Introducing the Bio Quest Toy Collection in Partnership with Wild Republic - SSA Group

Written by Katie Reinhart | 8/29/22 12:00 PM

In continuing our efforts to lessen our company footprint, we are excited to announce our partnership with Wild Republic in the creation of a more sustainable bioplastic toy collection. We’re excited about this launch and look forward to brining alternative options to our partners and guests.

Announcing the Bio Quest Toy Collection

The Bio Quest toy collection will be a 100% biodegradable product made from bioplastics which help with accelerated decomposition. Below, we’ll break down what this actually means in terms of sustainability.

What does it mean to be biodegradable? When exposed to tiny living organisms like bacteria, under appropriate conditions, this product will break down into water or carbon dioxide. Essentially it means that in time, our toys will break down and become part of the earth once again.
What exactly is bioplastic? In order to be biodegradable, our toys are made by taking sugar present in plants like corn, wheat, or potatoes and turning it into plastic.
You may be thinking, cool but how long does this process take? That’s where the accelerated decomposition really comes in. Because our products are made with bioplastics, when left exposed to light or oxygen, this toy will decompose in significantly less time than regular plastic toys.

We took the time to make sure we developed this product correctly so it will biodegrade under conducive environmental (and waste facility) conditions. We also ensured that it met numerous international ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) requirements.

Coming Soon to the Cultural Attraction Industry

This innovative new toy line will be coming exclusively to SSA zoo and aquarium shops in 2023 and will offer guests a more sustainable choice when shopping at our locations.

In the meantime, SSA will be previewing the Bio Quest line at the AZA Annual Meetings at the Maryland Zoo. At this year’s event, we will illustrate the continued collaborative efforts with partner, Wild Republic, to focus on sustainable options being offered in shops across the United States.

This isn’t our first foray into innovative sustainable changes with Wild Republic. Since 2016, we’ve jointly led the industry in driving a reduction in single-use plastic packaging in the Quest Line as well as continued these efforts with Ecokins fully-recycled PET plush in 2019. While this is our latest venture, it’s just a preview of what’s to come between our two companies.

“We are pleased to continue our successful collaboration with Wild Republic as we recognize our joint responsibility to be innovative in finding a path for sustainable options for our guests, partners, and our planet. This new effort in bioplastic toys is a solid start down that critical road,” said Jacquelyn Sorvillo, SSA Chief Retail Officer.

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