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.

“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.”

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.” 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.”

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.

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.”

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.