Barbie Hoax: Mattel Fooled by Climate Activists and Daryl Hannah
Environmental activist group, the Barbie Liberation Organization, carried out an elaborate hoax claiming that Mattel toys, including Barbie dolls, would be plastic-free by 2030 and introduced a new line of decomposable "EcoWarrior" dolls made with organic materials. Some news outlets fell for the campaign, raising questions about the ethics of spreading disinformation in the name of activism. Mattel confirmed the campaign was a hoax and criticized the activists for creating fake websites and news releases. The activists defended their actions as satire and aimed to highlight Mattel's role in plastic pollution. Mattel plans to reduce plastic packaging by 25% by 2030 but does not intend to completely phase out plastic in its dolls.