Can we urge doll companies to use sustainable alternatives to vinyl?

This topic reminds me my older (not necessary) a business idea with philosophy  "A dolls that could return to mother nature"

And maybe those dolls wouldnt be articulated not even a dolls, maybe more like a mini portable statues with ancient feeling. And maybe wouldnt be even degradable so much when put into earth. Maybe only from wood and in asrte-povera ethno style. Thoose were just concept ideas and only few of many possibilities and directions of my desire to made a doll - not necessary as business (since 11, I am 28). My sister was curious about my eco-doll idea. My sister is: independent, artist, feminist, bit hipster, vegan, alternative, spiritual and doesnt like capitalism in meaning of big corporations and inequality of world wealth. But that doesnt mean poeple must be like her to like new eko-doll brand idea. 

I was considering something this: 

On 4/3/2021 at 3:34 PM, Testament said:

Biodegradation would be better if it is a comandable process, like "submerge in water for 3 hours" or "use this other enviroment friendly chemical component to dissociate the plastic in no harmful basic elements" or "expose the item to UVB ray for 1 day and it will vanish in thin air"...

As mentioned, I also prefer to buy second-hand doll. Not only it is cheaper, or more accesible if it is limited doll which doesnt have any new runs. Mainly it gives doll a home and warm loving heart. And hope it prevents them to get claustrophobia.

I dont like blind packs stuff like LOL or  Barbie color reveal. Also I dont like (not only) magic the gathering booster packs. That is why I prefer as tolarian comunity collage proffesor says to "buy singles I need".

 (note: I never succesfuly made a doll but still have an obsesion to make accesories/apparel set and put them in older reusable packages - which I use once again on new apparel set for another doll. I think, what if there is some psychological tendency in minds most of the people to enjoy unpacking/unboxing/unwraping stuff)

I remember bionicle sets used canisters and paper boxrs where only for big bionicle sets. Later bionicle used paper boxes for all sets. I like paper - good for crafting. But is it paper eco friendly. Maybe more than oil, it wont polute ocean and kill animals if ship has accident. But economic forests are also big question because they are like plantation. Also land eruption is a problem and less forests you have the faster water gets out of earth and summers are more and more and more hot. You can recycle paper but not endlessly - in terms of making a new paper. More often can be reused. Plastic can be recycled endlesly but not every plastic is recycleable. Recycling plastic is not very ecological in terms of exhalates. But to burn that only few milion years old plankton is pity.

Hoppi indians have prophecy that if we gather wealth from deeps to surface we reach apocalypse. This is was mentioned in film Koyaanisqatsi which is also a term for "life out fo balance".

Sorry for turning off-topic.

18 hours ago, Silent said:

Hoppi indians have prophecy that if we gather wealth from deeps to surface we reach apocalypse. This is was mentioned in film Koyaanisqatsi which is also a term for "life out fo balance".

 

seen that movie twice over the last 20 years, -most recently under a year ago- and it was actually pretty interesting, so far as art films tend to go...

Edited April 5, 2021 by Tasuke

 

I wonder where the whole of my toy collection (and my hard earned money) would be if they were all made from biodegradable plastic 30+ years ago.

You can't be serious about this. No collector would think this is a good idea, ever... there wouldn't be any toy collecting whatsoever to speak of, none, zero, nada.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COZVnZ2ByW5/

I think Danny Choo may have seen this thread at some point, as he just made an Instagram post discussing environmental impact of SmD and ideas he has to reduce waste. 

This is a super interesting topic!

I feel like our niche hobby of dolls that are treasured and will most likely be passed down to future generations aren't THE problem, but maybe are contributing in a way? I feel like single use plastic and cheaply made toys (i.e. fast food toys, little plastic toys you find at dollar stores) are more-so the issue. I don't think our vinyl dolls are causing micro-plastics, but those other things are! But, I am all for companies finding ways here and there to be more sustainable! IIRC, Levi's recently switched something up with their dyeing process so it uses significantly less water. Ultimately, big companies need to have the kind of energy and drive a lot of sustainable lifestyle folks have if we want there to be a lasting change.

My oldest and dearest doll is 16 years old, I would cry and probably die of depression if one day he wouldn't be here with me anymore.

Some of us are that attached to our dolls. I'm sorry if I sound selfish but all my dolls are part of my life and they are here to stay with me until my last breath... I even told my mom to bury me with my first doll. All my other dolls will be passed down to my niece and nephew who love them a lot.

This is the beauty of this hobby, so while this topic is very interesting I wouldn't support the idea of it and I would never own an environment-friendly doll unless they are made to last 50+ years... 

Micro-plastics are any fragment of plastic less than 5mm in length, so anyone who has trimmed vinyl to mod a head or body has probably generated micro plastics. 

That said, the primary sources of micro-plastics are from things that are much larger scale in production than BJDs e.g. clothing, bottles, plastic bags, TV dinner trays, and industrial processes. 

Japan is sort of known for its obsession with proper sorting and disposal of garbage, so it would surprise me if companies like Volks, CJ, and Obitsu aren’t taking care to properly manage their industrial waste products. 

 

Like a few others said, I think targeting the packaging would be a better angle for doll makers.  The dolls themselves should be sticking around for a while but those plastic bags they came in are not.  Obviously eliminating all of it probably isn’t possible, but little things like trying to not put separate pieces of clothes in plastic bags within a big outfit bag seems like something you could aim for.  
 

Japan overall has a serious single use plastic problem (second after the US for overall disposable plastic usage) which is something many industries here are trying to address.  For example, seven eleven rolled out biodegradable packaging for their rice balls a few years ago.  You also now are charged a nominal bag fee when you use a plastic shopping bag (usually 3-5 yen) which has led to more people carrying things out or bringing a bag along.  With any luck as solutions are developed and become cheaper, doll companies here can also piggyback and see what will work for them while maintaining quality.

To hell with the world, leave my girls alone 

Just a reminder that we do have a rule against bringing political discussions into the forum. Having opinions about current events is a good thing, but they should be discussed in other parts of the internet. Please keep discussions in this thread and any others focused on dolls and the doll making industry.