The company is a preloved soft toy brand, a sustainable soft toy adoption agency believing that every preloved toy carries a unique story. When a toy is donated to Loved Before, the owner is encouraged to share its back story, allowing the value of those sentimental memories to be passed on to the new owner. Toys are donated to the business before they go through meticulous deep cleaning and are then rehomed alongside their photos, names and stories.
Based on insights she uncovered whilst volunteering in a charity shop, Charlotte observed how many people were bringing in stuffed animals and teddy bears to donate, but also what a big moment it often was for them. These pre-loved toys, often handed over with cherished memories and sentimental significance were either put in a box and sold for pennies, or thrown away destined for landfill because the charity shop simply receives too many and doesn’t have the means to clean and restore them.
Knowing there must be a sustainable solution, one night she went home and came up with the idea for Loved Before. Stuffed animals are often made with synthetic materials that take hundreds of years to decompose. The mass production of these toys requires heavy amounts of oil, natural gas, and water.
Now Loved Before has a large following on social media platforms. Since 2019, the organisation has saved over 5000 toys.
The company continues to embark on global expansion plans with its pioneering circular model. Partnering with zoos and wildlife trusts as well as permanent stands in Selfridges stores in Birmingham, Manchester and London.
