As the damage to our planet caused by industrialisation becomes increasingly apparent we talk to one Abu Dhabi-based company about their environmentally friendly approach to toy manufacturing.
For those of us concerned about the state of our environment there has never been more choice when it comes to making decisions about what to spend our money on, especially when those decisions may affect future generations.
One company in Abu Dhabi has embraced this situation by producing ecologically sound toys. We spoke to Ahmed Abdallah, founder of GabyToys.
Can you tell us a little bit about GabyToys?
GabyToys is a company started one year ago based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. GabyToys is the first and only toy company in the country which sells 100 percent eco-friendly toys. Our products are green, wooden and decorated with safe colours. The company was just an idea one year ago, we wondered, ‘What if we could have nice creative toys that are different at the same time?’ We searched across the world for new ideas, unique toys for kids which were safe and eco-friendly. That’s what lead us to make GabyToys. We take our toys seriously. Green toys use wooden elements not plastic or metal, and we are carbon neutral. We don’t abuse the world.
Can you explain what the central vision of your company is?
Our slogan is being unique – selling toys that are different is what parents and kids need. Currently 95 percent of toys are plastic or metal while wooden toys are rare. We visited China, Europe, Russia and Egypt to choose the best selection and best suppliers for our children. Our toys are not just normal toys for fun; they are also for kids to develop their skills. We use bright colours and new ideas, different to even the traditional wooden toys. GabyToys uses natural colours, so it would be safe for our kids and our earth. Ultimately, these products are designed to make our kids happy, smart and safe and to help the world last longer.
How did the concept for a company such as this come about?
Everyone involved has a passion for nature, especially since we are very outdoor orientated! We love activities such as camping, hiking and so on. Honestly, we feel that we owe our earth that much to keep it clean and healthy. We wanted to do something different and really useful for our earth as well as our new generations so we came up with GabyToys. The idea was also inspired partially by my baby boy Youssef.
How are your products ‘green’?
GabyToys only use wood and all of our paints are natural colours. Our company and our suppliers abide by carbon offsetting so we are carbon neutral. In all our printing we try to use recycled paper and our bags are cotton so we don’t cause damage to Mother Earth by creating the inevitable waste that you will get using plastic.
What has the reaction from the public been like?
Reaction from the public has been very positive. It seems it was the right choice. People here, like everywhere else, were looking but not finding non-traditional toys. People love GabyToys. Parents and kids love having toys that are different and green at the same time.
What were the greatest challenges you encountered when setting up the company?
Finding good suppliers who believe in the same concept was the biggest challenge, setting up the company and paperwork came next but everything was certainly worth the effort.
Why is wood better than plastic?
Wooden toys are made from an organic material and decorated with natural dyes or non-toxic paints and do not contain the harmful chemicals found in many toys made from plastic. Finished with smooth safe edges, if your child puts a wooden toy in their mouth you will not need to worry about the possibility they may be sucking on toys that may contain harmful chemicals.
Wooden toys are inspirational gifts from nature and it does take the elimination of a tree to create them, but in my experience, the level of quality, creativity and inspiration is worth it. Wood is a natural material which can be recycled. This means that aside from providing entertainment for your child, you can also proactively help in preventing further degradation of the environment. Moreover, children appear to be more attached to playing with wooden toys.
GabyToys are currently only available online from www.gabytoys.com.
