Who Are Re-Play? The Story Behind the Family Brand Turning Recycled Milk Jugs Into Everyday Tableware

If you've ever wondered who makes Re-Play tableware and why it's become a favourite with families around the world, you're not alone.

With their colourful plates, bowls, cups and cutlery found in homes across Australia, Re-Play has earned a reputation for creating durable, practical children's tableware that also happens to be kinder to the planet.

But the story behind the brand started long before their first divided plate.

A Family Business With a Simple Idea

Re-Play was created by American husband-and-wife team Craig and Amy Shumway, founders of their family company, Re-Think It Inc.

Long before Re-Play tableware existed, the couple had been designing environmentally conscious household products using recycled materials. Their first successful product was an all-purpose cleaning scrubber made using recycled milk containers, proving that everyday waste could become something genuinely useful.

That same philosophy eventually inspired something much bigger.

How Re-Play Began

In 2011, Craig and Amy launched Re-Play with a simple goal:

Create children's tableware that was safe, affordable, incredibly durable and better for the environment.

Rather than producing another disposable plastic product, they chose to manufacture their plates, bowls, cups and utensils using recycled HDPE plastic sourced from recycled milk jugs.

The result was colourful tableware that could survive years of family meals, picnics, lunchboxes and countless trips through the dishwasher.

Made in the USA

One thing that sets Re-Play apart is that their recycled plastic tableware continues to be manufactured in the USA.

Keeping production close to home allows the company to maintain consistent quality while supporting local manufacturing and carefully controlling the recycled materials used in every product.

Every piece is made using FDA-approved, food-safe recycled plastic and colour concentrates that meet both US and European food safety standards. Re-Play products are also free from BPA, BPS, PVC, lead and phthalates.

Giving Milk Jugs a Second Life

Perhaps the most impressive part of the Re-Play story is what happens before the products are even made.

The brand's signature recycled tableware is created primarily from discarded HDPE milk jugs that would otherwise end up in landfill.

Since launching, Re-Play has recycled well over 100 million milk jugs, giving them a completely new purpose as long-lasting family tableware instead of single-use waste. The number continues to grow each year as more families choose reusable products over disposable alternatives.

From Baby's First Bowl to Family Meals

Although Re-Play originally focused on babies and toddlers, parents quickly discovered that the products lasted well beyond the early years.

Children kept using the plates. Parents started borrowing them. Families wanted matching pieces.

In response, Re-Play expanded its collection in 2018 to include larger sizes suitable for older children and adults, transforming the brand from children's tableware into practical tableware for the whole family.

Why Families Love Re-Play

Re-Play has built a loyal following because it solves real everyday problems.

Parents appreciate that the products are:

• Lightweight and easy for little hands to hold

• Dishwasher safe

• Stack neatly in kitchen cupboards

• Durable enough to survive daily use

• Made without harmful chemicals

• Available in a rainbow of colours that children genuinely enjoy using

They're equally at home on the dining table, in the backyard, packed for camping trips or taken along for family picnics.

Why We Chose Re-Play at Jade and May

At Jade and May, we're always looking for brands that create thoughtful products designed to last.

Re-Play fits beautifully alongside the independent makers we already work with. Like us, they're a family-owned business that believes everyday products should be practical, well made and created with longevity in mind.

Their focus on responsible manufacturing, recycled materials and products that can be used year after year is exactly why we've chosen to stock them.

When something is made to last, it doesn't need replacing every few months. That's better for families, and better for the planet too.

Whether you're buying your baby's very first bowl or replacing worn-out plastic with something made to go the distance, Re-Play offers a simple solution that makes everyday mealtimes a little easier.

Explore Our Re-Play Collection

Browse our range of Re-Play plates, bowls, cups, cutlery and mealtime essentials, all designed to grow with your family and made from recycled milk jugs in the USA