Ash plate

Sustainable Toys and the People Behind Them 


By Dainora Jociūtė

May 19th, 2021

3 minutes read


You’ve heard us talk about sustainability and responsible production in the past. But what does it really mean and how do we implement it in Yuyu Toys production? Who are the people behind our sustainability claims?

For this article, we sat down to have a chat with Hanna and Mika Rautasaari, Finnish entrepreneurs and the soul of our partner company  – Tyvi Oy. Tyvi is the magical place where felled trees turn to sustainable everyday objects and to Yuyu Curious blocks. Let’s learn more about it!

 

The poetry of sustainable production

Tyvi Oy is a duo of two creative and crafty people – Mika and Hanna. Mika, who has been in the industry of carpentry for over ten years delivers expertise and precision. Hanna joined the collective back in 2017 and brought the artistic and creative side to the team.

Both Mika and Hanna are united by their strive to reintroduce felled trees back to our lives instead of letting them go to waste: “The wood we work with usually comes from yard trees and normally they would just be burned or chipped. By turning the cut down tree into a craft, we are giving the old yard tree a completely new life”, says Hanna. Can you imagine the old birch from your grandma’s yard, where once your swing used to hang, now living with you in the shape of a chest, a mirror frame? There’s truly something poetic about it.


Environmentally friendly and unique

Tyvi takes care of the whole process. They cut and dry the trees themselves, they prep them from production and then, of course, they mold the trees into wooden wonders. “We are the whole supply chain of our products – notes Mika, – from logs to final items. So you can really trace back the origins of the product to the very beginning of a single tree in a yard or outskirts of a forest.”

Specific wood features and qualities are always taken into consideration before production. “We take advantage of beautiful patterns of the wood and unique shapes. Sometimes we use branches and stumps. Our goal is to always find the most suitable new life for every tree depending on it’s specifications. Right now, we work with local, Finnish woods.” Tyvi materials come from a variety of trees such as the local sturdy Ash to the skinny and dreamy Crack Willow.

“We love creating visually fascinating carpentry products. And we like to experiment – we recently started creating sculptures with a chainsaw! So the goal is really to combine both of our strengths”, smiles Hanna.


Ethical way of expression

Tyvi creates own products and also works with custom orders. Their expertise encompases everything from small wood work repairs to four-meters long picnic tables. Tyvi’s own production includes, but is not limited to, cutting boards, coffee tables, clocks and sculptures.

“The best thing about woodworks is diversity and the opportunity to implement new ideas. And it feels good to work on creating ethical and sustainable products, products that might have a life cycle of a century if not more!”. We could not agree more with Hanna – leaving a sustainable, environmentally friendly imprint on Earth does sound great. Imagine being able to give something so precious to a family that several generations can share and enjoy? Absolutely mindblowing!

 

Joining forces: Creative and sustainable collaboration

Both Hanna and Mika excitedly joined Yuyu’s adventure, an adventure towards creating a sustainable and educational play for kids. Our paths collide when we talk about responsible and sustainable production, creating items that last. “Quality time with kids as well as responsibility around the play time are important values to us – says Mika, – so we are definitely happy to be involved in creating such moments with Yuyu”. 

Tyvi produces Yuyu blocks from birch wood. Trees come from a forest located near the Tyvi workshop. It is durable, high quality wood and no toxic chemicals are used during the production of the Yuyu toys. Final result – safe, comfortable and sturdy blocks. A sustainable toy that will last, dare we say – forever.

We are simply happy to have met Hanna and Mika. This friendship opened a path to a fantastic collaboration opportunity. As a small business ourselves, Yuyu is excited to support and work with other small collectives. And to create a better, a bit more sustainable future for us and for our kids. 

 

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