Sustainability in the toy industry will not be achieved in one move, but through ‘consistent and incremental improvements’, as well as relentless innovation, is the message being promoted by the international toy maker, ZURU, ahead of the Sustainability in Licensing Conference this week.
Speaking with ToyNews before the online conference kicks off on June 24th, Amelia Jory, global marketing manager for seasonal, preschool, and celebrations at ZURU, has intoned that when it comes to sustainability within the toy industry, it’s an area ‘in which there is a lot to learn and implement.’
ZURU Toys has taken the sustainability message to the next level in recent months with the first roll out of its ‘summer just got greener’ campaign for its leading seasonal product, Bunch O Balloons, highlighting the company’s move to more sustainable production methods by using 100 per cent certified and traceable recycled plastics to make its stems and caps. The company also switched its balloon pieces to be made from natural rubber (derived from plants).
The company’s original goal was to remove 500 tonnes of virgin plastics from entering the environment. ZURU has subsequently doubled the number of its original target this summer season.
“We have begun on our path towards products and innovations that have a lesser impact on our environment by approaching our business with a vision of preparing for the future – the world in which children will one day live and play,” said Jory. “We view sustainability as a commitment, to leave this world better than when we were brought into it.
“Sustainability is an area in which there is a lot to learn and implement. There isn’t just one single thing that needs to change and it will have fixed or combated the climate crisis. We believe sustainability is about consistent and incremental improvements and being relentless about innovating to ensure we are moving towards a greener and more sustainable future.”
Jory suggests that the social conscience of the firm has grown in tandem with the social conscience of society and is a company fuelled by the passions of its team to adopt and implement new steps towards the sustainability movement.
“We are constantly looking at how we can incorporate sustainable practices into our business, products and future lines of toys and consumer goods,” said Jory. “Our key sustainability leaders in the business will be speaking at the SILC event; including myself and our CEO; Anna Mowbray, Global Marketing Director; Henry Gordon; Seasonal Marketing manager and Head of product; Aneisha Vieria.
“We believe that sustainability is a collective effort that starts internally and is fostered as a part of organisational culture which leads to greater external initiatives and impacts.”
New targets have now been set by the firm in the continued journey towards better sustainability, but these won’t be revealed until the Sustainability in Licensing Conference this week.
SILC21 has been recognised as a platform for leading players in the toy and licensing industry to share key insights into what has worked for them on their own sustainability journeys.
“For such an important and time sensitive topic, it’s important we all share insights and collaborate to achieve the common goal of better our planet. Sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’ initiative rather, one that is absolutely crucial to the future of our environment and business,” concluded Jory.
