Difuzed have been a part of Products of Change for a few years now, and while they have been working closely with and supporting POC on a number of projects and events, most recently by hosting us in their Dutch offices for a regional member meeting, they don’t shout about their sustainable practices that often.

But that is by no means to say they are not undertaking them – not at all. Difuzed has been working extremely hard on the sustainability of its business for the last four years now, and in that time, it has made some excellent achievements.

To start, a little about Difuzed and what they do. Difuzed has over 30 years of licensing experience which it utilises by designing and developing licensed fashion ranges across over 250 gaming, entertainment and pop-culture IPs.

“We are the bridge between imagination and execution,” said Eelco Olivier Boelstra, Difuzed’s director of sourcing, buying and logistics, when the company hosted POC’s member meeting earlier this month.

Like many companies, Difuzed is facing challenges from a number of directions: an acronym soup of legislation from governments, increasingly demanding customer requirements, and licensor factory audits and emissions targets.

So, Difuzed has set out a roadmap to tackle its sustainability challenges, comprised of three pillars: people (traceability and social compliance), product (sustainable materials and restricted substances), and planet (logistics and packaging).

Beginning with people, Difuzed has mapped all tiers of its supply chain on its SAP system and has started developing a Digital Product Passport (DPP) ahead of the deadline in 2026, to provide transparency towards the consumer.

“With all the legislation that is coming up, we want to be prepared for it. We would like to have an answer for it, at least,” said Eelco.

Difuzed has created its DPP with GS1, with sustainability measures which aim to be prepared for upcoming legislation. It has so far been rolled out to over 5,500 products in its stock.

Taking this transparency even further, Difuzed requires its factories to have at least a minimum amount of audits, such as BSCI and SAI. It endeavours to have achieved full transparency in its supply chain by 2030.

When it comes to the products themselves, Difuzed is working to adhere to the Eco Design for Sustainable Products (ESPR) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations. This has led it to its Circular Economy Programme, whereby by 2030, 50% of imported goods should contain sustainable fabrics, and by 2050, the loop is fully closed.

A headline catching example of this from Difuzed is some of the pieces fashion designer, Jimmy Paul, has created from old stock, to upcycle them into something new and creative. Last year, he created a dress from Christmas jumpers (top cover image), which the company showcased at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE). While this was a performative demonstration of what is possible, Difuzed is also looking at how upcycling products can become commercial, by changing outdated elements or reimagining them to have new appeal and value.

“It’s difficult to find a solution, but we basically plan to explore all the initiatives to find something that’s viable,” said Eelco.

Scope 3 supply chain emissions remain a problem for many companies and present a mammoth task to reduce. To begin its work cutting its Scope 3 down, Difuzed has reduced its airfreight transport to almost zero – down from 20% of its transport share in 2017. It has partnered with companies that deliver ‘the green last mile’ and have cleaner vessels while also reducing their own carbon footprint.

And last but by no means least, Difuzed has been exploring possibilities for recycled packaging with the Global Recycled Standard, reducing the size of its packaging where possible, and creating clear answers for its customers on the EPR packaging tax by the beginning of 2026.

Difuzed is a testamemt to the amount of work needed to bring current business models up-to-date and prepare them to last into the future as efficient, resilient, and profitable organisations. Companies like Difuzed that have already undertaken this work will be ahead of the pack when the legislation hits and be ready to provide the answers and data requested by customers and regulatory bodies. It is a competitive edge and a future-proof strategy that just so happens to protect the environment.