More than a decade after the first squishy craze, a new wave of colourful, collectible foam toys is fuelling a quiet environmental problem. Millions of non‑recyclable, non‑biodegradable squishies are being produced and discarded each year, adding persistent plastic waste to landfills and incinerators and straining already weak local waste systems.
Many people, particularly younger generations, collect squishies and create social-media content about them. New colours, designs and characters appear so frequently, encouraging repeat purchases and driving demand in numerous countries, including Thailand, China, Japan, Malaysia and the United States.
As production rises, so does waste. Most squishies are made from thermoplastic rubber (TPR) or polyurethane (PU) foam. These materials are flexible, lightweight and inexpensive to produce but are generally not recyclable and do not biodegrade.
