with. Some even retain the pleasant fragrances of their original plants! In 2020, Hape has taken new steps into sustainability. One is a kind of softwood synthesized from the bark of Corkwood. Another is natural rubber produced from plants. Both of these are renewable and are obtainable without the necessity of felling. In the future we can foresee Hape toys becoming even more natural with even less consumption.
Japanese Rice
Green PE
Fasal
Hape is always taking swift and solid action to optimize our production processes and conserve energy during production. In the Cutting Workshop, experienced workers make accurate cutting maps for every single product to take full use of each board and reduce solid waste. The inevitable smaller leftovers are then recycled to produce mini giveaways! For some larger products with regular shapes (such as the toys kitchens), UV curing paint, which is recognized as the most environmentally friendly coating material is used. This saves power for the Bake & Dry process.
Besides this, to erase the impact of air dust and waste water, Bag Dust Collecting Units and a customized water purification system operate ceaselessly, making sure that every drop of water drained and all air ventilated meet national emission standards.
Hape has adopted the simplest possible packaging following principles to minimize its impact on the environment. Soy ink, free of VOCs volatile substances, can be fully integrated into the natural environment after decomposition.
Hape always adheres to sustainable development.
A dozen years ago, Hape “Bamboo Research Center” was established in the bamboo forest,
focusing on the highly renewable resource bamboo as a raw material for toys.
Let’s go to the “Bamboo Research Center” together!