Boston, April 9th 2026 – Mattel, the parent company of popular children’s toy brands including Fisher Price, Barbie and Hot Wheels, has updated its disclosures about the steps the company takes to ensure its products’ safety. Mattel’s move came after Green Century filed a shareholder proposal asking the company to better explain how it protects children from plastic additives in its products.
Green Century has been engaging Mattel on plastic-related risks since 2019 and previously negotiated a commitment from the company to reduce its plastic packaging intensity by 25% by 2030.
“We’re glad to see Mattel taking steps to protect young children from chemicals found in plastics,” said Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century. “Growing consumer concern about toxic chemicals is increasing reputational risks for companies that make plastic products and making this topic increasingly material for investors.”
The shareholder proposal filed by Green Century pointed out that based on the company’s disclosures as of December 2025, Mattel was lagging behind its peers in protecting young children from these chemicals. To assuage investors’ concerns, the proposal also recommended that Mattel disclose how it identifies chemicals in plastic that pose human health risks and explain how it chooses safer alternatives.
By February 2026, Mattel had updated its website, noting that it monitors, limits or does not allow more than 15,000 substances in its products, up from 3,000 disclosed at the end of 2025. The company also provided more information on how it identifies materials of concern, takes into account emerging scientific evidence, goes beyond regulatory requirements, and chooses safer alternatives.
Regulation does not adequately keep children safe from chemicals in plastics
Scientific studies have found that thousands of plastic additives are hazardous to human health. These chemicals pose particularly serious risks for infants and toddlers, who have more exposure to them because of mouthing behaviors and are more susceptible to endocrine disruptors causing problems, including growth and reproductive issues. Scientists warn that regulation of these chemicals is not strong enough to keep children safe, in the European Union or the United States.
Consumers are increasingly looking for products for young children that do not include chemicals known to be unsafe, such as BPA, which has been linked to behavioral problems, anxiety, depression and reproductive disorders. Some companies selling products for babies and young children disclose that they don’t use BPA in any of their products. Others clearly label products that are BPA-free or phthalate-free. This allows consumers to make more informed decisions to keep their children safe.
We applaud Mattel for updating its disclosure on how it manages its material usage, given the toxic compounds that too often contaminate plastic,” said Frances Fairhead-Stanova, shareholder advocate at Green Century. “We encourage the company to provide product specific information on chemicals that are known to be hazardous and to stop using materials containing chemicals identified as the worst of the worst, such as BPA.”
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