Tag Archives: sustainability

Dr Seuss Enterprises lands new eco-friendly partners for The Lorax ahead of Earth Day 2021

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Dr. Seuss Enterprises is celebrating Earth Day and the 50th anniversary of its popular title, The Lorax, with the launch of a line-up of sustainable brand partnerships that underscore the book’s core message of environmental activism.

Launched to tie in with Earth Day this year, the range will span new eco-friendly products including pet toys, home decor, publishing, and apparel which will kick off with a collection developed by the sustainable apparel brand, Tentree.

The eco-friendly Lorax collection will consist of hoodies, crewnecks, sweatpants, and t-shirts for adults and children, while inspired by the book’s activism theme will be the newest MantraBand engraved bracelet featuring the famed Lorax quote, Unless Someone Like You Cares A Whole Awful Lot, which is marked as a reminder to use your voice to make change.

Elsewhere, the story of The Lorax will enjoy new entertainment and publishing deals throughout the year, as – adding to a line-up of anniversary partnerships – Random House Children’s Books readies to roll out a robust publishing programme with new The Lorax books printed on recycled paper.

New to the catalogue this year is The Lorax Deluxe Doodle book, which is out now, followed by The Lorax: 50th Anniversary Edition, Dr. Seuss’s Thank You For Being Green And Speaking For The Trees, Let’s Go to the Garden! With Dr. Seuss’ Lorax,with more to come this Spring.

Additionally, through a partnership with Oceanhouse Media, The Lorax comes to life on iPads and iPhones in the digital book edition with playful interactivity, animations and fun activities.

US book retailer, Barnes & Noble has teamed with One Tree Planted for a special campaign in which every copy of The Lorax related titles sold in stores or online over April will see Dr Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books donate $1 to the cause.

Meanwhile, Dr. Seuss Enterprises is making its mark in an untapped category with BARK, the maker of BarkBox, for a line of sustainable dog toys. Debuting in April for BarkBox subscribers and in Petco stores, pets will be able to play with and chew on Lorax-themed toys, all made with environmentally friendly materials.

As part of its partnership expansion, Aurora, the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of plush toys and gifts, has released a new eco-friendly Lorax plush toy, and Tervis, maker of expressive and sustainable drinkware, has rolled out a Lorax inspired collection of travel tumblers.

The global celebrations continues, meanwhile, as The Lorax hit London in celebration of Earth Day 2021. The Old Vic Theatre is presenting the iconic Dr. Seuss book The Lorax for six live-streamed performances as part of the OLD VIC: IN CAMERA series.  David Greig and Charlie Fink’s Olivier Award-nominated adaptation, directed by the award-winning director Max Webster,  is transformed into a semi-staged pint-size version to keep young (and older) minds entertained.

Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, said: “The Lorax has always been a beloved Dr. Seuss story and introduces children to why we need to protect our planet through a beautiful story. We are proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the book in 2021 and further encourage our readers to speak out and make change in our world.

“This year we are partnering with a wide range of brands, such as Tentree, BarkBox, and more, to create sustainable products that will continue spreading The Lorax’s message.”

The Lorax, which was first published in 1971, quickly became a cultural phenomenon with an important and hopeful message about our environment. Over the past 50 years, the book has encouraged children to not only speak up for the protection of our trees, but to also use their voice to help make change because “unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is  going to get better. It’s not.”

Waitrose bans kids’ magazines with ‘pointless plastic’ free toys in fight against pollution

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Waitrose has confirmed that it will no longer sell children’s magazines with plastic disposable toys in a move to help combat the issue of pollution and plastic waste.

The retailer’s decision was inspired by a campaign launched by the ten year old Skye from Gwynedd, who has made it a mission to persuade publishers to stop giving away the disposable toys in magazines.

Waitrose has backed the cause, stating that the plastic toys, often used as incentives for children and parents to purchase the magazine, have a short lifespan and cannot easily be recycled. Over the next eight weeks, it will be removing magazines containing the free toys from its shelves.

The grocer is urging publishers to replace the ‘pointless plastic’ with sustainable alternatives and the ban will not include educational or reusable craft items which are designed to be used multiple times, such as colouring pens and pencils, and collectable models.

Speaking with the BBC, ten year old Skye – who’s campaign inspired the move – said: “I’m really pleased so many people have agreed with me and supported my petition – I want to thank everyone who has signed and shared my campaign to ban plastics from comics and magazines.

“Thank you to Waitrose for agreeing with us and no longer selling the unwanted plastic tat.

“I hope all retailers can do the same and then the publishers will realise this is not acceptable anymore. We really like the magazines – we just don’t want or need the plastic packaging or the cheap plastic toys.”

Marija Rompani, partner and director of sustainability and ethics at Waitrose, said: “While we know these magazines are popular with children, some of the unnecessary plastic attached to them has become really excessive.

“Many in the younger generation really care about the planet and are the ones inheriting the problem of plastic pollution. We urge publishers to find alternatives, and other retailers to follow our lead in ending the pointless plastic that comes with children’s magazines.”

The retailer has written to magazine distributors giving them eight weeks’ notice of the policy, asking for alternatives to plastic toys and warning that they will not sell copies which contain the disposable items.

Campaigners for better sustainability measures within the children’s entertainment space has acknowledged the impact the decision may have on some publishers, but state that this is a ‘necessary step in tackling the issue of plastic waste.’

Trudi Bishop, a campaigner and columnist for ToyNews, said: “All publishers need to stop and believe in their content and not rely on cheap, nasty plastic marketing toys to sell what are great magazines.”

Angry Birds flocks to game-based learning platform Kahoot! to raise environmental awareness

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Angry Birds is flocking to the game-based learning platform Kahoot! to launch a series of unique quizzes each aimed at encouraging children and their environmental awareness education. The move is the latest from Rovio to continue its fight for better understanding around climate change and environmental science.

Currently in its pilot test phase, the quizzes will see Red and friends challenge Kahoot! users on subjects like deforestation, biodiversity and carbon footprint, as well as their effects on the earth’s ecosystems.

“We’re thrilled to join forces with Kahoot! to bring an Angry Birds flair to their educational games,” said Stephen Porter, brand director at Rovio Entertainment. “Environmental education and climate change awareness are extremely important and pressing topics for Rovio, and Kahoot!’s massive audience gives us a fantastic opportunity to contribute in these areas.”

Craig Narveson, director of strategic partnerships at Kahoot, added: “We at Kahoot! are passionate about making the world a better place by bringing learning to life with fun and play, so joining forces with Angry Birds to make learning about climate change more engaging is an awesome fit.

“Climate change can be an overwhelming subject, especially for young learners. We’re excited to be working together with Angry Birds to introduce climate science in a fresh and interactive way, which learners of all ages can enjoy whether they’re in the classroom or at home.”

The Kahoot! partnership reinforces Rovio’s support for global education, building on a previous alliance with UNICEF Finland to support UNICEF’s global education work. Rovio was the first partner in the Staff for UNICEF program, an impactful donation model which raises money towards UNICEF’s education program across the world, and also supported adolescent women through UNICEF’s Salmaïtou Senegal Project.

The campaign is also the next step in Rovio’s commitment to green initiatives, which ranges from raising awareness for environmental issues with in-game events to offsetting the impact of players’ devices.

The RHS launches new toiletries range in partnership with Heathcote & Ivory

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The Royal Horticultural Society has launched a new range of toiletries in partnership with its licensing partner Heathcote & Ivory, a leading name in British beauty and fine toiletries.

Called Home Grown, the vegan-friendly beauty and wellness collection takes inspiration from the wellbeing benefits of growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers at home and includes a 100ml Hand Cream and Twist Key, a Care For Hands Gift Set, Scented Soothing Oat Soap on a Dish, Hand Essentials with two 30ml Handcreams and more.

The Heathcote & Ivory RHS Home Grown range will be available from March 10th at RHS shops, online, and via leading garden centres across the UK.

Not only are the ingredients in the range inspired by nature’s home-grown gifts such as carrot seed oil, beetroot extract and pumpkin extract, but both the ingredients and the packaging reflect the focus of the partners in this agreement on sustainability and environmentally friendly messaging.

For the packaging, environmentally friendly glass bottle and aluminium tubes and post-consumer recycled plastic tubes are used. All products are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly.

The items – and the packaging – also make use of designs inspired by artwork from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s largest collection of botanical art. The designs were also inspired by the ingredients – carrot seed oil, snow mushroom, and beetroot and pumpkin extract – used in the formulations.

Established in London in 2000 by Denis Aaronson, Heathcote & Ivory has grown into a lifestyle brand exporting around the world to over 35 countries. Heathcote & Ivory collections are stocked in renowned department stores across the UK as well as independent boutiques and speciality retailers.

The RHS Home Grown collection is the latest range in the very successful RHS partnership with Heathcote & Ivory that launched in spring 2019 with the Flower Blooms Daisy Garland and Tender Palm toiletry ranges. Trellis, the third release in the RHS Flower Blooms series, launched in the autumn of the same year, while the most recent in the series was RHS Flower Blooms Lavender Garden, which launched in the spring of 2020.

Denis Aaronson, managing director, Heathcote & Ivory, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our wonderful partnership with the RHS, whose tireless support of gardeners and gardening has encouraged us to produce a range inspired by the joys of growing vegetables, herbs and flowers at home.”

Lesley Aaronson, creative director, Heathcote & Ivory, added: “The design of the RHS Home Grown range celebrates the joy of growing vegetables and flowers, their vibrant colours and beautiful shapes – a delightful series of images and products inspired by a lasting and valuable partnership.”

Shereen Llewellin, licensing executive, RHS, added: “Wellbeing has long been one of the major benefits of growing vegetables, herbs and flowers, and this collection perfectly captures the mental and physical rewards of home growing. It’s a collection designed to nurture frequently washed hands, soothe tired limbs and uplift the spirits.”

The RHS launches new toiletries range in partnership with Heathcote & Ivory

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The Royal Horticultural Society has launched a new range of toiletries in partnership with its licensing partner Heathcote & Ivory, a leading name in British beauty and fine toiletries.

Called Home Grown, the vegan-friendly beauty and wellness collection takes inspiration from the wellbeing benefits of growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers at home and includes a 100ml Hand Cream and Twist Key, a Care For Hands Gift Set, Scented Soothing Oat Soap on a Dish, Hand Essentials with two 30ml Handcreams and more.

The Heathcote & Ivory RHS Home Grown range will be available from March 10th at RHS shops, online, and via leading garden centres across the UK.

Not only are the ingredients in the range inspired by nature’s home-grown gifts such as carrot seed oil, beetroot extract and pumpkin extract, but both the ingredients and the packaging reflect the focus of the partners in this agreement on sustainability and environmentally friendly messaging.

For the packaging, environmentally friendly glass bottle and aluminium tubes and post-consumer recycled plastic tubes are used. All products are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly.

The items – and the packaging – also make use of designs inspired by artwork from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s largest collection of botanical art. The designs were also inspired by the ingredients – carrot seed oil, snow mushroom, and beetroot and pumpkin extract – used in the formulations.

Established in London in 2000 by Denis Aaronson, Heathcote & Ivory has grown into a lifestyle brand exporting around the world to over 35 countries. Heathcote & Ivory collections are stocked in renowned department stores across the UK as well as independent boutiques and speciality retailers.

The RHS Home Grown collection is the latest range in the very successful RHS partnership with Heathcote & Ivory that launched in spring 2019 with the Flower Blooms Daisy Garland and Tender Palm toiletry ranges. Trellis, the third release in the RHS Flower Blooms series, launched in the autumn of the same year, while the most recent in the series was RHS Flower Blooms Lavender Garden, which launched in the spring of 2020.

Denis Aaronson, managing director, Heathcote & Ivory, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our wonderful partnership with the RHS, whose tireless support of gardeners and gardening has encouraged us to produce a range inspired by the joys of growing vegetables, herbs and flowers at home.”

Lesley Aaronson, creative director, Heathcote & Ivory, added: “The design of the RHS Home Grown range celebrates the joy of growing vegetables and flowers, their vibrant colours and beautiful shapes – a delightful series of images and products inspired by a lasting and valuable partnership.”

Shereen Llewellin, licensing executive, RHS, added: “Wellbeing has long been one of the major benefits of growing vegetables, herbs and flowers, and this collection perfectly captures the mental and physical rewards of home growing. It’s a collection designed to nurture frequently washed hands, soothe tired limbs and uplift the spirits.”

British children ‘unafraid to challenge adults’ for a better society, says latest Beano Brain report

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A Beano Brain report on the acts of rebellion carried out daily by children has uncovered some hard hitting figures, including those stating that 48 per cent of young people today think they can be better trusted to stand against racism than their parents, teachers, or politicians, and that 59 per cent believe saving the planet should be top-priority in a post-Covid-19 world.

The results have emerged from a New Rebellion report conducted by the Beano’s specialist kids’ insight consultancy Beano Brain, into how kids and teens today feel about topics such as climate change, racial inequality, the family unit and the future of technology.

Its findings suggest that youngsters are becoming increasingly frustrated and disillusioned with the adults in charge, and are now taking matters in to their own hands by carrying out ‘small daily acts of rebellion and activism to instigate societal change.’

Their acts appear to be in contrast to the large-scale protests undertaken by previous younger generations, instead committing smaller, more frequent acts of rebellion to positively impact society, suggests the report.

 80 per cent of kids report carrying out small acts of rebellion, challenging the adults around them each week, resulting in a total of 4.9 million mini acts of rebellion weekly. 24 per cent of kids regularly remind adults to take care of the planet, with 27 per cent stepping in to tell someone to pick up their litter.

The report has also found that more than a quarter (26 per cent) of young people frequently directly challenge racist behaviour, with 44 per cent saying they’ve called out adults for inappropriate comments in the past.

The research was conducted with more than 35,000 kids and teens aged seven to 14 across the UK over the last ten months.

 The report also reveals that despite the spirit of rebellion present in today’s kids, they are more likely to get along with their families than previous generations. Three quarters (75 per cent) of Gen Alpha report they regularly listen to their parents’ advice and over half (55 per cent) have their parents as ‘friends’ on social platforms.  

 Gen Alpha put huge value on family time, which has become more important than ever during the pandemic. Six out of 10 kids (62 per cent) want to spend more time with their family, with well over two-thirds (70 per cent) wishing their parents would spend less time on their mobile devices.

Helenor Gilmour, director of insight, Beano Brain, said: “This exploration of rebellion in 2021 was born from our assertion last year that Gen Alpha were young activists. Now we can see that although 20 per cent have already attended a protest they are in fact, changing the world by stealth, carrying out millions of acts of rebellion each week.

Supported by their Millennial parents they are gradually changing society through small actions and living by example. This is hugely powerful. Gen Alpha’s “constructive” rebellion is even now catalysing societal change, an impact that could be greater than any generation before them.”

 The New Rebellion Report also examines the tech divide between Generation Alpha and their parents. Nearly half of kids (49 per cent) believe that technology can solve some of the world’s biggest problems, but 32 per cent think adults are scared of new tech.

When it comes to using tech on a day-to-day basis 44 per cent of kids and teens think that they’re more responsible than adults give them credit for, and 46 per cent find themselves helping an adult use technology at least once a week.

Beano Brain is a specialist insights consultancy from Beano Studios. Born from decades of experience with kids through the iconic Beano comic, it now helps companies build their own connections with families using its knowledge of Gen Alpha, Gen Z and their Millennial parents.

A summary of the research is available to read at beanobrain.com

Emoji partners with eco-focused Greenre Brand to launch new sustainable range

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Emoji – The Iconic Brand is making new waves across the Canadian market thanks to a new partnership with INProduction Licensing’s Greenre Brand that will see the launch of new stationery, activity, crafts, novelty, and back to school lines.

The new deal marks a firm foothold for the Emoji company in the sustainable products market, teaming with a specialist in the field who boasts a portfolio of products developed from recycled, natural materials, recyclables, non-toxic, bio-fibres, as well as new age biopolymers.

“We are excited to start our partnership with Greenre Brand,” said Marco Huesges, CEO and founder of the Emoji Company. “Its product portfolio is truly innovative and eco-friendly with recyclable materials to support our environment.”

As the energy and climate crisis continues to become an increasingly serious environmental problem, Emoji’s latest partnership is one of many sweeping across the licensing industry with a greater environmental consciousness, reflective of the growing desire among consumers and brands alike to help tip the scales of the issue through considered purchases.

Globally recognised brands making the leap into eco-friendly product development is a considerable move forwards for the ongoing and ever-pressing campaign.

Keith Loiselle, president, and CEO of Greenre Brand, said: “Partnering with the Emoji brand is important for Greenre. The Emoji brand is a global phenomenon, a globally recognized brand with products in over 130 countries. We could not be more excited, and we look forward to years of mutual beneficial product development.”  

The new partnership will be managed by Peter Noonan of NPZ Consulting Inc, working with Retail Monster, the Emoji Company’s North American licensing agency.

Louis Kennedy celebrates 30 years of it sustainability drive and joins Products of Change

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Compounding a 30 year history in driving partnerships centered on sustainability and strong ethics, Louis Kennedy has joined the Products of Change initiative as it looks to ‘share ethos with organisations across the licensing space’ and encourage fundamental change across businesses.

Founded in 1991, Louis Kennedy set out its own goals of striving to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainability, as well as be an ethical partner and only associate with highly audited manufacturers who promote high standards of fairness and safety.

Over the course of its 30 years, Louise Kennedy has been building a UK-based supply chain that only uses recycled raw materials to produce recyclable items.

Grant Morgan, CEO of Louis Kennedy has said that while the firm has “not been so vocal in assessing its contribution in the past” it was “joining in the trend” to speak out about its successes going forward. 

“Becoming a member of Products of Change is an important step in this strategy,” said Morgan.

 The firm has said that it has been following the developments of Products of Change and has recognised its exciting potential to help drive and support the initiative.

As a membership organisation, Products of  Change is designed to support, encourage and perpetuate companies and brands in meeting their sustainability goals through educating to inform change and peer-to-peer networking.  

“The ability to connect with other members, which share the same ethos, irrespective of the size of  the organisation, the opportunity to share best practice, learn from experts and develop  partnerships are among the major benefits of membership,” said the company.  

“Louis Kennedy has been connecting the brand and licensing industry to charities and NGOs  for decades; bringing brands with purpose to the forefront of their ethos and driving real social  impact,” added Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder of Products of Change. “It’s an honour to have Louis Kennedy be part of Products of Change and I look forward to what we can achieve together as a group.”

Environment | “Toy recycling is key to educating children”: Wastebuster’s call to the industry

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An underwater photographer turned campaigner, conservationist, and educator on the environmental impact of climate change and pollution on the world’s oceans, Katy Newnham is about to embark on her latest venture to help change the course of history.

Last week, Wastebuster launched its Recycle to Read and Toy Take Back scheme, an initiative that has called on the toy industry to support in the efforts to find better and more sustainable methods of keeping the hard to recycle toy plastics out of landfills and out of the natural ecosystem.

Landing initially as a reward system for schools, the programme aims to engage consumers to recycle toys in selected schools and retailers across the country, and to reward those participating schools and communities with books and reading resources for children.

With toy and publishing firms already signed up to the initiative, Newnham is doubling down on her appeal to an industry to help educate children no environmental issues and taking a lead in the fight for a better, sustainable future.

Here, Licensing.biz catches up with Katy Newnham, founder of Wastebuster and the Recycle to Read programme, to learn more about it all.

Hi Katy, thanks for chatting with us. To start, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role with Wastebuster. What is the Wastebuster mission?

I began my career as a commercial underwater photographer but having witnessed the impact of climate change and pollution on the oceans’ ecosystems, I moved into conservation and education. In 2006 I created Wastebuster, becoming the founder and CEO of the not-for-profit environmental education company.

With partners and supporters that have ranged from UN Environment to Pinewood Film Studios and Google, Wastebuster now supports over 20,000 schools, and 30,000 teachers worldwide. Specialising in delivering national and international, cross-sector education and awareness campaigns, designed to promote responsible consumption in primary aged school children.

In 2019, Wastebuster acquired The Pod, an education platform for schools and together they have become one of the largest providers of free education for sustainable development, to children all over the world. Our goal is to harness the power of entertainment to inspire social change.

Can you give us a bit of an overview of the campaigns and initiatives you guys have led and the kind of partners you have worked with?

We work with partners ranging from international corporates, local authorities, NGO’s, Governments and the UN to deliver education and awareness programmes that support development of the circular economy, in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Wastebuster has worked with WRAP since 2008, with the Wastebuster characters fronting the Recycle now Schools programme. For our 2012 Sport into Schools campaign, Wastebuster worked with the 2012 Olympic Committee, LOCOG, to use the increased interest in sport to initiate a UK wide textile recycling campaign that exchanged unwanted textiles for thousands of UK under resourced schools, for new sports equipment.

More recently Wastebuster have delivered circular economy education and school engagement programmes in South Africa and the Middle East, to support the development of new recycling infrastructure for hard to recycle plastics. This led Wastebuster to be instrumental in the formation of EPPIC (Extended Plastics Partnership for Innovation in Circularity) alongside DOW, Marks and Spencer and Ecosurety.

EPPIC is a new nationwide initiative that aims to create the infrastructure and mechanisms for the collection and recycling of ‘hard to recycle’ flexible and hard plastics. By bringing together a critical mass of key stakeholders we can deliver a functioning and profitable recycling system that benefits retailers and brand owners, publishers, recyclers, citizens and most importantly, the environment.

Currently, Wastebuster is leading the workstream on hard to recycle toy plastics, which has led to the formation of the Recycle to Read campaign, in association with Products of Change.

“We feel that toy recycling, is a key to educating children in the importance of recycling and living a more sustainable lifestyle.”

Can you talk us through the latest initiative – the Recycle to Read campaign and the Toy Take Back scheme? Who is this campaign targeting and how?

For the Recycle to Read Campaign, Wastebuster is working with EPPIC and Products of Change to bring together cross-sector stakeholders (toy companies, brand, owners, publishers, government) to develop an efficient, environmental, and sustainable infrastructure for recycling plastic toys, initially in the UK.

Initially, the programme will engage consumers to recycle toys (including electricals and textiles) in selected schools and retailers, and to reward participating schools and communities with books and reading resources to improve children’s literacy.

The Recycle to Read toy recycling programme unlocks the value of collaborative advantage. It provides an industry-wide infrastructure solution for recycling all plastic toys that consumers can engage with easily, whilst unlocking considerable social, economic and environmental benefits for the communities in which it operates.

The programme also provides research and industry insight into toy design for recyclability to support the move towards a more circular future for toy production.

Recycle to Read is more than just a recycling campaign and environmental educational programme, it is a collective impact programme and dynamic research project that provides a solution to a complex issue, through multi-stakeholder collaboration including industry, government, and consumers.

How are you guys now tapping directly into the children’s sector? And why is this such an important sector to tap into?

We feel that toy recycling, is a key to educating children in the importance of recycling and living a more sustainable lifestyle. The Recycle to Read junior board members (made up of six to 11-year-olds) made it very clear to us that they have a unique and emotional bond with their toys and understanding how they can help their toys to be reused or recycled when they are no longer wanted is a huge step in creating positive messaging around the concept of recycling.

Helena Stopher at Products of Change and the Children’s Magazine Forum have been instrumental in introducing us to the children’s sector and so far it’s been hugely rewarding working with such a positive and forward thinking industry.

Why is now the right time for toy companies to be joining this campaign? Why are they so integral to the initiative?

There is no time like now to change the future of the toy industry.

Many companies are already taking this issue seriously, especially in terms of packaging and design. Those who become members of the R2R campaign will be:

  • Helping to ensure the toy industry has a sustainable future and recycling solution
  • Proactively leading change ahead of government legislation
  • Supporting and contributing to new and better intelligence on the recyclability of toys and product design
  • Demonstrating responsibility for their products in the market giving assurance to their consumers
  • Able to utilise resources for the promotion of responsible consumption to your consumers

Acting as a responsible business sector is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It is a commercial necessity and environmental imperative. We can turn the dial for a whole generation, to promote and enable responsible consumption and production.

Let’s make this a good news story for industry, for children and for the planet. Let’s work together to do that.

The Recycle to Read campaign is financed purely by members fees and we are engaging with all brands, retailers, manufacturers, and publishers who market to children, to get behind this scheme in order to create a sustainable future for their businesses.

The programme is run on a “not for profit” basis and all members will have the opportunity to vote on how any potential profit from the value of recycled material is spent – be that more school resources, scaling up the infrastructure or reducing member fees.

What sort of reception have you had to it so far?

The sector is more than ready for this and we have had nothing but support so far.

Over 40 companies and 70 local authorities took part in a special round table webinar in November, to find out more about the campaign and we are delighted that Immediate Media and Smart Games have become founder members and are looking forward to be announcing a host of other members in the New Year.

What are you setting out to achieve, what is the mission statement for the Recycle to Read campaign and why is it more important than ever that the toy industry sits up and takes part?

Our goals are as follows:

  • To provide a new, robust, and economical infrastructure for the collection and recycling of toys, small WEEE and textiles in the UK including schools, retailers, household waste and recycling sites, businesses, community groups and more.
  • To engage, educate and encourage families to reuse and recycle more.
  • To supply industry with the research and science to create more sustainable products.
  • To create greater circularity within the UK toy industry, in a manner that can be replicated in other territories

We are working as a non-profit organisation to help the toy industry to come together to create a solution to its’ sustainability problem and help us to educate children in the importance of recycling. This is not going to happen overnight, we have a five year plan to get the UK to the point where toy recycling can be carried out via local household waste and recycling centres.

It’s a big goal and we can only achieve it if we all work together, for the common good.

How can toy companies get involved in the programme?

Visit our website www.recycletoread.org and sign up to the Webinar on 18th February, where you will be able to find out all you need about the campaign. If you don’t want to wait until then you can contact any of the members of R2R leadership team to discuss the programme in more detail – contact details are also on the website.

We will be working hard to get members fully registered by the end of February, so that we can launch phase one of the Recycle to Read Toy and Tech Take Backs in Schools in the summer term.

We can’t wait to get started!

Viewpoint | WildBrain CPLG’s John Taylor explores the global shift and trends for 2021

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Major changes are taking place across both the licensing and retail landscapes, and it’s not all driven by the pandemic. Yes, the arrival of the coronavirus on a global scale has influenced some sweeping evolutionary moves for businesses the world over, but it has only acted as a facilitator of the inevitable changes that were upon us.

Here, John Taylor, VP Northern Europe and MD UK and France at WildBrain CPLG talks us through a selection of the biggest trends he believes will go on to define the year 2021.

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With 2021 underway and the industry navigating changes to the licensing and retail landscape brought on by the global pandemic and other forces, I’d like to explore five key trends that we at WildBrain CPLG expect to see this year and what we think they will mean for brand owners.

Sustainability accelerates 

For several years, the licensing industry has been discussing how we can make our business better for the environment, and how we can play a part in protecting our planet for future generations. There’s been significant acceleration in this area and a clear shift in priorities, with sustainability now an urgent focus for many businesses.

Plans for developing more environmentally conscious products and packaging are being worked into licensing agreements, which is an extremely positive step. 

Some good examples we’ve seen include The LEGO Group pledging up to US$400 million over three years to accelerate its sustainability and social responsibility initiatives, and Hasbro phasing out plastic from new toy and game packaging. 

I anticipate we’ll also see more brands making sustainability a focus not only in product development, but also in marketing activities. Last October, our partner Peanuts Worldwide launched a fantastic multi-year initiative called ‘Take Care with Peanuts’ as part of the brand’s 70th anniversary celebrations.

The campaign directly draws from Charles Schulz’s beloved comic strips and reminds all of us to be good global citizens, with caring for nature and the environment forming a key part of this. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re looking forward to delivering great licensing partnerships which uphold this ethos to support the campaign.  

I’d also like to extend a huge congratulations to Helena Mansell-Stopher, CEO at Products of Change, for her work in pulling together the first Sustainability in Licensing Conference last year. It’s clear the licensing industry is committed to doing more to protect our planet, and seeing everyone come together to share ideas and knowledge was really inspiring.  

Supporting retail innovation 

Retail has always been a huge part of my career, and I have great respect for all those working in the sector – I still find myself tidying shelves and rearranging displays when I’m out shopping! It used to be that the industry would only assess the state of the retail landscape on an annual basis, which then became every quarter as e-commerce began changing the way we shopped. Now, with the current pandemic, retail is being discussed in the news on an almost daily basis. 

Given the pace at which the retail landscape is changing, its important the industry comes together and works closely with retailers to ensure we understand their challenges, needs and ambitions. Now, more than ever, licensors and licensing agents need to provide the innovation and tools required for retailers to stand out and keep their customers coming back for more. 

Navigating through COVID

While we can look to the horizon with optimisim, there is little doubt that COVID will still be affecting the industry throughout the year – particularly when it comes to forward planning and strategies. This pandemic has highlighted how important it is for brand owners and retailers to have not only a Plan A, but also Plans B and C and beyond, which gives them flexibility to effectively react and adapt to changing circumstances. These plans should be centred around aspects of the business they can control and where possible be informed by data and insights.

Consumer buying habits have changed significantly, from both where they are buying and what they are looking for, so staying on top of purchasing behaviours and trends will be very important. Sound contingency plans will ensure businesses of all sizes are equipped to face whatever surprises and opportunities may arise. 

Shifting consumer habits 

With a lot of the population spending much more time at home, we’ve seen notable changes in the types of products consumers are seeking out. Unsurprisingly, there’s been a big spike in home improvements and renovations as people make their surroundings not only more functional, but also more comfortable. 

Licensing has seen positive benefits from this shift in purchasing, with growth in the homewares category and also in toys and games as families spend more quality time together. The World of David Walliams, for example, has shown huge growth for us this year with the brilliant collection from University Games. 

Many new licensing opportunities are also opening up due to the increased time spent at home. Brand owners are exploring categories they previously had not considered or which may not have been a priority. For example, we recently secured a deal on behalf of Osprey London for a garden furniture range, which wasn’t in our plans at the start of 2020. We’re also in discussions with many other potential new licensees who have never ventured into homewares licensing before, but are starting to see the value of this revenue stream and now want to jump into our world. 

Streaming brands blossom

As we’re not expecting any tentpole movie releases until later this year, streaming is currently winning the attention of audiences. The growth of streaming has opened up some exciting retail and licensing opportunities for key titles available on major platforms. We’ve been blown away by the demand for merchandise from streaming shows in our portfolio, such as Sony Pictures Consumer Products’ Cobra Kai and The Boys – both major hits that made ‘most watched’ lists in 2020. In early 2021, we’re bringing fans products from such brands that they’ve been eager to find, and we’re excited to see how the industry capitalises on the potential these type of properties offer.  

Whatever 2021 has in store, this is definitely going to be a year businesses need to unite and support the whole licensing chain. Here’s wishing everyone a healthy and brighter year ahead.