A Minions licensed YAZOO Kids Milk Drink, a PAW Patrol themed Clean & Soft skincare range from Naturally Tribal Skincare, and a collection of WWF Grasslands products made from FSC paper, organic cotton, and recycled content, just for the shelves of Tesco.
Yes, we’re back with the latest instalment of the Licensing Awards’ Best Sustainable Licensed Product Category finalists where worlds really do collide and the transformative powers of the global brand licensing industry can be realised and unleashed.
Last week, we took a closer look at three out of this year’s ten shortlisted finalists to better understand the efforts and sustainable credentials that each are going to and instilling. We explored Tony’s Chocolonely’s partnership with Ben & Jerry’s to end slavery in the cocoa trade while delivering on some serious flavour combinations, dipped a toe into the National Trust’s pairing with Moshulu to protect the British coastline, and got to know some colourful acquaintances through the Ashmolean Museum’s partnership with Graphenstone Paints.
If it feels like this year, more than ever, there’s plenty to explore within the Best Sustainable Licensed Product category it’s because this year’s list of finalists really is reflective of a $340 billion global licensing industry getting to grips with its transition towards a positive and sustainable future.
So, the Licensing Awards’ Best Sustainable Licensed Product shortlist has finally been revealed, and with is comes a fantastic narrative of an industry in evolution. Following last week’s kick-off article, here’s a few more of those shortlisted finalists to take a closer look at.
MINIONS YAZOO KIDS’ MILK DRINK
First in market to introduce bendable paper straws back in 2019, YAZOO KIDS has a history of trailblazing the sustainable development of the children’s beverage sector. Removing plastic straws from its 200ml ranges has gone on to save around 12 tonnes of plastic a year. But it was just a start. In October 2022, KIDS HDPE bottles were replaced with Elopack carton packs – a move that resulted in an 84.9% reduction of plastic compared to its previous packaging in one fell swoop.
Elopack beverage cartons are made from renewable, sustainably sourced materials, with paperboard sourced exclusively from responsibly managed and controlled forests, helping to ensure low carbon packaging and resources for future generations.
Not only this, but YAZOO KIDS works to use sustainably sourced ingredients, too. All the cocoa in chocolate flavour drinks is Rainforest Alliance Certified while the brand itself is part of the Better Health Food Scanner App campaign with all flavours across the range holding the Good Choice badge.
“Given its target audience, YAZOO KIDS featuring Universal’s Minions is also helping to educate the next generation about responsible recycling practices – making it easy to do the right thing,” reads a statement from the team.
“A different Minion features on each front-facing pack in a multipack, which creates collectability and offers an extra reason to buy this deliciously refreshing milk drink. We’re proud to have leveraged the power of the powerhouse family entertainment brand, Universal, to deliver a product that is not only a commercially successful licensing collaboration, but one that has sustainability at its core.”
PAW PATROL CLEAN & SOFT RANGE FROM NATURALLY TRIBAL SKINCARE
No fewer than 120 billion units of plastic are produced by the global beauty industry each year, while the average British citizen uses 142 litres of water a day – a daily usage that will lead to water poverty by 2025 affecting two-thirds of the world’s population without intervention.
The team at Naturally Tribal Skincare is playing its part in providing that intervention. While the average beauty product is made up of 60 to 80% water, Naturally Tribal’s Clean and Soft formulations aim to provide maximum hydration with minimal water usage. As well as this, by-products from the company’s Shea Butter processing facility in Africa are used for animal feed and alternative energy sources.
The products themselves are manufactured in Dorset, they are vegan, cruelty-free, and biodegradable. Traditional production methods (melting, blending, whisking, and hand-pouring) are employed, utilising people over machines and all are manufactured ethically in small batches.
When it comes to the products’ packaging, soft aluminium packaging and recyclable cardboard boxes are used – and nothing else.
“The Clean and Soft collaboration between Paramount Consumer Goods and Naturally Tribal is revolutionising the industry with its transparent and traceable approach,” said the Naturally Tribal Skincare team. “The collaboration proudly promotes its impact on 11 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, including a commitment to end poverty through the construction of a Shea facility using local resources and employing 22 rural Essan women, providing infrastructure and jobs.”
In addition, Naturally Tribal focuses on promoting health and wellbeing by addressing skin conditions and supporting those undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
If this wasn’t enough, the team is addressing the alarming loss of Shea trees in the Savannah Ecological Zone by partnering with the King of Essan to enforce a ban on Shea tree cutting throughout the kingdom.
“By targeting consumers through various channels and emphasising impact on important global goals, Naturally Tribal are making positive differences in numerous SDGs, including poverty reduction, gender equality, responsible consumption, and the preservation of life on land and below water.”
THE WWF GRASSLANDS COLLECTION AT TESCO
Developed exclusively for Tesco, the WWF Grasslands collection consists of no fewer than items, spanning children’s clothing, towels, travel bags, and more. Working with WWF, all products comply to strict sustainability credentials, including FSC paper, organic cotton, and recycled content.
However, it is the collection’s focus on endangered species that sets it apart as each item aims to bring an educational element of raising awareness of the work of the WWF and Tesco’s support of the cause.
“At Tesco, our purpose is to serve our customers, community, and planet a little better everyday,” said the Tesco team. “No one tries harder for our customers, and customer mindset is pivotal to all that we do. This is never more true than the attention we focus on our licensing strategy for WWF and every effort has gone into aligning our sustainability mission with our key partner, WWF.”
