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Anyone who has ever bought toys will be aware of the amount of packaging
that comes with them, a lot of which will contain unrecyclable plastic. Across
the globe, retailers and consumers are becoming increasingly aware of plastic
and its negative impact on the environment and companies in the industry are
taking note of this. Back in 2019, worldwide toy and game maker Hasbro
announced that it planned to phase out plastic packaging on its products by
2022, in an attempt to reduce their environmental impact. They committed to
this change and removed plastic window films from their packaging over the last
three years, however, most recently have released another update on their
actions. Hasbro have re-introduced window films on a selection of brands within
their portfolio, utilising bio-PET or recycled PET to ensure they remain in
line with their goals of minimising waste and impact on the environment.
Packaging is only one way the toy industry utilises plastic, but the
whole process of producing and manufacturing toys, many of which are
predominantly made with plastic causes issues with environmental impact and
single use plastic.
As consumers continue to demand more environmentally friendly products,
what challenges does this present toy companies and the toy industry overall?
Whilst plastic toys account for around 90% of the toy market, as most
likely being the most plastic-intensive market across the globe. The British
Toy and Hobby Association promote environmental sustainability, they support
members in achieving best practice for sustainable products and packaging by
providing guidance and advice across a range of environmental issues. With
initiatives and goals in place to reduce packaging and product waste and the
use of single plastic, members of the British Toy and Hobby Association are
accountable for making steps forward with their business.
John
Lewis saw an increase in wooden toy sales by 21% back in 2019, and the company committed
to increasing its Christmas range and other seasons expecting to continue to see
high demand for such toys consumers are making their feelings clear when it
comes to reducing plastic. Christmas is a key time for the toy industry and in
a recent poll 40% of parents said they would prefer people to buy their
children toys made from a material such as sustainable wood.
Children
are also making a stand themselves against plastic toys, two sisters from
Hampshire started a petition to ban the free plastic toys included in
children’s meals. As a result, in late 2019, Burger King UK announced it would
stop giving away plastic toys saving 320 tonnes of plastic a year. McDonalds
also pledged to eliminate plastic toys from happy meals by 2025, exploring new
approaches to utilise more sustainable options within happy meals.
Students
across the world have been involved in strikes in recent years to take part in
global climate protests demonstrating their commitment to the environment. It
is inspiring to see children of such a young age taking a positive step to
tackle these issues and this could soon be mirrored in the toys they ask for.
Children are much more aware and concerned about their future and the impact of
single use plastic, with groups now coming together to fight for positive
change to reduce plastic pollution. The UK initiative, ‘Kids against plastic’
began back in 2016 and schemes are in place on a local and global level to both
educate and take action to reduce the use of single use plastic.
Whilst it’s clear the consumer demand for sustainable toys is there,
asking the industry to go plastic free overnight is a tall order. For many
toymakers, including Lego, replacing plastic with a sustainable material, like
wood, isn’t an option due to the product ranges they sell. Recycled plastics
would be a more suitable option but according to the British Toy and Hobby
Association, replacing all plastics with recycled plastics is difficult:
“Recycled plastics are rarely able to be used in the process of manufacturing
toys due to the uncertainty of the chemical composition of recycled plastic…It
could contain one of the thousands of chemicals restricted under toy safety
legislation.” Lego has recently opted for plastic sourced from sugarcane for
the leaves, bushes and trees in its Lego sets, which is recyclable but not
biodegradable. The company has pledged to use sustainable materials in its
packaging and products by 2030 and to help facilitate this it has a centre
purely focused on developing new sustainable raw materials that are safe for
toys.
From an employment perspective, we are finding more and more
senior-level candidates are looking to work for companies that align with their
moral compass and ethical views. We wrote about how plastic
production has an impact on employer branding some time ago now and
this is still relevant today. Many candidates are not looking for a business to
be entirely environmentally friendly. Instead, they are looking for a business
to take its responsibility to the environment seriously and be already
investing in the innovation needed. The changes toy manufacturers are taking
should enhance a business’ employer
brand and leave them in a better position to attract the best employees.
In terms of investment in people, research and product development teams are
likely to grow as businesses in this sector continue to address the
environmental impact of their products.
The retail recruitment team at CSG Talent are operating largely within
the US retail market at the moment, with huge growth specifically within the US
toy market. By 2027, the US toy market is expected to reach US$46.17 billion.
With increased birth rates, and increased disposable income alongside high
numbers of dual income households with both parents working, toy sales in the
US are rapidly growing. With such demand for toys, we are seeing more and more
businesses adapt their manufacturing and packaging processes to become more
sustainable and conscious efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
While steps are being taken across the globe to reduce the amount of
single-use plastic in the production and packaging of toys, it is unlikely that
the toy industry will be plastic free for quite some time, but it is
encouraging to see companies taking the steps they need to address
environmental concerns.
If you operate in the toy industry, we would be
interested in hearing more on the steps your business is taking to adapt to the
consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, and what challenges you
envisage your business will encounter. To share your insights, please get in touch with our
expert team.
If you’re keen to explore a new career opportunity
within the toy or retail industry, check out our latest job vacancies or explore
our candidate services. For
businesses keen to discuss current hiring challenges or recruitment needs, find
out more about our executive search services or get in
touch with our retail recruitment experts
here.