Goki

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS 

• Germany
• China
• Europe (not specified)

WORKING CONDITIONS & LIVING WAGES

goki mainly produces in Germany and China. 

The company operates five of its own factories, giving it comprehensive control over working conditions and production processes. According to goki, Western standards for occupational health and safety apply in the Chinese factory in particular; employees there receive wages that are well above the legal minimum. Child labour is explicitly prohibited.

As the production facilities are operated in-house, there are close and direct relationships with the locations. The number of external suppliers appears to be low. Quality and safety take centre stage: all toys are tested in the company’s own laboratory and also by independent testing institutes. The products fulfil applicable standards such as DIN EN71‑3 and DIN 53160 for saliva and sweat fastness.

goki has been certified many times with the ​‘spiel gut’ seal – over 150 products bear this award. In 2023, the company was also honoured with the German Sustainability Award for its pioneering role in the toy industry.

Part of the collection, especially the HOLZTIGER products, is made by hand. For baby toys, too, goki attaches great importance to materials that are harmless to health, such as water-based acrylic paints. Clear lacquers are generally not used in order to avoid exposure to solvents.

In addition to its environmental goals, goki has a strong social commitment: in countries such as Mali, Uganda and Peru, the company has already built ten schools in collaboration with aid organisations such as terre des hommes and Children in Africa, and an eleventh is currently being built in Ghana. The aim is to give children who previously worked under exploitative conditions access to education.

Goki emphasises the respectful and fair treatment of employees, partners and competitors as part of its corporate philosophy. Social commitment and long-term thinking characterise the corporate culture.

MATERIALS

• Wood from more sustainable, European forestry
• Beech
• Maple
• Spruce
• Water-based acrylic paints (for baby toys)
• Polymer structures (as part of the paint layers after drying)
• PVC
• PU (polyurethane)
• ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)
• PS (polystyrene)
   

goki verwendet überwiegend Holz aus nachhaltigerer, europäischer Forstwirtschaft. Buchen, Ahorn und Fichten wachsen über 80 Jahre und werden nach Prinzipien nachhaltigerer Forstwirtschaft gefällt. Zertifizierungen für das Holz werden nicht genannt.

Die wasserbasierten Acrylfarben gelten als schadstoffarm und sicher für Kinder, sind jedoch nicht vollständig lösungsmittelfrei. Auf Klarlacke wird verzichtet, um mögliche Schadstoffrisiken zu vermeiden.

Kunststoffe wie PVC, PU, ABS und PS sollen zukünftig vollständig ersetzt werden, da sie schwer recycelbar und oft gesundheitlich bedenklich sind.

PACKAGING 

goki does not provide any information on which packaging materials are used in e‑commerce or in the supply chain.

WATER USAGE & CHEMICALS 

goki states that it uses water-based acrylic paints in the manufacture of baby toys in order to avoid the use of solvents. Clear lacquers are largely avoided, as these are solvent-based and potentially contain harmful substances. The paints used fulfil the standards DIN EN71‑3 (migration of harmful substances) and DIN 53160 (perspiration and saliva fastness).

No further information on water consumption, bleaching processes, textile printing, microplastic release or chemical management is available. Certifications in the area of chemical safety or environmental management are also not mentioned.

CIRCULAR PRODUCT DESIGN 

goki predominantly manufactures toys from pure types of wood such as beech, maple or spruce, which indicates the use of mono-materials and is an advantage in terms of recyclability. 

A return or repair service for disused toys is not offered or communicated. There is also no information on modular, easily dismantled or particularly repair-friendly designs.

CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS 

Circular business models such as rental, second-hand sales or product repair are not mentioned.

DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN

• Germany (own production)
• China (own production)
• Other European countries (not specifically named)
• The goki HQ is located in northern Germany.

TRANSPORTATION 

• goki does not provide any specific information on the means of transport used within the supply chain.

• According to the information available, goki does not use any animal materials in its products.

PRODUCT DESIGN 

goki produces toys for children, especially for babies, toddlers and pre-school children. The range includes over 2,000 items, including wooden toys, grasping toys, motor skills games, doll’s houses and hand-painted wooden animals.

SLOW FASHION PROCESSES 

goki has a permanent toy collection that is updated with new designs as required. The company focusses on a timeless range. The aim is to further develop tried-and-tested toy classics and adapt them to modern times.

goki does not offer customised products.

TRANSPARENCY ON PRODUCT 

Basic information is provided on the goki product pages, including the materials, origin and age information. It is emphasised that the colours used are water-based and that the natural wood grain remains visible.

However, there is no concrete traceability to the exact production site or the origin of the materials used. The statement ​‘Made in Europe’ remains general and leaves open in which country or factory the product was actually manufactured.

TRANSPARENCY ON PROCESSES 

On its website, goki provides general information on its production processes and principles, in particular on the use of more sustainable forestry, social commitment and in-house production in five factories. It emphasises that fairer standards apply in the Chinese factory. However, specific suppliers or partner companies are not named and details of the supply chain remain vague.

Much of the information provided is mainly found on general pages, not on the individual product pages. Precise traceability at product level is only possible to a limited extent.