The individual tags on each product are made of paper, with paper’s main raw material being trees, and are fastened to the product with plastic, with plastic’s main raw materials being natural gas, crude oil, cellulose, and salt (AZo Materials). Certain companies, such as Patagonia, collect spandex waste throughout their production processes to reintroduce as raw material, but it is unlikely that Squishmallow does this due to the “All new material” disclaimer on their products’ tags (Patagonia).Īside from polyester and spandex, Squishmallows are not manufactured with many other materials. Spandex is, therefore, made up of nonrenewable fossil fuel byproducts, and is hard to recycle. In 2016, isocyanates and polyols accounted for almost 90% of fossil fuel energy consumption (ACS Publications). Polyurethane is produced mainly from the fossil fuel derivatives isocyanates and polyols, along with other additives. The exterior of a Squishmallow is made of spandex, which is about 85% polyurethane (Britannica). Polyester fibers are created from polyethylene terephthalate, the most widely employed thermoplastic polymer resin (Science Direct). The Kellytoy tag attached to all Squishmallows reads “All new material” and “Filling: polyester fibers.” No recycled materials are used, meaning spandex and polyester are constantly being created and used for the stuffed animals with no plan for what will happen after the toy is done being played with or collected. Many simple substitutions could be made which would create more eco-friendly and sustainable Squishmallows. Expanding on the research done by both of these groups, conducted a decade prior, we can draw the conclusion that Squishmallows are not a sustainable trend. While the polyester group concluded that it is non-biodegradable and its waste products are hazardous and harmful, the spandex group mainly focused on its positive properties. Our group’s project is preceded by “Polyester” and “Spandex,” both conducted by DES 40A groups in 2013, seeing as polyester and spandex are the main materials used in the production of Squishmallows. Since Squishmallows are a more recent craze, not much research has been conducted on their long-term environmental impacts. plastic and fossil fuels, are used to create the stuffed animal itself, while more fossil fuels are used during the transportation and disposal stages.

As a Squishmallow progresses through its life cycle, more and more nonrenewable and unsustainable materials are used polyethylene terephthalate and polyurethane, i.e. While Squishmallows are cute and cuddly, their mass consumption on a global scale is anything but endearing. Online shopping allowed consumers to engage in retail therapy while staying safe at home, resulting in purchases that were seen as comforting during a time of great stress.

Due to their boom in popularity during 2020’s lockdown and shelter-in-place orders, more people were on their phones for longer amounts of time, leading to Squishmallow collectors and their collections going viral on sites like Instagram and TikTok. The stuffed animals come in several different sizes, and are set apart from other plushies by their uniform marshmallow-like shape, black eyes, and unique exterior texture. Squishmallows Life Cycle Analysis: Raw Materialsĭuring the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Squishmallows took the internet by storm.

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