Mandy Abel brings new meaning to ‘fair play’ with toys that make a difference
Meaningful objects for play that are kind to people and planet. Image credits: QToys
We all want our little ones to be happy. And that sometimes means giving in to their request for that shiny new toy they’ve had their eye on.
But these days it can be pretty impossible to find toys that:
- aren’t made of toxic plastic materials
- don’t require batteries
- are eco-friendly
- aren’t made through forced labour and
- can stand the test of being flung across the hall by your two-year-old.
So when Mandy Abel was faced with this exact problem, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She created Fairplay, an ethical toy brand to provide Kiwis with an alternative to the mass-produced, sweatshop toys that dominate the toy industry.
Fairplay not only cultivates meaningful play for your child, but is kind to people and planet too!
Psst…read until the end to find out how you can win a Fairplay voucher worth $100.
What made you decide to start Fairplay? What was your lightbulb moment?
I had two kids under two at the time (which in hindsight was an incredibly difficult time to start a business!) and I wanted to create an income stream that would let me stay home with my kids while they were still young.
I also wanted it to be something that was meaningful. Since having children, I had become more aware about the type of toys I was providing - where they came from, what materials they were made from, who was making them. Plus, it’s not always easy or obvious to know these things when doing the research.
I have always been passionate about social justice and fair trade and had seen multiple family members and friends doing inspiring things in various areas - from setting up a fair trade charitable trust, to fighting modern slavery on the front line with Tearfund and creating businesses to give trafficked women dignified jobs. So combining all of this resulted in Fairplay!
Mandy founded Fairplay to give Kiwis an alternative to mass produced, sweatshop toys. Image credits: Fairplay
What goes into an ethical toy store?
When choosing what to stock, we like to support the incredible collectives that are out there working with people who may need a hand up to get going. Organisations that provide people with fair employment, that connect remote artisans with worldwide markets, that honour artistic and cultural heritage. Now that so many places are under lockdown with people unable to work and potentially losing their livelihoods, it’s more important than ever to support small-scale artisans.
Plus, I like that our toys are not the norm! You won't find them in most high street shops. They are all made from natural materials that can be regenerated at the rate they are consumed, such as FSC wood, bamboo and wool.
Having a low environmental impact is also important to me, as is giving our children a better world than they are inheriting at the moment.
Our business model isn't perfect - neither are we as a family - but we are trying, with lots of little sustainable steps, to create something that makes a difference to both people and our planet.
Handcrafted wooden toys that encourage curiosity and imagination. Image credits: Fairplay
What's the biggest lesson you've learned about starting an ethical business?
To be patient and keep remembering my why. This gets me through all the highs and lows of business - and starting a small business is hard, let alone one that was only a few months old when a global pandemic hit!
We spent much of last year with stock held up all over the world. Many of our artisans were not able to work, shipping costs soared, and delays were really hard to manage. The majority of our products are made-to-order to minimise waste, and unlike traditional retail I can't always easily and quickly source new suppliers.
So managing all of that has been a huge learning curve. I don't have a business background at all so I’m lucky that I have some great minds close to me that are able to guide and advise me. But despite all the challenges, I’m really proud of how far our little store has come in such a short time.
Fairplay supports a number of fair trade organisations, including Matr Boomie in India. Image credits: Matr Boomie
Could you tell us about your team of artisans and the communities you give back to?
Artisans:
Absolutely! In terms of artisans, we source our products from Fair Trade collectives all over the world. Our pieces are made in Vietnam, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ghana, Nepal, Indonesia and more! We are not Fairtrade certified ourselves, but we choose to source our products from collectives that uphold Fair Trade principles and look after their people.
Not all small collectives can afford the certification and we do trade directly with some that we know and have independently verified. As registered members of the World Fair Trade Organisation, these collectives have committed to following the 10 principles of Fair Trade in their day-to-day work, and are monitored to ensure these principles are maintained. This gives us confidence in our supply chain - and we love that you can see the 'faces' of who made our pieces on our website too!
Giving back:
As for the communities we give back to, we donate monthly to two amazing charities - one is a NZ based charity called Woven Earth who work with Women's Refuge, NZ Police and Victim Support to help family violence survivors across the Auckland region rebuild their lives with dignity.
The second is Above Rubies - one of our suppliers who are also a New Zealand NGO. Above Rubies is a livelihood project created to help widows and single mothers in the Philippines, who would otherwise struggle to find work and support their families. The profits made from the sales of their jewellery and crochet pieces go back to helping other women who are outside of the project but in similar circumstances, so we love to be able to support them with purchases and additional donations.
There's a quote from Toni Morrison that goes: "If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have power, then your job is to empower somebody else". Yasmin from Above Rubies told us how the ladies that work at Above Rubies are always looking for ways to help others in their community that aren't employed by them.
The ladies take a portion of their wages and look for ways they can support other women like themselves, whether it's a bag of rice or medicine for a sick child. To me that is so inspiring - they don't have much and yet they still give. And although Above Rubies’ sales were affected when COVID hit, they still stood by these ladies and paid their wages like normal, despite no handouts from the local government.
So this is why a give back programme was really important to me right from the start. Even though the profits weren’t large when we first started out, we all have something that we can give and I look forward to seeing our donations grow as our business does.
Above Rubies is one of the NGOs supported by Fairplay - and they’re on our directory too! Image credits: Above Rubies
Could you speak more about the modern slavery that exists in the global toy industry today?
Currently, it’s very difficult for Kiwis to be confident that the things we buy are slavery-free. The recent World Vision report on risky goods states that more than 41% of the 1.2 million toys that New Zealand imported in 2019 came from China.
Both child labour and forced labour are reported in China’s toy-making industry, and this can have devastating consequences for workers and their families in ways we might not even think of. For instance, the emotional and developmental impact of children left behind in rural hometowns when their parents go away to work in factories.
Factories that have also been reported to expose workers to toxic chemicals, or have poor living conditions, and even high accounts of suicide.
I love the work that World Vision and Trade Aid have recently done with the Modern Slavery Act and calling on the NZ government to take action. I think it's an important way that we all do what we can to ensure the products that we buy do not unwittingly support modern slavery and that consumers are able to make informed decisions.
Image credits: Wriggle Crew
Do your kids still receive plastic toys during birthdays and holidays? If so, how do you deal with that?
Yes they do! We always receive the gifts in the spirit with which they are given and make sure they are very well used! Everyone is at different stages on their plastic-free journey and there is no judgement here. Like with any toy, if my kids aren't reaching for it or engaging with it, we will donate it for someone else to enjoy.
On a side note, while the majority of the toys they receive are wooden, we do make an exception for duplo/lego.
There are loads of bargains to be had on the marketplace or on Trade Me - it's a great way to get the goods without compromising your values and getting the maximum use from plastic that is already out there in the world.
Do your kids have a favourite from the Fairplay collection?
Oh this is a tricky one! I have two car mad boys so they both love our natural vehicle set and the coconut beach toys which are lots of fun too!
We try to minimise the shop toys they are given, because they just don't need everything and I find they are less engaged with too many toys. That said, they do often see samples or pieces being photographed and my eldest has a very long wishlist for his upcoming birthday! Top of the list is a treehouse - and they are one of my favourites too. They are so beautifully crafted, unique, and open ended!
Tree House Playset - Large Complex. Image credits: QToys
Want to win an ethically sourced handcrafted toy for your little one?
Join our social media giveaway and stand a chance to win TWO Fairplay vouchers (valued at $50 each) for you and a friend.
Contest ends Sunday, August 1st and the winner will be announced via our social media on Monday, August 2nd.
