The Hidden Cost of the Blind-Box Trend: Insights from Asst Prof Tu Weiming
The global blind box economy was valued at US$13.53 billion (S$17.14 billion) in 2024, according to market intelligence firm Zion Market Research.
“The market is still new, but it’s an emerging issue. There is high potential for plastic pollution,” says Assistant Professor Tu Weiming from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in an article published by The Straits Times on the social and environmental impact of blind boxes.
For a toy to be recycled effectively, it would have to be separated into different parts based on the materials.
Globally, only 10 per cent of PVC is properly recycled, but in Singapore, this is only about 4 to 6 per cent, adds Prof Tu, whose research focuses on environmental biotechnology and waste treatment.
Paints used for dolls’ features are often considered contaminants that prevent the PVC parts from being recycled. “Trying to ‘wash’ the toys with a solvent would cause more harm to water sources,” he says.
PVC itself contains carbon-chlorine bonds that hinder complete environmental degradation; instead, undergoing physical fragmentation and generating microplastics over time, he explains. When PVC items end up in the landfill or improperly disposed, these microplastics take hundreds of years to decay and can contaminate soil, groundwater and aquatic systems, and enter the food chain.
“Evidence suggests that these may induce respiratory inflammation, endocrine disruption and neurotoxic effects,” he adds.
In Singapore, rubbish is incinerated. Burning is even more polluting, as it releases toxic and volatile organic compounds into the air, says Prof Tu. “In Singapore, while incineration plants are equipped with advanced systems to filter most toxic pollutants, the process itself is still carbon-intensive, requiring energy-intensive treatment systems,” he adds. “Burning petroleum-based plastics ultimately converts solid waste into atmospheric carbon dioxide, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.”
The key thing, he stresses, is not the environmental impact of the waste but that of the treatment and incineration of these non-biodegradable materials.
“As blind boxes are still an emerging market, the manufacturing industries have not taken into account the possibility of using environmentally friendly materials to make them.”
Prof Tu suggests that data and transparency from manufacturers on the materials used in the making of blind boxes would be useful for researchers and environmentalists to propose solutions to deal with such waste.
And although the ease of recyclability should start from the source, fans, too, have a shared obligation to consume responsibly, he says. “Maybe the best way is to extend the lifetime of the product – by reselling it or passing it down – rather than trying to recycle.”
