Toy Tesla is a tiny reminder that green is now everywhere

Matchbox debuts miniature EV lookalike made from 99% recycled ingredients

Mattel has already sold out of its new Matchbox Tesla Roadster, its first die-cast vehicle made from 99% recycled materials.

(A native of England, Matthew Diebel is a veteran journalist who has worked at NBC News, Time, USA Today and News Corp., among other organizations. Having spent his childhood next to one of the world's fastest bodies of water, he is particularly interested in tidal energy.)

Want to know when the green movement has truly entered the mainstream? When a Matchbox Tesla (TSLA) made from 99% recycled ingredients arrives on the toy scene — and almost immediately sells out.

Matchbox, a division of playthings giant Mattel (MAT), introduced the miniature Tesla Roadster model as part of its goal to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials in all its products and packaging by 2030, according to a company press release. Matchbox’s contribution is called “Driving Toward a Better Future” and will see the introduction of more EV models from brands such as BMW (BMWYY), Nissan (NSANY) and Honda (HMC) as well as a recycling truck made from 80% recycled plastic certified by ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification). Also in the works: Popular Action Driver play sets using at least 40% ISCC-certified plastic.

Apart from the Matchbox toys, Mattel is also releasing what it calls its Mega Bloks Green Town line, a collection of construction toys for preschoolers that are certified carbon neutral by Natural Capital Partners through offsets from its 156,000-acre Darkwood Forests Conservation project in British Columbia, Canada.

As well as being carbon-neutral, the Green Town toys are also created mostly from plant-based materials, said Mattel. In addition, the packaging is made from paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which “promotes responsible management of the world’s forests.”

The building block sets also feature eco-friendly elements, like a toy electric bus.

We’re betting on the Tesla to beat the bus in one of those illegal street races you see on TikTok.