Kickstart: Cashing in on Barbie

The summer of Barbie (the movie) has added to the bottom line for the maker of Barbie (the doll).

In a conference call with analysts for toy maker Mattel Inc.'s quarterly financial report, released Oct. 25, Chief Financial Officer Anthony P. DiSilvestro said sales in the company's Barbie line increased 14 percent throughout the quarter, reflecting "strong gains in toys, benefiting from the theatrical release of the movie and our robust marketing efforts."

"The total impact from our direct movie participation, movie-related toy sales and consumer products is expected to generate more than $125 million in sales with a blended operating income margin exceeding 60 percent," he said. "The majority of this benefit is reflected in our third-quarter results."

CEO Ynon Kreiz was quick to note, however, that Mattel's net sales of $1.7 billion in the quarter weren't just about Barbie. The Hot Wheels and Disney Princess-branded dolls also saw strong results. Only its Fisher-Price line of toys underperformed.

The impact of Barbie, the movie, will extend well beyond one quarter's financial results.

"In terms of the Barbie movie and economics, we expect this to be a catalyst for the brand and to benefit the franchise for quarters and years to come," DiSilvestro said.

We know that the transition to a circular plastics economy won't be easy and won't come cheap. But how long will it take and how much will it cost?

Plastics Europe is out with some estimates in its "Plastics Transition" road map, which provides a framework and milestones, our sister paper Sustainable Plastics writes. The group estimates that substitutions for traditional virgin materials will cover about 25 percent of the market by 2030 and 65 percent by 2050.

But reaching that 2050 goal will likely require at least an additional 235 billion euros (more than $240 billion) in total system costs. Adding net-zero certification will be even more expensive, according to analysis by consulting firm Deloitte.

"The wider European plastics system is too big, complex and interconnected for any part of it to successfully deliver a circular and net-zero system alone," said Rob Ingram, leader of the Plastics Europe steering board road map task force and CEO of Ineos' olefins and polymers business in Europe.

The river cleanup organization Plastic Fischer has added software to its arsenal of cleaning operations.

Siemens Digital Industries Software said in a news release that Plastic Fischer is using its technology to connect teams working on waterways to material recovery facilities that sort through trash. Plastic Fischer launched in 2019 and uses the TrashBoom, a locally built, low-tech and low-cost modular floating barrier to capture plastic trash in rivers.

The TrashBooms are designed to be made with items that are easy to find, such as PVC pipe. Plastic Fischer has deployed them in India, Vietnam and Indonesia and has collected more than 535,000 kilograms of plastic trash for recycling or proper disposal.

The Siemens software is used to share data, collaborate between teams working remotely and support computer-aided design.