FABA+: an improvement plan for Italy’s best-selling toy

Since 2023, NATIVA has been working alongside FABA—a company producing educational audio toys for children—on several strategic projects aimed at integrating sustainability within the company. We supported FABA in measuring its impacts through the B Impact Assessment and in defining its sustainability strategy.

But the most fascinating challenge involved evolving FABA+, the best-selling toy in Italy in 2024, to achieve a higher environmental and social sustainability profile.

The goal was clear and ambitious: to understand how the iconic and best-selling FABA product could be improved in terms of sustainability and value generated.

To respond to this challenge, we applied a methodology developed over more than 13 years of work. The project included analysing FABA+ design choices in relation to the four sustainability principles defined by the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) by The Natural Step, used by organizations, companies, government bodies and international universities since 1990.

The analysis was carried out using the Strategic Life Cycle Assessment, a methodology grounded in decades of scientific research and part of our product development framework. It combines three fundamental approaches to outline the current sustainability profile of the product and compare it to a desired target:

• Systemic Approach: using the sustainability principles, we defined an optimal "design space" that also considers future regulatory constraints.
• Circular Approach: the analysis was guided by a vision that considers all stages of the product’s life cycle.
• Collaborative Approach: we ensured the active involvement of the entire Product Team and suppliers for data collection and idea sharing.

The analysis was led by Irene Lo Vecchio, Evolution Guide at NATIVA, PhD in Materials Science and expert in sustainable product innovation.

The outcome of our work was a strategic improvement roadmap for FABA+. Every proposed action—aligned with the CEO and key decision-makers—was evaluated based on:

• Feasibility
• Social and Environmental Impact
• Return on Investment for the company

Among the improvement actions identified, the most significant include:

• Materials and Components: replacing some product components with materials with lower social and environmental impact.
• Production Processes: shifting from certain synthetic process materials to water-based alternatives.
• Supply Chain: actively involving the supply chain in the improvement process by gathering information on their environmental and social practices.
• Packaging: minimizing primary packaging and using recycled or renewable materials.

Today, FABA has a concrete roadmap to evolve its product in synergy with internal teams and its value chain.

“At FABA, what we do is create products for children that support their growth in a safe, educational, and enjoyable way. However, this mission wouldn’t be complete without a tangible commitment to sustainability. By working with NATIVA, we turned this vision into real actions—from product design to material selection, to our approach to packaging and production. For us, it was clear that statements were not enough—we needed to integrate sustainability into our DNA and our processes.”

— Chiara Gava, Chief Product Officer, FABA

Today, all manufacturing companies are being asked to evolve their products—not only in anticipation of future regulations but also to implement innovations and processes that can generate market value. Is your company ready to begin or strengthen this journey? Contact us to talk about how to improve your product!