The subject of sustainability within the North American toy industry is starting to gain traction. It’s according to a 2023 survey conducted by the Toy Association that 45% of US parents under the age of 40 now prioritise the environmental impact of toys when buying brands and products.
It’s a recognition of a generational shift in priority as increasingly, millennials and Gen Z shoppers begin to set new parameters for the global consumer products space to operate within. Continuing Products of Change’s focus on the global toy industry, we catch up with Jennifer Lynch, content developer and toy trends specialist, and Charlotte Hickox, director of state government affairs at The Toy Association.
Hi Jennifer, hi Charlotte, it’s great to catch up with you. Can you help us set the scene a little bit and tell us about the US toy market’s relationship with sustainability right now?
Jennifer Lynch: If you look back at the landscape of the toy industry even five years ago, what you’ll find is only a handful of manufacturers incorporating sustainability into their business models. Now, more toy manufacturers are taking steps to prioritize sustainability through manufacturing practices that reduce their carbon footprint, sustainable materials in packaging and products, participation in toy takeback programmes, and partnerships that help address issues like climate change and deforestation.
We are also seeing manufacturers put an increased focus on investing in a product’s durability and long-term play value, which according to a Deloitte 2023 Sustainable Consumer report, is the quality consumers care about most (at 58%) when it comes to sustainability and purchasing products.
Which is all very encouraging! So, it’d be great to learn more about the Toy Association’s approach to sustainability in recent years…
Jennifer: We are helping ease pathways for manufacturers to create toys with a reduced environmental impact – as seen in our recent work with the Pennsylvania Stuffed Toy Manufacturing Act.
As the producers of Toy Fair, The Toy Association is also dedicated to fostering an environmentally conscious trade show experience. In our ongoing efforts, the 100+ year old event has implemented sustainability measures to better understand and mitigate its environmental footprint, such as transitioning the show’s Toy Fair Locator Guide to be fully digital under the Toy Fair app (the approximately 30,000 printed copies distributed at previous shows contributed to unnecessary waste).
The Toy Association and its Toy Fair partners have also worked together since 2015 to continually implement greener practices, from waste reduction initiatives to incorporating more sustainable materials into the show’s infrastructure. This collective effort aims to redefine the role of trade shows by actively embracing sustainability measures.
Our educational programming, through webinars and in-person presentations, aim to further the conversation around sustainability in the toy industry. For example, as part of last year’s Toy Fair University educational sessions, The Toy Association moderated a session that included industry experts from Adventerra Games, Crayola, and Learning Resources who discussed the trend of authentic, sustainable toys and how companies can meet the demands of conscious consumers and foster positive change by creating products that are built to last, teach children (and adults) about sustainability, and incorporate sustainable materials in the manufacturing of their toys.
Ah well, on that point – can you talk us through some of the initiatives or work you have undertaken to drive conversation and action across the US toy industry?
Charlotte Hickcox: At the federal level, The Toy Association continues to respond to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) planned updates and changes to its “Green Guides,” which are designed to provide guidance on environmental marketing claims. The Toy Association’s position is that there is an ongoing need for the “Green Guides” to help achieve transparency, consistency, and ultimately increased consumer confidence when choosing from the growing volume of products marketed as environmentally friendly.
By working in collaboration with members of our Environmental Sustainability Committee, and incorporating feedback from the greater toy community, we have submitted comments that provide toy industry perspectives. Comments called for guidance that creates predictability and consistency in the marketplace without limiting companies’ abilities to communicate environmental initiatives in nondeceptive ways. We also expressed a need for agency guidance to help companies comply with the guides and suggested that incorporating QR codes on product packaging should be an option for providing consumers access to information about a product’s sustainability at the point of sale.
We also continue to monitor extended producer responsibility (EPR) mandates at the state level and encourage regulators to harmonize requirements with other states. We keep members abreast of pending legislation and emerging issues related to EPR.
For example, last fall, Toy Association staff participated in the 2023 U.S. Product Stewardship Forum and the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) Fall Conference with EPR leaders, state regulators, and packaging producers. Our team also hosted a webinar series for the industry with Circular Action Alliance (the “PRO” group selected to helm the EPR program in Colorado and potentially other states) and Reverse Logistics Group, a potential PRO, to ensure that toy industry perspectives are included in program development.
Lastly, at the state level in 2023, The Toy Association helped introduce, lobbied, and received significant support and traction on much needed and long-awaited, member-driven legislation to revise the outdated stuffed toy law in Pennsylvania to allow for the use of recycled materials. The law currently requires all stuffed toys distributed and sold within the state to be manufactured using only new, virgin materials, affects manufacturing and retail across the country and in some cases internationally.
Oh yes, let’s dive into this a little bit more. Why was this an important project for you guys? What precedent or message does this set and send to the US toy industry?
Charlotte: To put it simply, it’s an example of a law that needed to be modernized and one that the broader toy manufacturing and retail community has been urging Pennsylvania to revisit and revise. While the 63-year-old law ensured cleanliness standards at the time of enactment, the times have changed. Advancements in technology now make it possible to use recycled materials to manufacture stuffed toys, which is both sustainable and a cost benefit to manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike, while keeping the same cleanliness standards.
Pushing for changes to the current law, however, has been a team effort. The Toy Association formed a working group of its members dedicated to identifying key policy issues related to PA’s Stuffed Toy Manufacturing Act. This resulted in the drafting of comprehensive legislative language that was shared with legislators and ultimately used in the introduced legislation. Ongoing conversations between our government affairs team and legislators at the Pennsylvania statehouse have been instrumental in keeping the legislation at the forefront of the legislative process.
Also worth noting is that Pennsylvania is one of just three states (in addition to Ohio and Massachusetts) that directly mandate specific requirements for stuffed toys, separate from general toy safety standards. Additionally, current stringent labeling requirements for the state make it exceedingly challenging for manufacturers to produce stuffed toys on a mass scale and distribute them across the country or globally.
It’s fascinating to learn about those ‘behind the scene’ campaigns… and best of luck to the initiative! Thank you Jennifer and Charlotte for chatting with us. One final question, where do you think the conversation about toy industry sustainability heading next?
Jennifer: The conversation around sustainability in the toy industry is one that again is largely being driven by consumer demands. And what’s great to see is that with more consumers paying closer attention to their overall consumption habits and placing more value on authenticity, it’s encouraging toy companies to rethink their manufacturing practices, how they design their toys and packaging to be less wasteful, utilize less plastic, and also focus more on creating products that create lasting moments for play. As these consumer interests and demands increase, we expect to see companies respond on a greater scale in the years ahead.
