ToyCycles · Air & Environment

ToyCycles

Country: Costa Rica · San josé Category: Air & Environment Impact Areas: Circular Economy Stage: Prototype Team Size: 2 Website: https://thetoycyclelab.com/

Elevator Pitch

From waste to play This project investigates how recycled plastic bottles can be transformed into early-stimulation toys designed to support children’s development, particularly within vulnerable communities.

Climate Problem

The project addresses two areas: environmentally, high levels of plastic (PET) pollution; socially, vulnerability in communities near landfills, as well as play and early childhood development.

Solution

In order to mitigate the effects of pollution, the project aims to repurpose waste, turning it into a primary development tool for children aged 3 to 12 in vulnerable communities, enabling children to foster their cognitive, and emotional development.

Revenue Model

We will establish various communities to collect materials. We hope to attract the attention of various foundations and NGOs that share our vision and wish to join the initiative. In addition, we aim to develop a bigger business model.

Target Market

Children aged 0 to 6, vulnerable families, foundations, NGOs, environmental organizations, preschools, stores specializing in toys and others.

Social Impact

People Living in Extreme Poverty

Demand Evidence

Play is an inherent part of being human and should be encouraged as a key component of development. Furthermore, plastic pollution must be addressed from every possible angle, and it would be even better if this effort benefited the most vulnerable.

Competitors

Despite numerous initiatives to address plastic pollution, there is a gap in this specific market. Furthermore, our project goes beyond the material aspect and also aims to benefit early childhood by using play as a catalyst for development.

Founder Expertise

We are Sofia Gutierrez and Susana Colorado, senior industrial design students. We are united by our passion for design. Our experiences complement each other perfectly; we blend functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics.

External Support

During the product development phase, the LCI Veritas community participated in the material recollection process. The project also received the award for best project from the School of Product Design 2026-1.

Source: ClimateLaunchpad 2026 Application · App ID: 9791 Ingested: 2026-05-25