Guest Columnist

Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder and ceo of Products of Change, on how the preschool sector can lead in transforming the way business operates when it comes to sustainability.

POSITIVE CHANGE

Above: Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder and ceo, Products of Change.

Iam sure this will not come as a surprise, but the latest piece of research conducted for Products of Change by Kids Industries manage the process as well as taking in to account the end of life of a product. You also then have to make sure your marketing isn’t breaking the showcases that the environment is a Green Claims Code and Greenwash. major concern to families and kids. Sustainability is complex, it can In fact it’s the most important issue... be broken down into manageable ranging from the highest concern of chunks, but this is a journey we are plastic waste, climate change, pollution, saving endangered animal species, food waste, protecting our oceans and seas to saving forest from deforestation.

With one in three parents wanting to see more eco-friendly all going to be on for the next decade, materials used and a whopping 92% continuously evolving our strategies. of children in the US and 94% in With the next generation focused the UK having done something to heavily on sustainability then, I cannot help the environment, you would think of a better sector to drive social think that more companies would be change through its products and increasing the speed of change within brands than that which is nurturing their business. According to research it: the preschool sector. It’s so from HiPP Organis, almost three encouraging to see that here, change quarters (72%) of parents have been is already happening. Let’s take the reprimanded by their children for latest announcement from the UK unsustainable practices. Tomorrow’s retailer Boots which has vowed to generation is 100% committed to doing stop selling all wet wipes that contain things different and for businesses to plastic fibres by the end of the year. survive the next generation, building The pharmacy chain is one of sustainability into your brands’ the biggest sellers of wet wipes in the DNA is a must. It’s not always that country, with more than 140 different easy, and that’s why Products of brands stocked across skincare, baby, Change exists and is here to help. tissue and health care categories. After selling more than 800 million KNOWLEDGE IS POWER wet wipes last year, it now plans to The biggest challenge facing the replace plastic-based wipes with plantindustry is a huge knowledge gap based biodegradable alternatives. between what needs to be achieved It comes after Boots reformulated its and how. We need to transform the own-brand wipe ranges without plastic. way we operate; sustainability isn’t just The Marine Conservation Society about the material used but the full claims that a large proportion of the 11 impact of what and how you produce, billion wet wipes used in the UK every how you source, ship and ethically year still contain some form of plastic

- with evidence suggesting they cause more than nine in 10 sewage blockages. With consumers demanding change and retailers driving change, it’s fantastic to see the sector already on the path to do things differently. Then there’s Frugi, the UK’s leading ethical and organic children’s clothing brand with ethics rooted into the business from the beginning. Frugi uses sustainable fabrics for all products, including 100% GOTS certified organic cotton for “ For businesses to survive the next generation, building sustainability 85% of its range, with the rest crafted from RPET (recycled PET bottles to yarn). Frugi into your brands’ DNA is a must. ” now boasts two wins from The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise being recognised with awards for both Sustainable Development and International Trade and are one of only four companies to achieve a double award this year. It is on a mission to show the clothing industry that you can run a successful business while being sustainable and ethical. Companies such as Golden Bear, Lassing, Kit & Kin, Borri, Eco Rascals, BigJigs, Dantoy and so many more are paving the way for the sector to lead in transforming the way business operates, and here at POC we are looking forward to working more closely with you to advance this change. Products of Change is a membership organisation to support sustainable transformation within business, with a hub that gives you access to live workshops and events such as the Sustainability in Licensing Conference (See pages 23 and 25 for more details). We’re here to help bridge that knowledge gap and facilitate positive and sustainable change for all. For further details please don’t hesitate to contact helena@ productsofchange.com.