By Kristy Dorsey

An eco-friendly toy company has seen a three-fold increase in sales during lockdown which its founder says has saved 600kg of single-use plastic from going to landfill.

Set up in 2017, Yummikeys based in East Lothian provides stainless steel teething rings made from the same material as kitchen cutlery. During the five months to the end of May, the online business sold 10,000 items, equivalent to a 291% increase in revenues against the same period of year earlier.

Founder Elspeth Fawcett said the company is on course for full-year revenues in the region of £800,000 for 2020.

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“My business is fairly well established online, and although the nation’s spending as a whole has probably decreased over the past few months, people are spending more time online, babies are still being born, mothers are still breast feeding and teething is simply part of life,” she said.

Ms Fawcett said there is increasing eco-awareness in baby products as more millennials become parents.

“Ten thousand sales of Yummikeys is the equivalent of 600kg of plastic toys not purchased and therefore not ending up in landfill,” she said. “Having already sold over 10,000 this year and with plans to get to 40,000 by the end of 2020, we are excited at the prospect of freeing up 2,400kg of single-use plastic.”