A second-hand teddy bear has embarked on a 1,350-mile journey around the UK as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the circular economy and to help families go green.
The teddy, aptly named Ted, is travelling by boat, train, bike, and post, helped along his way by a network of families.
The campaign, which aims to raise awareness of how easy it is to reuse and recycle things, is a reaction to research, commissioned by sustainability platform YoungPlanet, that revealed that 9 in 10 UK adults don’t know what the circular economy is.
The CirculaTED campaign, organised by YoungPlanet, aims to demonstrate how easy it is for households to engage with circular initiatives and save unwanted items from landfill by sending a pre-loved teddy bear on a 1,350 mile journey around the UK, helped along by volunteer families.
The #CirculaTED campaign aims to educate and galvanise support for circular initiatives.
YoungPlanet says it hopes the campaign will inspire more UK households to move towards a circular way of living by driving a deeper understanding of how the circular economy works and raising awareness of how it can help families reduce their carbon footprint, redirect waste from landfill, and save money.
Starting in Berkshire, the teddy bear has so far travelled to Bristol before heading north to the West Midlands and then Manchester. Currently on his way to Scotland, Ted will then continue south to Peterborough, Oxford, and London (spending time at the beach in Brighton en route) before completing the 1,350-mile circular journey back to where he started in Berkshire.
YoungPlanet says each family plans to introduce Ted to their local area, engaging in eco-friendly activities and filling his travel journal with stories from his adventures. Through this circular journey, YoungPlanet says it hopes to show families that pre-loved toys can create just as many magical moments as those that are bought brand new.
Co-founder of YoungPlanet, Jason Ash, said: “Our CirculaTED campaign is all about encouraging families to embrace simpler and more sustainable ways of living. Rather than sending pre-loved toys and other items directly (or indirectly) to landfill, we want to encourage families to give them another chance by embracing the circular economy and finding unwanted items a new home.
“We hope the adventures of our second-hand bear will encourage families and communities across the country to re-evaluate their consumer habits and participate in the circular economy. We want to drive up support for circular initiatives that have the power to reverse some of the damage that overconsumption has done to our planet.”