Blind boxes have become a global phenomenon.
With characters like Labubu, Hirono, Molly, and Sonny Angel gaining cult status on social media, opening one of these mystery toys delivers more than a collectible.
Popularised by Chinese toy giant Pop Mart, the blind box is engineered for anticipation. It gives excitement, suspense, and, unfortunately, at a cost.
Fans pay upfront without knowing which figurine they’ll receive, often buying repeatedly to complete a set. That thrill has turned into a billion-dollar business: Pop Mart’s revenue hit US$1.8 billion last year, fuelled by scarcity marketing and surprise-based shopping.
However, who pays the real price? The planet.
“They’re palm-sized, wide-eyed and irresistibly cute,” said Nirbhay Rana, assistant professor at IILM University in India.
“Yet every time a fan opens a Pop Mart blind box, three things hit the planet: A glossy cardboard cube, a foil pouch, and a figurine made from non-biodegradable materials.”
At least one popular Pop Mart figure is composed of 36 per cent polyester, 35 per cent PVC, and 29 per cent ABS plastic, materials that don’t break down easily.
PVC is especially problematic. It can leach toxic compounds as it degrades and is linked to long-term environmental and health concerns. Meanwhile, producing 1 kg of ABS releases nearly 3 kg of carbon dioxide.
Most figurines are too complex or contaminated with mixed plastics to be recycled, and while marketed as collectibles, resale sites are full of unwanted duplicates, often sold at steep discounts.
The impact scales quickly. With millions of units sold and packaged, each purchase adds to a mounting waste stream.
“The joy these toys bring is real,” said Rana. “But if Labubu is to remain a symbol of happiness, it must evolve into a symbol of sustainability. Otherwise, those wide eyes risk looking wilfully blind.”
