Matchbox has made a carbon-neutral Tesla Roadster

By topgear, 18 April 2021

Car manufacturers have been queuing up to claim their cars will all be electrically powered by the end of the decade. Well, not to be left out, here’s Matchbox telling us its entire range will be recycled (or recyclable) by 2030.

Even toy cars are going green. Well, perhaps most importantly toy cars are going green. If you’re anything like us, the nuances of your love for cars – the weird things that make you tick – will find their roots in what you slammed against the skirting board as a bairn. Put a bunch of EVs and PHEVs in your kids’ hands and maybe their acceptance of such cars naturally follows?

And so we come to the new Matchbox Tesla Roadster, its first toy made from 99 per cent recycled material, and sold carbon-neutral certified in compostable packaging. Matchbox has shown a series of other die-cast models of electric or hybrid cars – including BMW’s i3 and i8 and a Nissan Leaf – alongside it.

“Matchbox is committing to using 100 per cent recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials to do our part in addressing the environmental issues we face today, and empower the next generation of Matchbox fans to help steer us towards a sustainable future,” says Roberto Stanichi, owner of Mattel’s rather grand Global Head of Vehicles title.

There’s a new EV five-pack being launched, with plastic packaging replaced by paper foam, while there’ll be EV charging playsets and all electronic elements of wider sets will be easily removable so they can be disposed of safely. Obviously the owners of said playsets need to shoulder some responsibility, too…

STORY Stephen Dobie

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