I’m CEO of Kids Industries, but I’m also Children’s Ambassador for Products of Change and it’s with this hat on that I write this: if you’re bringing a new idea to the Pitch Smarter Conference this month, then it had better have watertight green credentials.

After the COP26 debacle I was inspired at BLE by the licensing community’s commitment to sustainability and how so many organisations have rolled their sleeves up and put their money where their mouths are.

As an industry, we have collective responsibility to drive change in this area. Sustainability must be a priority in any new product development and we must also ensure the products we’re bringing to market are priced so that they are accessible to consumers. 
Who’s doing this right? LEGO, for example, pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 37 per cent by 2032. The sustainable collectible - EUGY – from Brainstorm Toys, which enables children to build their own 3D model from biodegradable card with natural eco-friendly ink and non-toxic glue – just brilliant!

Mattel too is charging ahead with the ‘Mattel PlayBack’ programme which is designed to recover and reuse materials from old products in the manufacturing of new toys. The company is giving out free shipping labels online to package and return old Mattel toys, which are then separated by material type, processed and recycled. Products that can’t be repurposed into new toys will be down-cycled into other plastic products or converted into energy. Keel Toys has an entire range – KeelEco – of plush using sustainable fabric and sold at the same RRP as its other toys. These are just a few examples of change in motion.
I can’t wait to see many more on stage at Pitch Smarter. 

For more information visit Kidsindustries.com