Product Of Change Summer 2023

PRODUCTS OF CHANGE

THE LAS VEGAS LICENSING

Products of Change Licensing Expo Showcase

Sustainability in Sports and Sports Licensing

POC LAUNCHES THE INDUSTRY

FRAMEWORK

A “game-changing” new resource for the global brand and

ESG AND THE SDGS

We dive into the bold ambitions of the industry’s trade show

MEMBER NEWS, INDUSTRY VIEWS

SUSTAINABILITY EDIT

SUMMER 2023:

MEET THE TEAM

Robert Hutchins Editor

WELCOME W

ith each issue that passes, I get to squeeze the industry’s journey with sustainability into a few, short words. It’s the hardest part. Because how do you condense such a rich and vibrant subject into a 250 wordcount? 210 now…

Luckily, I don’t really need to. Because you do all the talking. The fact this is our Licensing Expo issue is exciting enough. The fact that within it, we finally get to showcase the glorious fruits of two years’ work and true, pioneering, cross-industry collaboration is immeasurable.

Yes, the POC Industry Framework has arrived. And it’s going to be a gamechanger. Not because we say so, but because of what it stands for. This is the Framework for the sustainable development

of our industry, created by the industry for the industry. Since the very early days of Products of Change, the vision has been to unite us all around one, shared goal – to transition this $290bn global business towards a sustainable future.

Thanks to the expertise and insight, the enthusiasm and encouragement, and the sheer determination of the Products of Change community and the industry behind it, the Industry Framework doesn’t just give us the tools to get that journey underway – whether you’re a licensor, licensee, licensing agency, retailer, or service provider - but it represents what we can achieve when we work together.

We’re living through the fourth industrial revolution right now, and we get to decide the outcome. Imagine the future of business we could all create together.

Helena MansellStopher Chief Executive Officer

Rob Willis Director

For general enquiries contact: helena@productsofchange.com

For press enquiries please contact the editor: rob@productsofchange.com

Ian Hyder Director

Jakki Brown Director

07 NEWS

The latest in sustainable development from across the consumer products sectors.

14 US MARKET FEATURE

POC dives into the US market to look at the sustainable development across its titans of licensing industry, retail, and sports and sports licensing.

22 RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Following an exclusive Kids Industries research presentation from Products of Change’s Ambassador for Children, Gary Pope we explore the relationship between the UN’s 17 SDGs and the concerns impacting the global family the most in 2023.

25 TRANSPARENCY ROUNDTABLE

Las Vegas Licensing Expo will play host to the launch of the Products of Change Transparency Workstream; we bring the industry’s key service providers together to discover what they’re bringing to the table.

26 THE BIG INTERVIEW

We sit down with Anna Knight, vp, licensing at Informa Markets to learn more about the company’s journey with sustainability and why it’s more than a few LED lights.

28 THE INDUSTRY FRAMEWORK

It’s finally here, the cross-industry collaborative resource to help businesses set a clear-cut path towards sustainable development. Find out how it’s going to be a ‘game-changer’.

31 MEMBER NEWS

The latest news and sustainable developments from across the Products of Change members community.

40 AMBASSADOR INSIGHT

Revisiting the agenda-setting conversations led by Products of Change’s Ambassadors Mike Swain and Jessica Lenhart at the POC x WFIM Sustainability Summit last month.

WASTEBUSTER WANTS ONE MILLION PLEDGES FOR WORLD WATER WEEK 2024

Wastebuster is on a mission to gain one million pledges from school children around the world to reduce plastic pollution as part of a new water-focused campaign, to educate the next generation on environmental issues.

The UK team’s major campaign, Water Week 2024, will be a five-day event, featuring special content from across the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

Running from 18 to 24 May 2024, the event will coincide with the World Water Forum in Bali, when world leaders will convene to discuss issues surrounding the health of the planet’s water.

Water Week will host STEM educational content for children featuring music, videos, special seminars, and screenings of films. Wastebuster will launch a campaign to fund over 180 in-country, representative NGOs from over 180 countries to translate Water Week educational resources and make them accessible to school children around the world. These school children will then be asked to sign a pledge to take action to reduce plastic pollution, helping to improve the health of the world’s water.

“Water Week is inviting the creative industries to become the storytellers and help engage over five million children and young people around the world in our school’s network and over 13 million to prevent water pollution together,” Katy Newnham, founder of Wastebuster told Products of Change.

Katy and the team, who attended meetings and events at United Nations headquarters in New York earlier this year to mark the first United Nations Water Week campaign in 30 years, are issuing a call-to-action to children’s content providers and creators to get involved with the campaign to promote the prevention of water pollution and care for the environment.

SUSTAIND FUN WANTS TO TALK WHALE POO AND CO2

The New Zealand-based B Corp and eco-friendly toy company, Sustaind Fun is opening the industry forum to the topic of carbon neutrality when it hosts what is set to be the second-ever World Sustainable Toy Day in November this year.

Over the course of the year, Sustaind Fun co-founders Helen Townsend and Anthea Madill - both former marine and ecology scientists – will release a series of educational blogs and tips to help the toy industry reduce its carbon footprint more effectively. This activity will culminate with the launch of World Sustainable Toy Day on Friday, 17 November.

“World Sustainable Toy Day celebrates sustainability wins in the toy industry and encourages companies to keep making further gains,” Helen told Products of Change. “Toys are the way children interact with that major driver of climate change: consumption. This makes toy companies responsible for producing toys ethically and sustainably but also gives us the opportunity to make a huge difference in how kids see the world.”

Sustaind Fun has just launched its latest range, Wild Fixes, a puzzle series that engages children in the nature-based solutions to climate change found in biodiversity. Its first title, ‘Whale Poo and CO2’ shows how whales and plankton interact to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and produce oxygen so we can breathe.

The range has, of course, been developed to minimise its environmental impact, opting for plastic-free and shrinkwrap-free packaging with pieces arriving in a paper bag. The box size has also been optimised to save resources and carbon and manufactured in a low carbon, low waste facility certified by the ICTI Ethical Toy Programme.

The team also donates to whale conservation.

KIDS INDUSTRIES JOINS THE SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY WITH NEW ‘GREEN TEAM’

Kids Industries has kickstarted its journey with sustainability through the formation of an internal ‘green team’ tasked with reducing the business’ carbon footprint.

The special project will be led by Amy Mcaulay, creative producer at KI who has already begun to measure and benchmark the team’s current scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

Amy will be looking into areas such as energy use within the office, recycling rates, waste, and ways in which company culture can be influenced “without people feeling they are being told off,” she said.

“Like everyone, we have a responsibility to do our bit – for

the environment and for our young audiences and families, the people we work for and create content for,” Amy told Products of Change.

With the help of her colleague, KI’s junior designer Marina Maurer the pair will work to transition the research and knowledge business from phase one of measuring into phases two (identifying where carbon reductions can be made) and three (implementing changes in the business).

“As a knowledge-based business, we know a lot about our audience and our clients, so it makes sense we increase our knowledge on the subject of sustainability. Because this doesn’t just affect the lives of the kids we create content for, but everyone, and that includes us,” said Amy.

H&M, TESCO, AND NESTLÉ TO LEAD SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS FOR NATURE PILOT

H&M, Tesco, Nestlé, and AB InBeV have joined a group of 17 global companies to set their first science-based targets for nature this year.

The initial group will pilot the launch of a brand new initiative launched by the Science Based Targets Network which aims to set to the global standard for ambitious and measurable corporate action on nature.

The launch marks a significant milestone towards helping companies take integrated action across freshwater, land, ocean, biodiversity, and climate. Research has found that nature absorbs approximately half the planet’s carbon emissions a year.

The initial group of 17 global companies to pilot the scheme this year will also include Bel, Carrefour, Kering, and L’OCCITANE. A full roll-out is expected in early 2024.

kind of a big deal

But Patagotitan isn’t the only thing making giant strides at the Museum...

• Winners of The Sustainability Brand Licensed Product or Range at the 2023 Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards for their collaboration with Dunelm

• Winners of Best Brand Licensed Gifting Product or Range for their sustainable stationery collection with Blueprint Collections

• 2nd Womenswear Collection launched in May 2023 with Joanie, who are renowned for their commitment to sustainable fabrics and practices

EU PARLIAMENT WANTS A CLAMPDOWN ON CARBON NEUTRAL CLAIMS

Companies operating in the European market could face a ban on labelling products ‘carbon neutral’ where those claims are backed only by offsetting activities.

The EU voted on laws last month to clamp down on such claims and enforce stricter antigreenwashing rules around businesses making carbon neutral statements on their products.

“This proposal aims to strengthen the fight against greenwashing by banning practices that mislead consumers on the actual sustainability of products,” said EU Justice Commissioner, Didier Reynolds. “By doing so, consumers can choose products that are generally better for the environment. This will encourage competition towards more environmentally sustainable products.”

A draft directive has already moved to ban the use of generic environmental claims such as ‘environmentally friendly’, ‘natural’, or ‘eco’ if not supported by evidence. Lawmakers propose to extend the ban to claims based on carbon offsetting schemes, such as ‘CO2 neutral’ or ‘carbon neutral’, which have been criticised for misleading consumers.

LEGO SCIENTISTS EXPLORE E-METHANOL AS REPLACEMENT TO FOSSIL-BASED PLASTIC

The LEGO Group has partnered with European Energy and Novo Nordisk to explore e-methanol as a lower-carbon alternative to conventional plastic production.

European Energy will use renewable energy and biogenic CO2 – commonly referred to as e-methanol – to produce a new plastic which will go on to replace some fossil-based plastic with the LEGO Group’s product portfolio in the future.

Biogenic CO2 is carbon dioxide released through the combustion or decomposition of organic material such as that absorbed, stored, and emitted by soil, trees, plants, and grasses.

Nelleke van der Puil, vice president of materials at the LEGO Group, said: “We are proud to join forces with European Energy and Novo Nordisk to accelerate research and progress in the development of lowercarbon plastics.

“The project will give us our third sustainable material we’ve developed alongside bio-PE and prototype bricks made from recycled PET. This agreement is an exciting step towards our ambition.”

The production will be powered by renewable energy from wind and solar plants as well as biogenic CO2. The first batch is expected to be delivered to the LEGO Group in 2024.

BARE CARDS PUSHES THE ENVELOPE FOR UK GREETING CARDS SECTOR

A UK greeting card start-up on a mission to educate customers on the industry’s single-use waste problem has rebranded under the name Bare Cards – Naked and Free.

Introduced in 2021, the team says the rebrand will better tell the story behind the greetings card sector’s tussle with the ‘untraceable waste’ generated by envelopes and cello wrap while highlighting the benefits of its envelope-free design.

Bare Cards can be delivered enclosed in their own incorporated envelope – a design innovation that founder Derren Seal said will ‘help stem the number of envelopes that go missing and are thrown away upon receipt.’

“We are ever increasing our knowledge about the damage excess waste is doing to our planet, and the multi-billion-pound greeting card industry is no different,” Derren told Products of Change.

“The amount of cello wrap used to keep cards with their envelopes is decreasing, but not fast enough.”

Bare Cards also acts to tackle the issue of costs publishers face to replenish envelopes that become lost or stolen.

“Retailers frequently express their frustration over envelopes being separated from their corresponding cards,” continued Derren. “Bare Cards tackles all these waste issues in the industry. We’re here to show people a more sustainable alternative.”

ITSYBITSYWOW BOLSTERS PLANS FOR METEOHEROES CLIMATE CURRICULUM IN US

The new online retail experience, itsybitsyWOW will be ‘one of many outlets’ through which the children’s TV producer Kenn Viselman will drive his ambition for a US-wide climate curriculum inspired by the animated series, MeteoHeroes.

Unveiled last month to a ‘cacophony’ of industry excitement, itsybitsyWOW aims to ‘transform the online retail experience’ with a mix of product, content, and educational opportunities that empower children ‘to make a difference.’

Part of this is an offering from the environmental-themed MeteoHeroes (of which Kenn is an executive producer) including live performances and guest speakers to engage children with the topic of climate change ‘to help alleviate the current levels of climate anxiety.’

“MeteoHeroes allows us to explore how young children and their families can help change the future for the better,” Kenn told Products of Change. “Everything we are focusing on gives our youth the tools they need to feel powerful.”

Last year, Kenn announced plans to front a Climate Change school curriculum, community outreach, and online education platform through the MeteoHeroes IP. With partners ready to go and 30,000 schools in America already committed, he is “more committed than at any point to finding funds for the project.”

“Everything and everyone in my life right now seems to play a role in this initiative,” he said. “Our ability to reach out to our audience is just the beginning. Our goal is to use itsybitsyWOW. com as just one of many outlets to share our age-graded curriculum about climate education with the world.”

GUEST COLUMNIST

M&S DRIVES NOBODY’S CHILD NEXT GROWTH SPURT

Julia Redman, founder of Buyer’s Eye and POC’s

Ambassador for Fashion explores the issue of sustainability in apparel.

Every time we create a new product, we are emitting carbon and using up natural resources.

As a fashion buyer my entire career, buying for some of the high street’s biggest brands, I’ve bought more than my fair share of clothing. I love creating products that other people will cherish and wear again and again or clothe their children in, and on more than one occasion licensing has helped me create iconic and much-loved fashion ranges – S Club Seven, JCB, Peter Rabbit, High School Musical, Natural History Museum, Barbie to name a few.

But here’s the thing. We are creating somewhere between 100 and 150 billion items of clothing every year. There are eight billion people on the planet. That equates to somewhere between 12 and 19 new items of clothing for every person on the planet, every year. But it isn’t every person on the planet, is it? It’s the 1.3 billion who live in the developed world that account for the majority of this fashion consumption. And still the trend for more clothing is perpetuated.

According to the British Fashion Council, there are enough clothes on the planet right now to clothe the next six generations.

Over 50% of all fabric produced is made from polyester, essentially plastic, derived from fossil fuel. More than all the other fibres we use added together. Why? Because it’s the cheapest fibre on the planet. It’s why it literally fuels the fast fashion industry. Even if your polyester is recycled, it’s still plastic, will still end up in landfill, and will still not biodegrade.

Furthermore, the microfibres released when polyester clothing is washed will still end up in the ocean. Scientists believe that every fish in the ocean is now contaminated with these micro plastics, which means they are now part of our food chain. We are literally eating our own waste plastic.

Most recycled polyester is made from rPET –basically melted down bottles. Such is the demand, we are melting down vast quantities of food grade plastic to make cheap clothes. The result? There is not enough food grade plastic to meet demand either, which leads to yet more plastic production to plug the gap.

So, what can we do? Buy less and consume less, for a start. We need to plan inventory better, and end buying for markdown. Build a supply chain that enables buying smaller quantities, closer to home.

Reduce our use of polyester and other fibres from fossil fuel and plastic. Innovation in textiles manufacturing is creating so many new options.

Work with your manufacturers to switch to renewable energy and create product that has a purpose. Fashion business as a force for good can support local communities, charities, and the workforce throughout the supply chain.

None of this will be easy, but the fashion industry has a responsibility to do better.

Marks & Spencer has injected further funding into Nobody’s Child, an eco-conscious fashion brand that successfully launched its first collaboration, Nobody’s Child x Happy Place by Fearne Cotton last year.

Founded in 2015, Nobody’s Child was the first guest brand to launch on M&S.com in 2020 and in 2021 M&S acquired a 27% stake in the brand. In the past two years, the brand’s revenue has more than quadrupled.

“Our partnership with M&S has gone from strength to strength, so I’m delighted we have received additional funding to fuel our next stage of growth,” said Jody Plows, ceo of Nobody’s Child. “This will enable us to broaden our product categories and build our customer base both in the UK and internationally.

“Nobody’s Child is an extremely ambitious brand and we continue to strive forward to offer responsible product that’s accessible and affordable for all women. We are incredibly excited for the future and are grateful to have M&S with us on this journey.”

90% of Nobody’s Child’s 2022 collection was made using responsible fabrics while the team struck up a collaboration with Re-Fashion to promote circularity and give clothes a second life. The team states that over 70% of its dresses are made from LENZING ECOVERO, which are fully biodegradable and do not contribute to marine litter and microplastic pollution.

SMILEY ORIGINALS SUPPORTS RISING FASHION TALENT WITH FUTURE CREATORS FUND

Smiley Originals Future Positive is investing in the future of sustainable fashion through the launch and selection of the first beneficiaries of its Smiley Future Creators Fund.

Nine young fashion designers – handpicked by the Smiley team for their engagement with the sustainable development of the industry – will receive a share of a £500,000 fund and mentorship support to develop their skills and concepts.

Among those selected are the London-based designers Ahluwalla, Chet-Lo and AGR, and Shutting Qiu. In partnership with Smiley, this young talent will be fostered in alignment with Smiley Originals Future Positive own commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal – Goal 12, responsible production and consumption.

Each designer selected for the bi-annual Future Creators Fund will receive a mentoring programme from Positive Luxury worth £10,000, while Smiley will work alongside a selection to mentor them on how to develop a 360-degree licensing collaboration with an IP.

“I am incredibly proud to support these young designers in their journey towards building a more sustainable future. This project has been designed to help kickstart, drive, and inspire sustainability both internally and externally and create excitement and momentum on this hugely important agenda,” Nicolas Loufrani, ceo and founder of Smiley Originals, told Products of Change.

“The Future Positive project is about responsible consumption. We are trying to get all our licensees to develop a growing share of their Smiley products made with sustainable materials and in more sustainable factories, and we are making tough choices in the process.

“The Creators Fund has shown the team – and our licensees – that we are determined to make this happen. This is not talking about where we want to be in five years’ time but investing in concrete projects now.”

While this year’s fund has focused on fashion, next year the Smiley Creators project will involve the lifestyle consumer products team to help advance change across food, beauty, home décor, stationery, and gifts.

IS THERE SUCH THING AS ‘SUSTAINABLE FASHION’?

IN THE USA (RE)BORN

THE LAND OF THE B

As of this moment, there are precisely 2,496 B Corp certified businesses operating out of the United States and Canada, a pool that includes some of the best-loved brands found at retail today, from Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to Patagonia.

Working across three pillars of change: Racial Equity, Climate Justice, and Stakeholder Economy, B Lab US & Canada has made it its mission to transform business as a force for good. And given that, according to 2021 data from the US Small Business Administration, it is believed there are some 32.5 million businesses in operation across North America right now, that’s a lot of force to be harnessed.

A recent survey from Protiviti found that while 98% of global business leaders cite ESG as a top factor in business success, only 25% of North American respondents think prioritising an ESG strategy will be an ‘extremely important’ focus by the year 2032.

The same report states that just 37% of North American executives believe their greenhouse gas emissions will decline by 2032 – that’s compared to the 81% across Europe. So, it would seem it’s a market that still needs some convincing.

Except, we know that the US market is on the move. The influence of its leading retailers over the environmental practices among its supplier networks

is now starting to be felt and Walmart’s Project Gigaton is already over halfway on its mission to reduce or avoid one billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from the global value chain by 2030. Meanwhile, brands are beginning to use their muscle to move efforts forward, too.

In its 2022 CSR report, Disney’s executive vice president of CSR, Jennifer Cohen reaffirms the company’s commitment to “operating respectfully and responsibly in all that we do, and having a meaningful, positive impact on all the communities and people we serve.”

And when names like Disney, or Paramount, Universal Music Group, or even the NFL begin to put such wheels in motion, it can only be a matter of time before we see some substantial shifts of perspective.

When Products of Change takes to the Licensing Expo

INSET: The Quicksilver x Pacifico collaboration is in the running for a Licensing Excellence award for its commitment to more sustainable production.

As titans of the North American CP industry begin to heave ESG efforts forwards while its wealth of SMEs drive the radical change we need, we ask – can the $290bn global licensing industry be reborn and re-designed at Licensing Expo?

Main Stage on Wednesday, 14 June, it will do so joined by leaders of sustainability from some of these very titans of the brand licensing industry. Jakob Max Hamann, sustainability lead at the LEGO Group; Sagan Harlin, senior manager of consumer products and strategy at the NFLPA; Matt Young, president, Bravado (Universal Music); and The Walt Disney

Company’s vice president of environmental sustainability, Yalmaz Siddiqui and senior manager of environmental sustainability, Christian Del Maestro will all convene for a very special session Scoping out the Future of Sustainability and what the next gamut of environmental legislation will mean for brand owners and licensed manufacturers over the next seven years.

BRAND POWER

Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals settled upon by the United Nations as the building blocks for a prosperous global population, The Walt Disney Company aligns and works to support 12. Previously, the SDG Action Manager has found the average among the 18,000 businesses that engage with the tool to be seven, putting Disney - through initiatives to support its People, Culture, and Content, as well as to address emissions, water use, reduce its waste, trace the impact of its materials, and promote conservation efforts –within the top 13% of companies worldwide that actively prioritise more than ten SDGs.

Among those is the corporation’s commitment to increase the use of recycled plastic content and design its packaging for reuse, recycling, or composting in accordance with its 2030 Material Goals for Disney-branded Products.

But it’s not just the titans of industry leading the better business movement within global licensing. The more radical change is taking place at the hands of the sector’s thriving community

of smaller businesses and brand licensing pioneers, the likes of which Licensing Expo visitors will find smack bang in the middle of the action this year, on the Products of Change show space.

LEGO, Magic Light Pictures and Wow! Stuff, Skechers, Carousel Calendars, Stor, Cooneen, Beanstalk, Golden Bear, and Danilo will all be showcasing the strides they are taking in product and packaging to deliver a new future of licensing.

Pacifico is a premium Mexican beer with a long surf heritage and a commitment to protecting our outdoor spaces which it carries out through its Pacifico Preserves initiative and partnerships with the likes of the Surfrider Foundation, the Conservation Alliance, and The National Parks Trust.

a Licensing Excellence award, the partnership – brokered by Joester Loria Group – has been cited as ‘the first of many more to come like it.’

“Our goal is to bring sustainability to our clients’ programmes in as many ways as possible,” says Debra Joester. “That includes packaging, fair trade, recycled materials, and better manufacturing processes.”

Elsewhere, among the changemakers to be shortlisted, is Goodyear Brakes and its official range of calipers. With this range, Goodyear is delivering an entirely pioneering model of product deconstruction and reuse to the sector.

“Goodyear Calipers are remanufactured in North America whereby used parts are completely disassembled, cleaned and refurbished with worn components replaced, and restored to their original function,” a Goodyear spokesperson explains.

In 2022, the brand launched a new collection of products in collaboration with Quicksilver that aimed to not only reflect the Pacifico commitment to the environment but uphold pledges made by Quicksilver’s parent company, Boardriders, and the Boardriders Foundation. Now shortlisted for

“Through the process, FDP utilises used calipers as raw materials to manufacture Goodyear Calipers, using 85% less raw material in the process than in the manufacturing of new parts. It also uses just 15% of the energy needed to manufacture new products.”

So, as Licensing Expo comes around again, so does the spotlight on how things can move forward and new processes can be adopted. Five years ago, would you have expected licensed car parts to be in the running for a Licensing Excellence award? Imagine where our propensity for innovation could take us in the next five years – we could even be a business of B Corps.

LEFT: The Walt Disney Company’s Tree of Life a is symbol of the company’s allegiance to the natural world.

LEFT: Shortlisted for a Licensing Excellence award, the Quicksilver x Pacifico collection extends into a more sustainablyproduced cooler.

ABOVE: The Walt Disney Company’s Avatar partnered with The Nature Conservancy to launch its Keep Our Oceans Amazing campaign.

ON AISLE THREE GREEN UP

It was just under three years ago now that Target took up its role as a founding partner of the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, a campaign that set into motion a new era for retail across the US landscape and a milestone in its journey of sustainable development. We don’t just mean the (admittedly, very cool) development of carrier bags made from seaweed or pioneering new concepts in reuse that the project gave light to, but a far more significant movement that was taking place behind the scenes. The Consortium had, for the first time, brought together the world’s biggest retail giants – Walmart, Walgreens, Kroger, and CVS Health

included – to work under the common goal of accelerating the transition to a more circular business model.

By this point, Target – a goliath of retail with close to 2,000 stores across the US and a total revenue of $109 billion as of 2022 – was well-andtruly on its pathway to reducing its footprint on the planet, but so too was everyone else.

Just as we have seen leading retailers unite to join the Refill Coalition here in the UK to pioneer a solution to end-to-end refill packaging for shoppers, so too do the leading retail brands of the North American market – if not the worldrecognise that real results can only be achieved through partnerships.

And while the focus of the Consortium may be on plastic bags – and let’s not for a moment underestimate the mountain that needs summiting here, with an estimated 100 billion plastic bags used annually in the US alone and only 10% of those being recycled – the sentiment reaches far beyond it.

In the same year it joined the Consortium, Target launched its

The biggest retailers in North America – if not, the world – are becoming increasingly aware of the necessity for cross-stakeholder and supply chain engagement to ring sustainability through the tills. Products of Change looks into two titans at work

BELOW: Last year, Target announced its first net zero energy store boasting 1,620 rooftop solar panels and 1,800 carport solar panels.

BELOW RIGHT: The Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag has given light to numerous in-store innovations to end plastic bag waste.

revamped ESG strategy, Target Forward, an overarching game-plan to help the retailer reduce its environmental impact that crucially called on engagement and buy-in from across the stakeholder ecosystem.

“One year after the launch of Target Forward, I’m proud that dozens of initiatives are already underway to drive progress toward our goals, fuelled by our team and, critically, participation from our vendors, suppliers, and community partners,” says Amanda Nusz, senior vice president, Target corporate responsibility and president of the Target Foundation.

A bulk of that participation can be seen on shelf, through the 2022 launch of Target Zero – a specially curated collection of new and existing products within the Target portfolio designed to reduce waste and make it easier for consumers to shop sustainably.

Here you’ll find partners like Burt’s Bees, PLUS, and Pacifica as well as a host of hundreds of brands and products in stores across the US that have gone the distance in the pursuit of zero waste.

“It’s incredibly complex to get to zero waste,” says Erica Shea, Target senior buyer and sustainability lead for beauty. “Our goal with Target Zero is to not only make it easier for guests to find reduced-waste products that fit into their lifestyles, but also to co-create alongside our national brand partners and owned brands suppliers so we can unlock solutions to some of the historical hurdles for sustainability in the beauty, personal care, and household essentials spaces and beyond.”

You need not look too far to find such sentiments echoed by market ‘rival’ Walmart which, at the Licensing International Webinar: Sustainability Spotlight earlier this year sent in the big guns in the shape of Marco Reyes, senior director of sustainability to share with attendees the retailer’s work and strategy to become a regenerative company by 2040.

This itself is an over-arching mission statement that, during the presentation, Marco broke down into the four core pillars across which Walmart is operating towards that goal.

Walmart’s Nature strategy includes goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect and replenish biodiversity, and protect, restore, and sustainably manage nature. Under Waste you’ll find ambitions to achieve zero waste in its operations by 2025 across Canada, Japan, the UK, and the US; while under People, Walmart outlines its commitment to provide products that are both sustainable and safe for their customers.

But it’s under Climate we’ll find an ambition perhaps most motivating of all. Project Gigaton is Walmart’s mission to reduce or avoid one billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gases from its global value chain by 2030 and, with over 4,500 suppliers already formally signed on since its launch in 2017, it is one of the largest private sector consortiums for climate action in the world.

This is Walmart’s call to action to its community of stakeholders, but one that – as Marco told attendees of the Sustainability Spotlight in April – is fast shaping the kind of partners the retailer is looking towards.

It is the strive towards and alignment with the Walmart ESG strategy that will ultimately leverage the greatest shelf space it commands.

But make no mistake, Walmart wants the industry to move with it and is ready to provide suppliers the tools and information they need to join it on its journey of sustainable development – whether it’s the Sustainable Packaging Guideline, the Walmart Recycling Playbook, or the Sustainability Insights & Measurement Platform, Walmart has made it all readily available to partners at its Sustainability Hub.

And it would appear the tactic working. In spring last year, president and chief executive officer, Doug McMillon announced the team had hit the halfway milestone with Project Gigaton. Now, with less than seven years until 2030, and in light of the recent alarm bells sounded by the World Meteorological Organisation this month indicating the inevitability we will exceed the 1.5ºC threshold in one of the next five years, you can bet Walmart won’t be the only one to ratchet up the urgency and immediacy of its activities.

Because this is, as Target’s senior buyer and sustainability lead for beauty, Erica, reminds us, “just the beginning.”

“We all have a role to play when it comes to making more sustainable choices, and at Target, we’re committed to not only making improvements within our business but pushing the industry as a whole to do better by our planet,” she says.

Left: The North American circular accelerator, Closed Loop Partners has since launched its Beyond the Bag initiative to drive reuse models through various stakeholder partners.

BELOW: Target Forward is the US retailer’s overarching game-plan to reduce its environmental impact.

At the launch of its Sports for Nature handbook last year, the United Nations Environment Programme reminded us that sport is ‘both deeply dependent on and connected to nature – that without a healthy planet, there is no playing field for sport.’

We’ve already seen this ring true when – at the start of this year - Switzerland admitted it would be hosting the Alpine Skiing World Cup on 100% artificial snow thanks to the warmer temperatures over winter.

Meanwhile, the catastrophic floods that hit Italy last month led to the cancellation of the Formula One Romagna Grand Prix, highlighting the direct impact severe weather from climate change will go on to have upon industry and society across the European continent.

Sport has an incredibly strong motivation to act. It also has a platform unlike anything else. Take football (soccer to our US readers) for instance. Estimated to be played by 265 million participants in 5,735 football stadiums worldwide, football reaches a global fanbase thought to be around five billion.

Which is why you’ll find Premier League teams like Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool

GAME NATURE OF

FAR LEFT: Green Street? Under the Boardrider portfolio, the DC Shoes brand has made bold commitments to sustainability.

A CULTURAL MOVEMENT

FC, and Manchester City jostling each year for the top spot of the Green League and why sports stars like distance swimmer Lewis Pugh or the NBA’s Ricky Rubio, routinely pop up as environmental ambassadors, using their status to engage fans in more sustainable lifestyles.

Among this elite is the former Atlanta Falcons fullback, Ovie Mughelli who, since retiring from the NFL in 2012, has leveraged his platform as an environmental spokesperson to super-charge climate education across North America.

Through his Foundation, Ovie works to engage sports fans in STEM and climate education delivered through sports programmes or curriculums built to bridge the knowledgeaction gap among young people. Other projects include the development of his own comic book, Gridiron Green – a collaborative effort launched with Comics Uniting Nations and UNICEF to support the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals - while, with the support of his wife and business development officer, Masika, the two now push forward a partnership with the NFL Players Association to change NFL culture for good.

Tailgating, for the benefit of UK readers, has become part and parcel of the NFL game day experience – a ritual that sees fans gather for a pre-game ‘festival’ of sorts to eat, drink, party, and, more-often-than-not, get their hands on some merchandise.

“It’s such a huge part of the game culture,” Masika tells Products of Change. “But it traditionally brings with it a lot of waste. At collegiate level, one event can equal a week’s worth of trash of an entire city.”

Ovie and Masika’s Green Tailgating initiative, therefore, has a big task on its hands – but a crucially important one - as it

LEFT: Wearing sustainability on your sleeves. The global licensed sports merch supplier, Fanatics, has refocused its ESG strategy.

Left: Net zero to hero. Gridiron Green is the comic book creation of ex-NFL player, Ovie Mughelli.

There’s a lot to say about the alliance between sports and nature, isn’t there? Products of Change looks into the role sports and sports licensing has in influencing fans’ ‘green’ behaviour.

sets out to educate and empower both businesses and individuals to ‘tailgate’ more responsibly.

“The last Green Tailgate we did was at the Superbowl in Miami,” continues Masika. “It’s our mission to engage people with the enjoyment of being environmentally aware, encouraging people to compost their food waste, to look for better alternatives to bringing their big charcoal grills or throwaway cutlery with them, recycle their trash, and become more mindful of their impact.”

In a similar vein, the Premier League’s Liverpool FC recently reported a 90% recycling rate of food and beverage containers among its fans at home games. The spike has been driven, in part, by an ESG strategy the club has dubbed ‘The Red Way’, a commitment to reduce its scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by targeting both operational practices and fan engagement. It proves that with the right approach, fan behaviour can be positively influenced.

NORMALISING ‘GREEN’ BEHAVIOUR

So, with sport today becoming a conduit for normalising ‘green’ behaviour where does it leave the consumer products industry that surrounds it? What opportunity does our sector have to lead the conversation around sustainability?

For answers, let’s look at a lifestyle sport notorious for operating in political, social, and environmental ambiguity. Let’s look at skateboarding: a concrete-hungry community of counter-culturalists that – as a recent study led by Dr Paul O’Connor, a veteran

Similar scenes have been witnessed within surf culture where the sport has been chastised recently for its dependency on neoprene and other fossil-fuel derived materials that acts in direct opposition to the sport’s longstanding allegiance to the natural environment.

Plenty is now being done to reverse such actions including new commitments from Boardriders (home, too, of Quicksilver, Billabong and other surf brands) to see ‘100% of products created for the water made with certified recycled, organic, or other responsibly sourced materials’ by the end of 2023.

PRODUCT POWER

skateboarder and lecturer at the University of Exeter exploring ‘Skateboarding in the Anthropocene’ concluded – is representative of both pollution and sustainability.

Upon the launch of its first ESG report in 2020/21, Boardriders sent out the very clear mission statement to lead sustainability in the board sports lifestyle space. Within its skate brands alone, already 80% of Element’s t-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton while processes involving algae extracts have been working to reverse the impact of water pollution and maintain healthy ecosystems within the production of its latest DC Shoes.

So, while skaters may still face a wider issue regarding where they are able to skate (with many cities employing anti-skate measures, pushing communities into polluted ‘brownfield’ areas dependent on the supply of vast amounts of concrete), Boardriders is bringing sustainability directly into how they do it.

It’s fair to say that sports licensing is on a journey with sustainable development. But it’s one being propelled by the sport industry’s urgency to act fast. Serving more than 100 million fans and 900 leading sports entities around the world, few have better understanding of this responsibility than the global sports licensing firm, Fanatics.

It’s why, for the first time, the business has expanded its ESG focus to the entirety of the Fanatics Holdings portfolio to conduct its first Greenhouse Gas emissions inventory – covering scopes 1 and 2 and expanding into scope 3 over time.

“This comprehensive inventory will enable science-based target setting and data-driven mitigation of our climate impacts,” says Michael Rubin, founder and ceo of Fanatics. “We will also continue to work toward our goal of making our existing US facilities zero waste to landfill by 2030.

“We are just getting started. Achieving our ESG goals is a marathon, not a sprint, and we remain committed to doing better for our community and the planet every single year, over the long-term.”

LEFT: Hats off to them! Fanatics now services over 100 million fans around the world while working with more than 900 leading sports entities.

BELOWLEFT: DC Shoes’ Military Repurpose collection uses surplus materials from military wear.

BELOW: Atlanta Falcons fullback, Ovie Mughelli retired from the NFL in 2012 but uses his leverage to engage sports fans with sustainability.

LEFT: The Fanatics team are a global leader in licensed sports merch and memorabilia.

PARENTAL GOALS

Research charting the priority of challenges and concerns being faced by parents and families across the world has highlighted the importance of the continued pursuit of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as established by the United Nations and presented as the blueprint to successfully achieving a healthy and positive future.

In his latest piece of industryleading insight, Gary Pope –co-founder of Kids Industries – shared results that found environmental concerns to have slipped down the list of priorities for families around the world who now place fears over income and cost-of-living; safety, security and crime; and disparity in education and equality ahead of the topic of climate change and pollution.

Presenting findings taken from the insight experts’ latest Global Family Study – a study

around the world – to an audience of Products of Change members last month, Gary argued the need for better engagement from the toy and brand licensing industry with young people and families when it comes to the subject of sustainable development.

Among the issues topping the chart of challenges being faced by families around the world right now, ‘teaching good morals’ emerged as number one. At number two is the effects of ‘bullying and peer pressure’, while number three is ensuring that their children receive ‘good quality education’. ‘Financial pressures’ place at number seven on the chart, ‘Access to quality healthcare’ land at ten, while concerns around ‘the environment’ finds itself at a mid-table level at number 11.

The reality of the situation when it comes to the engagement that 4 to 14-year-

olds from across countries including the UK, the US, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and China show in the subject of climate change was broken down further when it was revealed that 58% of children in the UK do not know what sustainability means. Comparatively, 47% of US children say they are confused by the messaging surrounding the topic, from environmentalism and sustainability to the concept of greenwashing.

Most problematic of all, however, is the study’s headline statistic that in 2023, 74% of children from around the world feel positive about the future. It begs major questions over the concerns and childhood being experienced by the remaining 26%.

“The fact that children have to think about this stuff, the fact that these pressures exist in childhood around the world makes me physically sad,” Gary told presentation attendees. Citing his role as Ambassador for Children at Products of Change, the former teacher turned global research expert has challenged the industry ‘to harness its power better’ and help ‘activate and engage children.’

“The actuality of this is, children – Generation Alpha – are not the environmental activists that many seem to paint them as,” says Gary.

“They do not understand the topic either because they are too young - the four to seven age range can’t really understand this topic itself - or because they are not empowered to do so.

“The truth is kids will carry on doing what children dowhich is just to be kids. Which is great, which is fantastic, which is lovely. But these children also need to be activated and empowered in some way.

“I don’t subscribe, for a second, that Gen Alpha are the Activist Generation. They

RIGHT: Gary Pope, co-founder of Kids Industries and POC’s Ambassador for Children.

BELOW: The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

The latest agenda-setting research from Gary Pope and Kids Industries may have seen ‘climate action’ slip down the global family’s list of priorities, but ‘Sustainable Development’ certainly runs right through each of their core challenges right now, like a stick of rock.

might have the potential to be, but unless we and others help them, they won’t be.”

The insight noted that by the age at which young people are in fact empowered enough to act upon the issue – at 14 years and upwards – is the time that their priorities are lost to the phenomena of ‘teenager-dom’, in which social standing and peer perception takes precedent over all else.

But this only looks at the issue through a relatively myopic lens. While ‘the environment’ and ‘climate change’ may place only midway down that list of priorities for families in 2023, it’s important to observe the major parallels that can be drawn with the blueprint of global sustainable development.

Headlines around the world perpetuate the importance of fighting climate change through the lens of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon reduction. However, sustainable development is an interdependent system that requires building blocks, issues such as gender equality, quality education, peace and justice, sustainable health and wellbeing, zero poverty, and decent work and economic growth, each be elevated in tandem.

At Brand Licensing Europe last year, Caroline Petit, the deputy director of the United Nations Regional Information Centre highlighted the role that the brand licensing and consumer products industries will have to play if we are to

achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

“There are many ways in which the licensing industry can engage with the United Nations and a number have already joined the UN Global Compact, the SDG Media Compact, or the SDG Publishing Compact,” she told attendees.

“We’ve already seen brands like the Smurfs or LEGO and others commit to things such as removing harmful stereotypes on gender in their programmes, books, or television shows. But more is needed to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the brand licensing and consumer products industry is critical in accelerating that movement.”

So, what’s to be done? Just because 68% of children in the US find it difficult to explore how to be more environmentally friendly independently, doesn’t mean there isn’t the desire to be. In fact, Gen Alpha audiences within North America place climate action in fourth on their list of immediate concerns, behind the big three: crime and violence, financial problems, and quality education. However, engagement and empowerment, leading to Knowledge and Learning needs to come from us. Does the solution to this lie in meeting them at a level of actual impact – addressing the lived experiences and challenges they face everyday? And in doing so, how can we better incorporate those 17 building blocks presented by the UN as the cornerstone of prosperous existence, for people and the planet together?

LEFT: KI’s research ranked the global concerns felt by parents around the world in 2023.

LEFT: Gary’s presentation included comments from children and their thoughts on sustainability.

LEFT: A graph showcasing the extent to which influencers act as role models for children.

BELOW: The leaders of tomorrow rally around the 17 SDGs.

TABLE ALL ON THE

Jonathan Baker is the chief commercial officer at Fabacus, and will be joining the Transparency roundtable at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas this month.

“ If you’ve been following the myriad white papers, directives, regulations, and standards from legislative and regulatory bodies since 2019, you’ll be aware of the emerging requirements for some companies to report their scope 3 carbon emissions and for manufacturers to ensure an extended set of product data be captured digitally in what has become known in Europe as a Digital Product Passport.

While the exact nature of the new product level data will differ by product category, there will be a common set of product data required across all categories. This standard and extended product level information is likely to include material composition, supply chain and sourcing data, environmental footprint data, and recyclability information.

The emphasis for the provision of the Digital Product Passport will fall to the ultimate manufacturer of those products – the licensee. In turn,

Rhys Fleming is the sales and marketing director at Dependable Solutions. Rhys, what does DS do for sustainability in licensing and what are you bringing to the transparency in licensing roundtable?

“ Firstly, thanks Products of Change for organising the roundtable and inviting us to be a part of it. It’s a privilege to engage with licensing professionals looking to improve their sustainability.

We believe a rising tide lifts all boats. And as a software services provider, we’ve been helping brand owners, licensing agencies, and licensees operate more efficiently and effectively for almost 20 years.

Approvals, royalty reporting, asset sharing, systems integrations

To mark Licensing Expo’s official Day of Purpose this year, Products of Change will be hosting a special roundtable, bringing the industry’s service providers together for the first time to discuss the first and next steps towards industry transparency. Let’s get to know the key players…

licensors that fulfil certain criteria will have to declare their scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions. Clearly, there is change coming for all parties involved that will involve licensors, licensees, manufacturers, and retailers. Future proofing businesses of all types through digitally identifying and enabling products is becoming a mandated requirement, with data and technology being the key enabler. Fabacus helps clients on this journey and specialises in building digital product catalogues linking the licensor and licensee at product level. Fabacus is also pioneering a global product identification standard for the licensing industry, establishing a digital link for each product between your brand, supply chain, and consumers. ”

– we’ve been able to turn all the amazing licensing data our clients are holding into information and actionable insights they can use to grow and plot a course for the future. The flexibility of our system has allowed us to support our clients in their efforts to do things like add more complex workflows, collect and report on sustainability related metrics, and keep records of manufacturer’s sustainability credentials. We’ve found that measuring the progress made against sustainability targets is a great motivator and way to focus efforts. As they say, what gets measured, gets done. The conversation around sustainability is evolving and that’s extremely exciting. It’s a fantastic opportunity to grow and discover new things. There’s so much more to be done, and we can’t wait to explore this further with everyone at Licensing Expo. ”

Timo Olkkola is the co-founder of Flowhaven and a founder member of the Products of Change Transparency Workstream. Timo, tell us about the evolving relationship service providers have with the industry’s sustainable journey.

“ Brands now aim to be more sustainable and transparent in their licensing business and helping licensors and agencies capture and understand their data is at the core of what service providers do in licensing. Especially important are the relationships between brand owners and manufacturers.

Unfortunately, data doesn’t often move well between these parties and the geographical distance between them doesn’t help. Having agreed KPIs and reports in place is vital for both parties to work together to create the most sustainable licensed products for fans. It also helps licensing teams determine whether KPIs are being reached. Having clean and well-structured data is the key to creating and managing sustainable licensing partnerships. Increasingly, brand owners are shifting focus from pure royalty recoupment calculations to ‘value licensing’, where royalties’ monetary value and marketing effect are combined to create the full value of the licensing deal.

Agreeing on rule sets with your partners regarding materials, certifications, values, and expected results will be key and POC has a great agreement format for this to share with members.

Achieving transparency in the licensing programme is a challenge. The important metrics are often hidden between the lines rather than in the actual agreements. But this can be fixed by having a robust analytical tool in use. It’s one of the reasons we released Flowhaven’s licensing analytics recently. It aims to answer the relevant questions in record time. A demo of the licensing analytics can be seen at Flowhaven’s booth at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo. ”

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION INSPIRING AN

Was it the showstopping Products of Change stand at Brand Licensing Europe 2021 that first made you aware of Informa Markets’ journey of sustainable development? Or the team’s own sweeping graphic, detailing the group’s evolution of sustainability as it presented a whole new post-pandemic direction of the industry event?

Or could it have been the introduction of the Day of Purpose and the super-special keynote speech from none other than the United Nations itself at the 2022 show?

Whatever it was – and take your pick, there’s been plenty of activity surrounding it – it is undeniable that Informa Markets, the expert team behind Brand Licensing Europe in London and Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, has set upon a new commitment with potential to shape the future of the licensing industry itself.

It’s why, at this year’s Licensing Expo, you’ll find the team doubling down on its Day of

Purpose and you’ve likely already read about the launch of License to Move, its brand-new global wellbeing initiative developed to inspire the entire licensing industry. But, lumped in with a few more LED lightbulbs and a commitment to reduce waste at its trade shows, this only begins to scratch the surface of the sustainability strategy at Informa.

“It’s fair to say that our journey started off really focusing on the environmental side of our events and was very operational led,” Anna Knight, svp licensing, Informa Markets tells Products of Change. “It was about reducing waste, reducing printed materials, working with a sustainable venue… but it didn’t really go beyond that.”

Until one day, it all clicked into place. Now led by Anna alongside Ella Haynes, event director at Global Licensing

Group, the company is on a mission to see sustainable development embedded into the culture of the brand and the team around it.

“The teams are now genuinely excited and motivated by our strategy, especially after seeing the Products of Change Sustainability Pavilion come to life in 2021,” explains Anna. “Having the United Nations speak at BLE last year was a huge moment for us and has had a ripple effect among our colleagues and their collective caring. It’s a huge employee motivator and brilliant that people are noticing what we are doing in this space.

“The biggest challenge, though, has been getting people to understand the depth of our commitment, that this is ESG, not just environmental, and encouraging them to think about it as part of their job and not just an addition.”

Fortunately, these efforts come with some substantial backing from the very top of the Informa tower. FasterForward is the company’s overarching sustainability strategy, a

Positioned at the centre of the $290bn global brand licensing industry is a rather influential place to be. We chat with Anna Knight, svp of licensing at Informa Markets about the responsibility and role her team has in shaping its sustainable future.

ABOVE: Students from the international sustainable fashion educational programme, Junk Kouture showcase at BLE 2022.

RIGHT: Anna Knight, svp of licensing at Informa Markets.

philosophy that envelopes the entirety of the business’ activations. It’s one, Anna suggests, that emphasises just “how incredibly seriously” the company takes its commitment.

It begins with three main pillars: Faster to Zero, Sustainability Inside, and Impact Multipliers. The first, rather self-explanatorily is focused on reaching the team’s Net Zero carbon goal “as efficiently as is humanly possible”, while Sustainability Inside moves that spotlight onto embedding the strategy and philosophy into its brands – whether they are live events, digital platforms, or published works. It’s about finding a way to best promote the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals in an authentic and brand-led way.

“These have been our pillars for a while and we’ve already been doing a huge amount of this at the shows, especially now we have dedicated the third day of BLE and Licensing Expo to being our official Day of Purpose,” says Anna. “And we are going to start talking a lot more about this.”

Then there’s the third pillar, Impact Multipliers, which is a particularly interesting one as it’s an initiative that has the potential to not only shape what the licensing industry of tomorrow could look like, but for whom.

“It relates to how we make a positive impact and involve communities that can’t easily access the products and knowledge that we put out into the market,” Anna explains. “What can we do for the communities around our events? How do we make sure those who are disconnected can be connected?

“If we are creating specialist content, for example, how do we invite students from disadvantaged areas to access it? It might be that we offer

discounted rates or give some things away free of charge.”

This is a particular sticking point that Anna and the team are hoping to manifest by working with Diversity Org for the next Brand Licensing Europe show in London, a team whose mission is to teach under-represented and minority students how to obtain high income and corporate careers through Informa’s Fortune 500 partners.

“We want to be the first UK show to work with these guys and bring students from disadvantaged backgrounds to BLE for free mentoring,” says Anna.

“Our big ambition is to bring in more students and young adults. We want to spotlight that because while this generation is having to adapt to this new way of thinking and working, the next generation are expecting it.

Generation Alpha will walk the walk with their wallets and it’s important that this industry is aware of that.”

This will all, no doubt, feed very nicely into yet another

programme instigated by Informa to drive development across its brands called The Fundamentals. Far from being the Marvel movie it sounds like, this is actually an event-specific list of objectives each show in the portfolio is expected to meet. In 2022, Licensing Expo and BLE were two of 37 Informa shows that hit all 12 objectives, including wellbeing initiatives, reducing waste, and giving back to the local community. This year, Informa will be growing that list to 16. It’s a great example of the philosophy that presides over all areas of the Informa business: constant evolution and improvement on what went before.

ABOVE: Black Lives Matter held a showstopping catwalk to spotlight the talents of Black Fashion Designers.

LEFT: The United Nation’s Regional Information Centre’s Caroline Petit delivered a keynote speech on BLE’s Day of Purpose last year.

BELOW: A graphic illustrating BLE’s journey of sustainable development was showcased proudly at the 2021 event.

FOR THE FUTURE A FRAMEWORK

Here at Products of Change, we will very proudly tell you – and anyone who happens to be walking by – that we have a plan: To transition the brand and licensing industry to a more sustainable future. The response we get is usually the same. How did you get in here? And how are you going to make a $290bn global industry more sustainable?

It’s our answer to that ultimate question that makes us proudest of all. Because this isn’t the endeavour of one team of two or three dreamers. This is the collective heave into action of an entire industry working together. You. Yes, every single one of you.

The Natural History Museum, the LEGO Group, BBC Worldwide, Hasbro, and Paramount have all collectively offered up insight, input, and expertise in the development of this crossindustry Framework, alongside Art + Science, Golden Bear, George @ Asda, and the team of advisors working alongside Products of Change each an expert in disciplines including packaging and material innovation, circularity, carbon calculating, and net zero.

Yes, this has been poured over by industry peers and experts, those who know each of the moving parts of this wonderfully fast-paced and endlessly creative $290bn global brand and licensing industry and those that understand just how critical it is to provide the right kind of tools to progress us all towards transformative business practices.

“Within the brand and consumer product industry, we see our peers actively implementing and

“The purpose of this framework is to support industry partners across a broad spectrum of touchpoints. It can be overwhelming to not only identify what stage you’re at within the journey, but also embark on it.

“This framework is clear in its approach and offers up realistic recommendations, timescales, and measures of growth.”

Maxine Lister, head of licensing, The Natural History Museum

“This framework will be a great resource for any company, no matter where they are on their sustainability journey. The creation of useful resources such as this will also help POC continue its great work of educating and driving sustainable change.”

Claire

Bates,

marketing manager, Danilo

influencing positive change, but we are all at different points in that journey. By pooling our knowledge and experience, we’ve been able to create a foundation that allows people to align the framework with their own business practices in a clear, and transparent manner – whether they’re at the very start of the journey or wanting to make greater strides in sustainable manufacturing with considerable impact,” Maxine Lister, head of licensing at The Natural History Museum, a key collaborator on the project, explains.

“It’s also allowed us to reflect on our own practices, and review how we can make changes in our own contractual agreements, so we prioritise the discussion around sustainability early in the conversation.”

The Framework

The Industry Framework – expertly produced by the design wizards at PowerStation Studios - is split into Parts One, Two and Three; offering businesses and their green teams a step-bystep guide into first implementing the basic groundwork and initial processes to prepare themselves for a period of transition.

Two years in the making, Products of Change can finally unveil a new major milestone for the global brand and licensing industry’s journey of sustainable development – a cross-industry collaborative project and free resource, the Industry Framework.

“The Industry Framework, created by the wonderful Products of Change group, is a complete gamechanger for the industry.”

Jade Snart, senior sustainability manager, George Clothing

This includes the foundation and creation of a green team, a period in which to review your current ways of working, and the process of adopting a timeline for transition.

Part Two of the Framework delves into the meatier topic of the goals and ambitions to hit across critical areas of the business within that timeframe, from Waste Reduction, Packaging Design, and Product Design; to Material Selection, Supply Chain and Purchasing, and Facility Management. Part Three offers the legal language to implement it all.

The resource has been constructed in a way that it can be adopted by all sectors of the global brand and licensing industry, from brand owners and licensees to the retailer.

“The Industry Framework, created by the wonderful Products of Change group, is a complete game-changer for the industry,” says Jade Snart, senior sustainability manager at George Clothing. “It provides a one-stop guide on how to make more sustainable choices from end-to-end within the supply chain and beyond.

“The guide has been broken down into bitesize chunks and split into short, mid, and long-term opportunities which really gives clear, tangible options for both small and larger organisations to play their part in making a more sustainable future for our planet.”

The Industry Framework is a free resource now available to the entire brand and licensing industry via the Products of Change platform where the community and membership continues to grow stronger as businesses continue to align with sustainable development.

Through the Products of Change platform, members can access a library of educational content and regular networking and learning sessions, as well as the opportunity to be a part of the conversations and actions that are driving the global industry forwards towards a sustainable future.

”This partner framework defines a great starting point for our collective sustainability journey in the licensing industry and brings together everything we should consider to get moving,” said Jakob Max Hamann, licensing sustainability governance lead, The LEGO Group.

“It has been important to work across the licensing industry to create this framework, we are seeing many other industries coming together to create change for the planet and we feel industry collaborations are the only way this can be done.”

“We are honoured to collaborate with Products of Change to help licensing make a more positive impact on our planet. New frameworks will be a substantial resource to aid business to take actionable, measurable steps towards Net Zero, with the goal for real change in our market.”

Ella Haynes, event director, Global Licensing Group

“This tool will support licensing professionals as they develop and apply best practices with a focus on sustainability. Connecting the global brand licensing community with resources like this framework is part of LI’s mission to support our members’ efforts to limit the licensing industry’s environmental impact.”

Maura Regan, president, Licensing International

“I am thrilled to have been involved with building the POC Industry Framework over the past couple of years. There has been considerable learning over this time, while our group of licensing professionals have looked at incorporating all aspects of licensing to make a progressive pathway to a more sustainable and considered product development, from source to shopfloor.”

Sue Stanley, licensing new business development, Bioworld International

SHARED EARTH ON £70,000 FOR 70 YEARS FUNDRAISER MISSION

The founder of Shared Earth, Jeremy Piercy is celebrating his 70th birthday with a mission to secure £70,000 in money raised to fuel life-changing projects in Western Africa and Indonesia.

Raising £10,000 for each decade, Jeremy intends to ‘give back the best way he can,’ by bringing his retail, supply chain, and stakeholder network together to help fund vital projects in the chosen regions of Mali and Bali.

Projects to benefit from the initiative include a tree-planting operation in Mali, the construction of river barriers to stop plastic flowing into the oceans in Bali, a project to develop the skills of disadvantaged artisans around the world, and a plan to build a Bali showroom to host the wares of struggling local producers.

Pledges between £10 and £1,000 per month will go directly to work being led by local charities including Sjahlendra Handicrafts which provides security for artisans and their families struggling without regular orders.

This plan includes the construction of a showroom in Ubud, Bali to attract commercial buyers of eco-friendly and Fair Trade products.

“It’s a law of the universe that you get back what you give to others, whether it’s money, time, care, or prayer,” said Jeremy. ‘So, I am asking people to give generously and help transform the lives of those in areas where life isn’t quite as comfortable as here.”

Every donor of £10 per month or more will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a fully paid trip to Bali where they can visit producers, observe the work of local charities, and of course take in a bit of Bali itself. Contact fairsustainable70@ sharedearth.co.uk for more information.

ADDO PLAY ON MISSION FOR SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS TRANSITION

The UK based international toymaker, Addo Play has detailed a ‘substantial’ shift of focus on sustainability across its business and product portfolio.

The Amersham-headquartered team has already targeted reduced packaging waste and the use of more sustainable materials in its range of Addo Nick Jr. Ready Steady Dough, Busy Me, and Craft brands, while a new materials database will help advance continued improvements across its portfolio.

“Designing for a circular economy is one of our key objectives,” said Mary Price, co-founder and ceo of Addo Play. “Alongside selecting recycled or sustainable raw materials for our products, we are building recyclability and repair into our design principles.”

Several workstreams within the business now support Addo Play’s strategy to place sustainability as a key business objective that not only encompasses its product output but the company culture and its engagement with stakeholders up and down the supply chain. This includes retailer engagement in the UK and around the world.

Within the business, Addo Play has also implemented various energy saving and recycling schemes. while targeting company culture through new initiatives.

KEEPING MEMBERS UP TO DATE WITH THE

GEMAR SETS AMBITIOUS NEW 2028 CLIMATE GOALS

The balloon and party specialist, Gemar has committed to being 100% landfill free by 2028 with a fully-fledged balloon recycling scheme up and running within the next year.

As part of the Italian balloon specialist’s journey with sustainable development and in a move to highlight its leadership in the sustainable balloon sector, the team has outlined a set of ambitious climate goals.

ABOVE: Gemar has made bold green commitments

These include the target to become landfill free by incrementally scaling up its industrial waste recycling efforts. By 2024, 50% of waste Gemar produces will be recycled. The team plans to have this dialled up to 90% by 2026 and be 100% landfill free by 2028.

On top of this, the business will investigate and implement a balloon recycling scheme by 2024 by working closely with its material and sustainability subject matter experts and benchmark its current carbon footprint by 2024 to become net zero by 2028.

“As ambitious as these goals may seem, I am confident our ongoing research, investments in innovative recycling technologies, and collaborations with industry partners will enable us to reach it,” Gloria Veta, global brand director at Gemar told Products of Change.

“We will share the progress we make towards these goals with our customers and stakeholders because transparency and accountability are at the forefront of achievements. Where there is a will, there is a way.”

As a leading global manufacturer of latex balloons, Gemar upholds the belief joy can be spread in an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and ethical way.

“We are dedicated to ensuring our planet is protected for future generations through sustainable latex balloon manufacturing,” added Gloria.

Gemar balloons are 100% bio-based, derived from renewable sources.

“We have developed our travel policy so we are working harder to minimise carbon emissions through car sharing schemes and encouraging rail travel rather than flights,” said Roger Panton-Kent, Addo Play’s head of quality assurance and compliance. “We continue to build on these steps by taking more actions to reduce emissions and raising awareness within our supply chain.”

Earlier this year, Addo Play took home no fewer than 15 wins at the Loved by Children Awards, including Best Eco Toy.

“This was extra special,” said Roger. “It’s not always about producing the most on-trend toy. Caring for the future through sustainable design and awareness is important to customers too. This win just motivates us to continue our ambitious journey.”

ABOVE: A Bali artisan at work in Ubud.

BELOW: Dave Martin and Mary Price, co-founders and ceos of Addo Play.

ON THE EDGE LAUNCHES ODES TO NATURE WITH HUCK MAGAZINE

Conservation group, On the EDGE has launched a media collaboration with Huck Magazine to roll-out a three-part series that takes the art of spoken word into the natural world.

Called Odes to Nature, the project focuses on four rising stars as they explore and celebrate their relationship with the environment over a soundscape created by nature herself. Drumbeats have been produced from snapping twigs, feet stamping through mud, and the splash of a rock in water.

The series aims to engage Gen Z audiences with nature in a way that offers a diverse spectrum of cultural perceptions. It features spoken word pieces from artists Amani Saeed, Suli Breaks, and Sam Lee.

“We wanted this project to feel accessible for Gen Z audiences and felt a partnership with Huck Magazine

UK RETAILERS ARE ‘RAISING THE BAR OF SUPPLIER NET ZERO EXPECTATIONS’

UK retail has a ‘steadily rising bar of expectations’ when it comes to suppliers and their journey towards Net Zero.

This was the consensus when members of the gift and home sector joined Talking Tables for its most recent Talking Together session last month.

While discussion centred on the impact of the B Corp movement on business and industry here and around the world, the growing demand among retailers that suppliers start showcasing their impact data and climate targets quickly became a focal point.

“The bigger retailers we work with are really raising the bar on their expectations,” Daniel Fagan, director of supply chain, told group session attendees.

“Tesco, for instance, expect you to have net zero targets or strategies in place. Participating in the B Corp initiative gave us that framework. If we hadn’t been on the journey, we wouldn’t have been as far along with our net zero targets as we are now.”

The third in an ongoing series of cross-industry discussions, Talking Tables’ Talking Together session was joined by representatives from Sass & Belle, Hunter Luxury, Belo Bags, and the Giftware Association.

Held at the company’s London HQ, the event featured a panel session comprising Louisa Mourdant, founder of I Love My Job; Charlotte Bingham-Wallis, co-founder of Belo Bags; and Louise Welsby, ceo of Buy-From.

The ‘Talking Together’ panel was unanimous in their message that the concept of ‘successful business’ is being redefined to include the wider impact upon communities, stakeholders, and the planet.

was the ideal vehicle for that,” said Rob Slade, director of digital content at On the EDGE. “Poetry can often feel stuffy and academic, and we don’t want people to think like that when it comes to nature.”

Distancing itself from other conservation groups, On the EDGE provides an ‘entertainment first’ entry to biodiversity through humour and an ‘edginess’ that appeals to audiences ‘outside of the typical nature enthusiast.’

“We want to help people reconnect with nature without guilt tripping them,” said Rob. “Huck Magazine appeals to that ‘activist’ audience and this project delivers something that feels raw and improvised.”

ECO-FRIENDLY CARD CO. TWINS BINS AND TERRACYCLES TO DRIVE ZERO WASTE SCHEME

The owner of the Eco Friendly Card Company, Sue Morrish, has launched a new Zero Waste recycling scheme among her customers by twinning her bin with a plastics recycling centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It’s an expansion of a partnership with the Toilet Twinning charity that acts to support refugees and sustainable development in the Democratic Republic of Congo through the provision of toilets, taps, food, and rubbish collection and recycling services.

“We have chosen to twin our hot-composter bin which we use to compost food and garden waste, as well as compostable bags that are used on some of our products,” said Sue, who is a leader in greeting cards sustainability. The project supports a scheme through which workers collect, process, and recycle plastic pollution from the local community which is then turned into bricks, providing better building material while reducing the rubbish on the streets which has been found to exacerbate flooding and the spread of diseases. The scheme also means residents don’t have to burn their waste.

The Eco-friendly Card Company was the first UK greeting card publisher to adopt compostable bags back in 2008. The Zero Waste scheme is amplified further through a new partnership with Terracycle, enabling the team to take back any compostable bags for industrial composting.

“This is another example of where Terracycle are stepping in where government has failed to act,” Sue told Products of Change. “It still relies on people (public or retailers) getting bags back to us, but it’s a start. And, we have seen customers save up their bags and post them back to us when they’re ready.”

Sue and the team currently offer cards both unbagged (clasped with a label) and bagged in a PLA bag, while all Christmas card packs are delivered in PLA bags.“Two heads are better than one and collaboration is key in driving significant change. POC has already showcased the opportunity for like-minded companies to work together to be part of the solution rather than the problem.”

BELOW: Talking Tables hosts regular industry discussion sessions.

DREAMTEX PUTS MAJOR SUSTAINABILITY PLANS INTO ACTION

The licensed bedding specialist, Dreamtex has put major sustainability plans into action including the collection of scope

1 and 2 emissions data and scope 3 mapping, and the exploration of new natural fibres such as bamboo for bedding.

A returning Sustainability in Licensing Conference sponsor, Dreamtex has most recently removed single-use plastic from across all its in-store product in most retailers and turned to 100% recycled polyester for cushion fillings.

On top of this, the team has implemented numerous in-house policies, such as the introduction of soft plastics recycling points, mixed recycling points, and a switch to recycled paper within its own operations. By engaging stakeholders in the conversation of sustainable development, Dreamtex has even been able to begin work mapping its scope 3 emissions – those that typically make up 80% to 90% of a business’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

SILC INSPIRES ROBUST SUSTAINABILITY GUIDELINE REFORM AT NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Inspired by conversations hosted at the Sustainability in Licensing Conference 2022, the iconic London institution, the Natural History Museum confirms it is now working on a new set of licensing programmespecific sustainability guidelines.

The work, it believes, will “steer future product development in the right direction”, while encouraging partners and others in the licensing industry to do that same. The guidelines will form the latest evolution of a consumer product strategy that has long placed sustainable development front and centre.

“It was fantastic to be able to attend SiLC in person for the first time last year,” said Maxine Lister, head of licensing at the Natural History Museum. “We took a huge amount from the Conference, much of which has since steered our own approach to sustainability within our own licensing programme.

“We are currently developing a robust set of guidelines specific to our licensing programme that we hope will steer future product development in the right direction and encourage others to do the same.”

A returning sponsor for SiLC 23 in November this year, the Natural History Museum has noted that at an industry level rapid advances are being made when it comes to material choices for products as well as supply chain relationships.

“We no longer feel we are asking the impossible but finding that the industry is actively looking at this [area of development], most likely due to pressures from consumers, who are much more conscious of environmental issues and are becoming more vocal,” said Maxine.

“Data has already been collected for scope 1 and 2 emissions with an aim to start sharing reports soon,” said Andy Downie, commercial director at Dreamtex. “Scope 3 is vast in scale but by breaking it into downstream and upstream categories, we hope to make the collection, reporting, and reducing of these emissions manageable.”

Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions are regarded as GHG emissions directly controlled by a business, such as the choice of energy providers or transport. Scope 3 emissions are those outside of a business’ control but across its value chain of stakeholders, such as end of life processing once a product has reached the hands of the customers.

COMPANY GREEN TEAM ‘INTEGRAL TO SUCCESSFUL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,’ SAYS DANILO

From pushing innovative new design principles towards a circular economy to tapping into the energy and cost efficiency of solar power at its headquarters, Danilo has attributed much of the greetings specialist’s success in sustainable development to date to the early formation of an in-house green team to push the agenda across departments.

It was in the early days of the business’ approach to sustainability that a team of eight was put together from areas including marketing, production, sales, and creative to thrash out initial ideas and issues important to the company’s ESG strategy.

Since then, the Green Team, led by Danilo’s marketing manager, Claire Bates, has been responsible for improving practices across various areas of the business, from internal operations spanning its scopes 1 and 2 to the wider partner network and the beginnings of an approach to scope 3 measurement and reduction.

“We’ve found it really beneficial to bring each different department of the business into the conversation as it provides a think tank allowing us to target what’s important to us as a company while encouraging sustainability to become a part of the company culture,” Claire told Products of Change.

Developments to have emerged from the Green Team include the adoption of more mindful product design and a push for innovative new concepts to reduce the use of materials like cello wrap across Danilo’s calendars and in one special case, the creation of a bespoke ‘perpetual calendar’ that can be reused time and again rather than thrown away.

“We think this is the direction things will be going for products,” Claire continued. “Designing for reuse gives the creative team a great new direction to try new things and new ideas – and the Green Team has been integral in helping our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint filter across the company.”

In the now launched Products of Change Industry Framework, a guideline developed to help the global brand and licensing industry on its journey of sustainable development, the establishment of an internal Green Team is listed as a company’s first major step towards impact measurement and reduction.

LEFT: Natural History Museum is now working on new sustainability guidelines.

Above: As part of its sustainability plans Dreamtex have removed single-use plastic form across all in-store products.

Above: Danilo’s in-house green team help to push across the sustainable agenda.

The Sustainability in Licensing Conference – curated by Products of Change –

for 2023

SILC 2023: THE MOST IMPORTANT

CONVERSATION ON EARTH

Following the success of its in-person debut last year, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference is making its return to the Royal Geographical Society to fill its London auditorium with the industry’s keenest changemakers and pioneers of better business.

Hailed ‘one of the most important industry events for decades’ by attendees, SiLC promises to once again deliver a mission to drive positive change across the $290bn global licensing industry with another jampacked agenda.

The date is set for Wednesday, 8 November 2023, marking an industry calendar highlight for attendees, speakers, and sponsors who champion the event for its breadth of knowledge-sharing and platform for change.

“Conferences such as SiLC drive the voice of the industry and amplify the need for change across every scope,” said Andy Downie, commercial director at Dreamtex, which returns as a SiLC sponsor for the second year running.

“We are very proud to be part of such a significant driver of change. We cannot wait for SiLC 23 and are proud to be supporting such an amazing voice of the industry.”

A major focus for the Conference this year will be the global retail landscape, the rising bar of expectations and requirements of industry, and how brand owners and manufacturing partners across the sector can take the right steps to meet them.

SiLC 23 will also deliver sessions highlighting new systems enabling the industry to better track its environmental impact as well as showcase circular infrastructures being led by retail and the giants of industry.

Big name attendees this year will span global licensors across character and entertainment, music, sports, and fashion as each join the conversation and showcase where they are on their journeys.

“It was fascinating to hear from the likes of the LEGO Group and Primark to understand how such dominant companies are approaching sustainability, as well as getting insight from the senior packaging manager at Tesco as they continue to evolve their packaging output while educating their consumer,” said Maxine Lister, head of licensing at the Natural History Museum.

“We took a huge amount from the conference, much of which has since steered our own approach to sustainability within our own licensing programme.”

The London conference will also reflect learnings from outside the industry with global legislative updates, material impact data, and the chance to grow our knowledge on carbon.

Tickets are now available to the Sustainability in Licensing Conference 2023 via www.sustainabilityinlicensing.com where you can choose to catch the event in person or view online via the live-streaming platform. All content from the event will be available to all attendees via an exclusive On Demand platform.

ABOVE: Author and beautiful business pioneer, Alan Moore delivered a keynote speech at SiLC 2022.

BELOW: SiLC 2022 speakers line up on stage

is back

to amplify the industry’s voice for change and drive the biggest conversation of them all, how to make a $290bn global industry more sustainable.

PEOPLE POWERED DATA DRIVEN, A

t a time when brands, licensors, and manufacturers begin to grapple with the concept of Digital Product Passports and data fidelity, as well as issues with greenwashing and the increasingly weighty action being taken against it, transparency is everything.

Both retailers and consumers are raising the bar of expectations to understand the journey their products have made – from field to shelf - including the impact on the people that got them there to begin with.

Erve Europe, a leading name in licensed fashion and apparel, prides itself on its ‘continual commitment to the sustained progress of worker safety.’ It was one of the first signatories to join the Bangladesh Accord – a legally-binding Global Framework Agreement between brands, retailers, and trade unionsestablished in the wake of the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013 to build a safer and healthier garment industry.

While the Accord has worked to progress significant improvements, Erve understands there is more

to be done. It’s why, ten years on, you’ll find the business part of a new global consortium built to raise those standards further.

“One of the big initiatives we have undertaken is join with around 35 other garment brands to work over the next two years on implementing practical changes to our purchasing practices,” Kyra Claeys, quality and compliance manager at Erve Europe tells Products of Change.

Using the Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices as a reference point, the consortium – operating under the Learning and Implementation Community organised by the MSI Working Group on responsible purchasing practices – aims to “continuously improve supply chain working conditions.”

While it’s a principle to which Erve has long been subscribed, the consortium has led to efforts to open better channels of communication across the supply chain.

“We have just conducted our first supplier questionnaire,” says Kyra. “The feedback from this will allow us to better improve our own supply chain working conditions.”

“On top of this, we’re taking steps to make our supply chain follow-up future proof, innovative, and transparent, which is why we have chosen to work with the tex. tracer platform to collect data from our supply chain partners step-by-step - using blockchain, time-stamp and geolocation data, and peer-to-peer reviews – to gain verified insights into our supplier, product, and certification data on order level.”

While supply chain transparency will be driven by data like this, company culture should not be ignored. Most recently Erve has become a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles, marking its first steps on a journey to better promote gender equality and the provision of equal opportunities for all.

“We strongly believe in advocating for women’s empowerment,” says Kyra. “Our mission is personal growth for each individual and we want to achieve this by fostering an environment of connecting communication, support, and ensuring a healthy mix of selforganisation and leadership.

“We strive to empower all our co-workers, regardless of gender, to achieve their full potential and make meaningful contributions in the running and steering of our company.”

LEFT: Kyra Claeys is the quality and compliance manager at Erve Europe.

BELOW: Erve has committed to implementing practical changes to its purchasing practices, putting its supply chain at the centre of its operations.

The global licensed fashion and apparel specialist, Erve is committed to the people and is taking greater steps to empower its supply chain and drive equality across the business.

THE AMBASSADORS CHAIR

Last month, Products of Change teamed up with Women in Food Industry Management (WFIM) to celebrate Earth Day with the launch of a Virtual Sustainability Summit, exploring some of the most critical topics impacting sustainability within the global food and FMCG supply chains right now.

Curated by Products of Change’s Ambassador for Canada and North America, Brenda Seto, the Summit featured special guest appearances and moderator roles from some of POC’s most familiar faces.

“A lot of thought leadership around developing packaging with circular economic principles in mind has also been around the support structures that get the products to the end user”

Mike Swain , Ambassador for Packaging and Materials, Product of Change

PACKAGING AND PRODUCT MUST LIVE AS ONE

A holistic view of packaging and product as one needs to be taken if we are going to surmount the issue of sustainability in the FMCG sector properly, and that includes the weighty influence of length of supply chains and shelf life.

This was the consensus when experts in packaging innovation convened for a panel session hosted by Products of Change’s Ambassador for Packaging and Materials, Mike Swain last month to explore sustainable development within the international food sector. Prompted by a question on the relationship between innovations in packaging and length of supply

chains at the inaugural Women in Food Industry Management x Products of Change Sustainability Summit in April, experts from Unilever, Club Coffee, and Pulpworks agreed that shorter product shelf life and fewer miles travelled will be a key driver for more sustainable packaging and models of reuse and refill.

“A lot of thought leadership around developing packaging with circular economic principles in mind has also been around the support structures that get the products to the end user,” said Mike Swain as he led a panel featuring Paul Tasner, founder of Pulpworks, Solange Ackrill, vp of marketing at Club Coffee, and Catherine McVitty, sustainability lead at Unilever Canada.

“People are realising that to reduce carbon – coming from things like trucking, storing, the waste generated at every transition along the supply chain –

is to reduce the ring fence around the miles that are covered in getting product to its destination.

“So, smaller hubs may not be as efficient as larger hubs in terms of roll-out but can be way more efficient in bringing down road miles or loss and waste caused along the supply chain. And shorter shelf life will impact directly on the kind of packaging model your products use.”

The panel session had been talking around numerous sticking points within the subject of product packaging, including the use of compostable materials – innovation being led in the coffee sector by Solange and the team at Club Coffee – or

Right: Amelia Eleiter, co-founder of Debrand, a company dealing with ‘reverse logistics’ of products coming back to companies through the supply chain.

alternative materials such as the fibres created from waste left over from sugar cane processing, as is being led by Pulpworks.

However, the dominant topic of the hour was the need to no longer look at packaging as an afterthought to the product but as an integral –albeit sacrificial – part of it.

Unilever Canada’s Catherine echoed sentiments when she said: “As companies make net zero commitments and track their carbon footprint, it’s going to require shortening those supply chains to reduce carbon footprint connected to product and packaging.

“But also, climate change is going to drive that too. We have too many severe weather events that disrupt those lengthier supply chains. So, whether it’s driven by shorter shelf life of

experts during WFIM x POC’s Circularity in Fashion session.

Utilising her knowledge and insight as the director of sustainability for the US Polo Association, Jessica steered conversation through an expanse of topics - from the ghost economy to the destructive impact of Lionfish – to explore each of the fundamental principles of the circular economy.

Jessica was joined by a collection of discipline leaders in circularity, including Casey Plasker, founder of Circularly, a strategy-builder for circular business models; Amelia Eleiter, co-founder of DeBrand, a company dealing with ‘reverse logistics’ and products that come back to companies through the supply chain; and Aarav Chavda, co-founder of Inversa Leathers, a team dedicated to regenerating delicate natural ecosystems through the exploration of materials derived from invasive species.

or end-of-life in mind.’

“If we can create products designed with intent we can reduce cost,” said Amelia. “Then, if we can use the investment community to help support

product or through companies measuring their carbon footprint, the supply chains are going to get shorter by necessity.”

Pulpworks’ Paul Tasner summarised how this would affect designs in packaging when he concluded that “shorter shelf life on products will only act to benefit a company like Pulpworks whose materials aren’t designed – like plastic, glass, or tin - for long supply chains.”

He said: “Short shelf life, we can compete with other forms of less sustainable packaging. So, I am leading the cheer for shorter shelf life, it will open the door to greater sales for us.”

CLOSE (LOOP) ENCOUNTERS

Investment and engagement from the finance sector and the creation of a network of loops-within-loops were among the key conclusions drawn when Products of Change’s Ambassador for Apparel in North America, Jessica Lenhart, played host to a panel of circular economy

Each panellist an example of a ‘loop-within-a-loop’ themselves, the discussion gave Virtual Sustainability Summit attendees great insight into the need for an ‘ecosystem of circular practices’ to be at work to achieve true circularity, from product design and materials used to the end-of-life processes and how to ‘close the loop’ and retain value by rethinking our perceptions of waste.

DeBrand’s Amelia highlighted the size of the ‘ghost economy’ –an “entire economy living outside of what we see as customers” of secondary goods that come back to companies through customer returns or faulty batches.

“It’s how DeBrand started, to help companies deal with products that come back through the supply chain where there was previously zero accountability and zero regulation, just an economy of goods that weren’t quite perfect but very useful, that were just getting discarded,” she said.

Dealing with ‘reverse logistics’ is just one example of a loopwithin-a-loop that – while improving – still struggles with high costs associated with recycling often driven upwards ‘when products aren’t designed with recycling

emerging companies to prove that model, we will see a growing confidence in circularity.”

Inversa Leathers is one such emerging company. Specialising in the removal of invasive species from areas they’ve been introduced to by human error to restore delicate ecosystems, the team has pioneered an alternative leather produced from the animal hide of species such as the lionfish, dragonfin, and python.

“The invasive Lionfish is one of the single greatest threats to coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, where they kill 80% of baby native fish within five weeks of an invasion,” said Aarav. “When I think of ecosystems, I think of the razor-thin tolerance they have and the actions we need to take to revive them.”

Inversa works only with individual divers and hunters, meaning it has visibility

down to the name of the individual sourcing each hide it uses. This can be pinpointed down to the exact time and location of retrieval.

“We’re in a unique position here, because we’re probably the only producer in the world whose end goal is to see their natural resources run out,” said Aarav.

Left: Solange Ackrill, vp of marketing and corporate strategy at Club Coffee, a pioneer of compostable coffee pods in Canada.

Left: Paul Tasner, co-founder and ceo of Pulpworks, a company exploring packaging from waste fibres from sugar cane processing.

Jessica played host to a panel of circular economy experts during WFIM x POC’s Circularity in Fashion session

Jessica Lenhart , Ambassador for Apparel in North America, Products of Change

THOUGHT FOOD FOR

SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS TO BE A CRITICAL PILLAR OF TOY SAFETY

Sonia Sanchez, toy industry impact and sustainability consultant, asks why the future we leave our children isn’t a toy safety concern?

In the toy industry, children’s safety is paramount and a central concept in product development. It’s ingrained in the DNA of those in the toy business, and that’s commendable.

If something is deemed unsafe, an alternative is sought, even if more expensive. If the option is too costly, the toy won’t reach the shelves. True, there is regulation, but toy people genuinely want to protect children.

Then we have sustainability. In principle, brands are happy to favour ecofriendly options. But good intentions are often abandoned when costs are higher or significant changes in processes or supply chains are required.

When safe recycled plastic is unavailable, most companies continue business as usual instead of joining efforts to overcome the challenge.

But when we choose a less sustainable option we contribute to climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss and put children’s safety at risk.

The UN’s refugee agency, the UNHCR, reports an annual average of 21.5 million people have been forcibly displaced by weather-related events such as floods, storms, wildfires, and extreme temperatures – since 2008. According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution is linked with seven million premature deaths annually. Problems are affecting children today.

We must revisit our definition of safety. We must expand it beyond protection from toxic substances, cuts, and choking hazards to address climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss with the commitment and sense of emergency these crises deserve.

The toy industry today lives in a paradox: compromising children’s safety and future while striving for their happiness. It doesn’t have to be this way.

INDUSTRY FRAMEWORK GETS GOLD STAR FROM GOLDEN BEAR

Barry Hughes, managing director at Golden Bear is a founding member of the Products of Change community and the efforts to develop and launch the Industry Framework.

Being members and being a part of the early conversations around the development of an Industry Framework [launched in this issue] is something we are very proud of.

At a time when many businesses, including our own, were searching for answers to try and gain direction on sustainability, the collaboration with brand owners, licensors, and retailers was just what we all needed.

The Industry Framework acts to give clarity to a spread of different businesses, from brand owners to retailers, but also indirectly to other stakeholders such as suppliers as the guidance flows down. This Framework breaks down the steps that can be taken in the short, medium, and long-term, to help companies build or review their sustainable strategies.

It makes me very proud of the work our whole team at Golden bear has put in and the knowledge gained to be more sustainable. We are well into our journey now, but we all have a very long way to go to get to where we need to be.

Dean Greasley, TDP Textiles’ director of licensing highlights a growing confidence in sustainability. Our sustainability journey started a few years ago and we are now fully committed to positive change. We want to work with suppliers, retailers, and licensing partners to make improvements large and small, wherever possible.

To show our commitment, we are once again proud sponsors of the Sustainability in Licensing Conference, having been filled with confidence that we were on the right course when our coordination manager, Laura Chapman attended the Products of Change Packaging Design for the Circular Economy educational course in March this year.

The Sustainability in Licensing Conference gave us the confidence to take the next step. Knowing that we are right on track on the sustainability journey is so valuable, but gaining the reassurance that we are ahead of the curve in certain areas has driven us even harder.

One early step we are particularly proud of was converting our Indian office and factory to become fully solar powered. Also, in our latest steps to reduce our carbon footprint here in the UK, our switch to electric company cars will be completed by the end of the year.

A new generation of consumers are emerging who are environmentally conscious who will have high sustainability expectations and we need to ensure we meet and exceed those expectations.

Thoughts and reflections around the consumer products industries’ relationship with the sustainability have been brewing once again. We pick your brains and pluck a few out for contemplation.

“WE NEED TO MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSUMERS”

POC PARTNERS WITH BEAUTIFUL BUSINESS INNOVATOR ALAN MOORE

Products of Change has partnered with the author and business innovator, Alan Moore –the founder of Beautiful Business – to deliver a special one-day learning event focussed on driving profit through purpose.

Alan Moore ‘blew the roof of the auditorium’ when he enthralled attendees of SiLC 2022 with his philosophy of making business beautiful – for people and the planet.

Delegates were challenged to ‘become activists’ when Alan highlighted how purpose and profit can be enjoyed symbiotically by showcasing how the most successful business are those built on purpose. This is the philosophy behind Beautiful Business.

“There is a business case for beauty. Our research shows it will be those that invest in regenerative businesses who will be the ones that endure and profit the most,” said Alan.

“US manufacturers can unlock $26 trillion in financial value and produce over 65 million new green jobs globally by 2030,” said Alan. “While purposedriven companies witness higher market share gains and grow three times faster on average than their competitors, all while achieving higher workforce and customer satisfaction.”

As part of the Products of Change efforts to help transition business, we have partnered with the business innovator to launch a one-day learning session to be held on Wednesday, 18th October in central London. Numbers will be limited so check out the Products of Change website for details.

“We need businesses that are going to be net contributors to a more beautiful and regenerative world, and that excites us,” Alan said. “What will your legacy be?”

PACKAGING DESIGN FOR THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY RETURNS THIS MONTH

Having made its triumphant debut in March this year, the Products of Change Packaging Design for the Circular Economy courseis returning this month to provide industry professionals the tools and understanding to produce packaging more sustainably.

The two-day course will be led by Products of Change’s Ambassador for Packaging, Mike Swain and Richard Coles, a packaging expert and part-time lecturer to deliver an up-to-the-minute deep dive into the packaging design landscape.

A half-day webinar will take place on Friday, 23rd June running from 9.30am to 12.30pm. This will be followed by a full-day face-to-face workshop to be held at the Informa Offices in London on Wednesday, 28th June.

The course will cover sustainable demands, and consumer influence over the sustainable packaging sector.

All attendees will be offered an optional one-toone follow up session with Mike or Richard to talk through individual case studies or projects.

“The Products of Change Packaging Design for the Circular Economy course has proven to be a valuable addition to many people’s already progressed activities with their packaging,” said Mike.

“Being such a visible and impactful part of this sector’s product delivery, business engaged in both licensing and manufacturing products have seen benefits from the course. It has influenced both strategic approaches, getting thought and action more focused, and has provided the foundations of solutions for the product packaging themselves.”

The March 2023 course attracted a cross-sector mix of attendees, including those from Mattel, Addo Play, Talking Tables, and Paramount.

“The course was fantastic, the enthusiasm and knowledge of the speakers was infectious,” said Jordan Ronchetti, consumer products creative manager at the international toymaker, Mattel EMEA.

Check out the Products of Change website for details on how to register.

PRODUCTS OF CHANGE SUSTAINABILITY 101 ON FOR DECEMBER

The Products of Change Sustainability 101 series will be back this year, scheduled for a return to London this December.

Led by Helena Mansell-Stopher with a special guest, the session will offer attendees an introduction to the topic of sustainability. What is it? Why is it important? And how do we get on our first steps towards sustainable development?

The event is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 6th December at the Informa Offices in London.

Check in for details via the Products of Change website.

LEFT: Richard Coles will run the course alongside POC’s Ambassador for Packaging, Mike Swain.

LEFT: Alan Moore ‘blew the roof off the auditorium’ according to attendees of SiLC last year.

Products of Change has been building up its Educational arm to deliver new in-person workshops, sustainability 101 sessions, and a special event on making business beautiful.