Green or eco-friendly are the hot buzzwords, and one of the few areas experiencing growth across a wide variety of product categories. The plush category is an especially natural fit for the revolution in environmental consciousness, for a number of practical reasons. First, its animal theme both appeals to and reinforces love of nature. Second, it is intended for children and concerns about the effects of chemicals on children’s health drives much of the switch to natural and organic products.

Hosung's My Natural Toy Collection

Meanwhile, last year’s record number of toy recalls has driven a lot of consumers who previously hadn’t paid much attention to such concerns to start looking for natural or organic materials and product methods on the grounds that they are less likely to pose safety hazards for their children and grandchildren.

While there are many variations on the theme, eco-friendly plush products tend to fall into three main categories.

This group of plush products rests its green or eco-friendly claim to fame on its use of all-natural, and sometimes organic, materials — cotton rather than poly, no beads or chemical dyes. Sean Hellenbrand, director of sales,

Calley the Cat from  Fair Indigo

In the past these products have been marked by a more subdued color palette which has kept them restricted to a niche market. However these days, that palette is growing in popularity with parents who want their kids’ things to coordinate with their own décor. The Russ Companies’ Lauren Diani and Jackie DeBlasi, both directors of product development, told G&DA, “The color palettes are all natural colors; they come from vegetable dyes. That’s why some of them look earth-toned and muted. We kept the palette that way because it is also gender neutral. These days a lot of parents are decorating their nurseries in neutral tones like sage green, not only for having another child but to keep with that eco-friendly look. Because you don’t really have control of the coloring, it is the biggest challenge,” they added. “But it is easy to get the dye to stick to the cotton. And as with a t-shirt, 100-percent cotton always feels better than one that is 50/50.”

A second group of eco-friendly plush toys may or may not be produced from natural materials, but they pin their eco-friendly claim to fame on their educational efforts. For example the Tails for Tomorrow plush collection from Fiesta educates children about endangered species and conservation efforts. Meanwhile, Planet Pixies, Idbids and Global Green Pals deliver a more generalized “green” message about eco-friendly actions that children can take to help save the planet such as recycling and turning off lights and electronic gadgets when not in use.

Downsides of natural plush can also include a higher price point, which, while historically not a deal breaker for the natural consumer, may slow mainstream adoption in these troubled economic times. Meyer says, “It is slightly more expensive, maybe 20 percent. We really hope and already see that people who are interested in this are willing to pay the extra money. The response has been outstanding. And if it is successful, we can order more and hopefully the price can come down a little bit.” Russ estimates that its eco-plush costs about 15 percent more than its conventional line. “It is not really that much of a difference. In soft goods it is a little difficult because they are used to a certain size at a certain price point. Our prices are very competitive compared to other people who do organic or 100 percent natural product, and we think consumers do understand the added value, especially for baby,” say Diani and DeBlasi.

“Let’s say I wholesale something for $15 that is 12”; I would normally wholesale that for $5 or $6,” he explains. “We saw a huge response when we first launched it, but as the economy went south, people began looking for more of a break.”

In contrast, Mary Meyer considers its eco-plush as a mainstream offering. “It is not targeted to people who are trying to be green — it is targeted to everyone,” says Meyer. And Russ says it is seeing a bit of both: its eco lines are selling both into new, green-focused accounts and existing Russ retailers. “It is early to get a full read,” say Diani and DeBlasi, “but it looks very promising.”

Our cover bear is a perfect example of this category: plush made out of recycled materials. In this case, water bottles. Called “The Fuzz that Was,” Mary Meyer is making stuffed animals out of recycled PET plastic, which has also been used for such things as polar fleece apparel. Each creature bears a hangtag explaining how many bottles it took to make that particular animal (the cover critter takes 6, a larger version 17). Even the stuffing is recycled. “The only thing that is not recycled is the thread and the embroidered eyes,” said Meyer.

Other companies have offered stuffed animals made from fabric scraps. But there is much more room left for innovation in this area, making re-made plush a likely area for expansion in 2009 and beyond.