Playing The Game of Green
The “Company Profile” is an Earth911.com series highlighting consumer goods and services making a difference through product stewardship and recycling. Products and services featured do not pay for placement and are not endorsed by Earth911.com.
With all of our innovations in technology, board games still have a place in many hearts. They may be a party activity, entertainment during a power outage or just a family bonding experience.
But did you ever think about the environmental impact of board games? Tony Kvale (pronounced Ka-va-le) did, and it prompted him to start Minnesota-based Kvale Good Natured Games LLC. We spoke with Kvale to learn more about the company.
Company Overview
Kvale Good Natured Games started in November 2005 to develop and produce eco-friendly games. The signature product is Head1Liners, a game where you write your own headlines related to a photograph.
In addition to manufacturing Head1Liners, the company handles the U.S. distribution of 10 other games through a partnership with Bioviva. Kvale is also looking to begin producing the Bioviva games domestically to lower the impact of shipping them to the U.S.; they are currently manufactured in Canada.
The games vary in age range, and focus on topics including nature, animals and the planet. Kvale says they promote education and creative writing, but the games themselves also promote eco-friendliness through the use of recycled content.
Where They’re Sold
Kvale Good Natured Games are sold in many Whole Foods stores. In addition, the games are sold in aquariums, nature centers and zoos. Kvale is hoping to enter the specialty toy market soon.
Eco-Friendly Game Features
Here’s some of the ways Kvale Good Natured Games utilizes recycled and eco-friendly material:
- The 386 game cards in the Head1Liners game are made with 100 percent recycled paper and printed using soy-based ink.
- Other games’ tokens are made from 100 percent recycled glass or recycled wood composites (Kvale wanted to avoid plastic tokens because they are made from petroleum).
- Since the company launched, it has saved 400 tons of trees and 6.7 million Btu of energy through using recycled materials in production.
Market for Recycled Materials
So how did Kvale Good Natured Games find all this recycled content in the first place?
- He is a member of Co-Op America, which gave him the contact for a business that provides recycled glass.
- Paper was a whole other issue, because when the company started he was unable to find a printer that used 100 percent recycled content. Kvale actually purchased the paper himself and brought it to a printer in the early days.
Current Events
Kvale Good Natured Games is one of 20 semi-finalists for the Forbes.com “Boost Your Business” competition. Always looking for investment opportunities, Kvale discovered the competition after reading an article and finding out that last year’s winner, Recycline, produced something made from recycled content.
“I think we stand apart from the other companies in this competition because of the toy recall issue in America,” says Kvale. “There were 22 million toy recalls from China in 2007 alone, so there’s a demand for games that are safe for us and the environment.”
If his company wins the Forbes.com contest, Kvale wants to develop a free online game where users can choose non-profit organizations to receive donations from their participation.
Role of Consumers
Obviously, Kvale encourages consumers to vote for Kvale Good Natured Games in the Forbes.com contest to help put his concepts into motion. He says another important role is to recycle (especially paper), since recycled content is such an important part of the company’s board games. You can find out where to recycle paper in your area using Earth911.
Most Exciting Part of Running Kvale Good Natured Games
“I like that we’re doing something that lots of other game companies could be doing,” says Kvale. “It’s rewarding to get positive comments, because so much of the focus on green toys is with toddlers. Our games provide the opportunity for parents to continue promoting eco-friendliness to their children.”
Favorite of the Three R’s
Kvale says he fluctuates between reduction and recycling as his favorite. Although he is an avid recycler at home, he leans toward reduction because there are so many opportunities to reduce around the house.
“I teach my daughter simple reduction tips, like how to save water,” he adds. “We will perform experiments, like brushing her teeth with the water running and then with the tap off to see how much was used.”
