Elizabeth Eaves is the lead sustainability engineer at Mattel EMEA where she applies her expertise in chemistry and materials engineering as well as her natural ability to adopt new technologies to the wonderful world of toys.
From an early age, Elizabeth had an innate curiosity for how things worked. Over the course of her career so far, that curiosity has seen her travel the globe in the pursuit of sustainable development.
We grab whatever time we can to learn more about Elizabeth and her inspiring work so far…
Elizabeth, to start – welcome and thank you so much for talking with us. Secondly, and it needs mentioning, your LinkedIn profile reads like an Charles Dickens novel… I’ve had to pause and come back to it simply for lack of time!
We’d love to learn more about some of the projects you’ve been involved with and what drew you into the world of STEM? How have you found yourself on this pathway within the world of sustainability in toys and licensed products?
Growing up on a farm in the Southwest of England, I spent much of my childhood outside which inspired a true love of nature and the environment. I have always been curious from an early age, and wanted to understand how and why things work. Studying Chemistry and Materials Engineering gave me the tools and knowledge to answer these questions, and enabled me to channel my natural intrigue into developing and implementing new technologies to help protect the environment that I love so much.
My career path has taken me through a few different iterations of what that means and looks like, but sustainability has always been at the heart of each step. I’ve had some incredible experiences along the way that have all helped me to grow and contributed to where I find myself now in the wonderful world of Toys working at Mattel EMEA.
You spent some time in Amsterdam working with polymers that I can’t even begin to pronounce… What’s it like working at the cutting edge of innovation in materials and production? How has that shaped your view of the sustainability conversation?
What started as a bit of an adventure to live in a different country ended up being a truly formative experience, and certainly had a huge impact on how I approach my work in sustainability now. There’s so much cross-functional collaboration needed to get a new innovation from the lab to commercial success in the market – if you treat sustainability as an innovation, everyone has their part to play in getting it “to scale” within an organization.
What is it about sustainability in business and the projects you lead that excites you? What inspires your relationship with sustainability in business?
I strongly believe in business as a force for good, and that companies can lead from the front when it comes to driving positive change that makes the world a better, healthier place for us all to live. Working in an industry that naturally focuses on the next generation reinforces this belief for me, as the work that I’m doing today will help lay the foundation for children to grow up understanding that protecting the environment is just as important a part of life as brushing your teeth or saying thank you, and will hopefully inspire them to keep fighting for a healthier planet and a more just society.
Using business as that tool for global change – from the outside looks and sounds like a huge job… what mantra or rule do you adopt to tackle the topic day-in day-out?
One that I’m pretty sure the vast majority of SILC attendees have heard me say multiple times before – Progress, not Perfection. Any positive action, no matter how simple, can create an impact that helps move sustainability initiatives forward.
Any tips for those who may look at the subject and feel overwhelmed? How do we keep it both engaging, light, yet approached with the serious determination it needs?
Sustainability is one of those topics that has two faces – on the surface it might seem a bit do-good and feel-good, but underneath there’s a complex foundation of data that underpins everything. It’s such a broad and multi-faceted topic that there’s truly something for everyone – just take a topic you have some background knowledge or interest in, and start learning piece by piece!
For me, this was through chemistry and materials, but equally there are fascinating developments being made on this front in marketing, communications, finance, product development, IT, legal frameworks, agriculture, transport, entertainment, hospitality…. every industry and function has something new and inspiring happening around sustainability.
Where do you draw inspiration from to keep nudging things forward and helping the business establish new parameters to operate within?
A big source of inspiration for me is seeing new and exciting initiatives coming into the market – whether it is innovative design leading to reimaginations of things like the humble water bottle or collaborations bringing groundbreaking technology like the Digital Product Passport to market at scale.
By looking at how these new advances have been achieved, there are often transferrable lessons to be found that can be adapted to complement and build on current business practices, which is something I bring into my work at Mattel.
Looking at the brands and licensing sectors – from your perspective, what power do these things collectively have to change the face of business today?
A huge amount! Brands are everywhere in our daily lives, and have a considerable amount of influence on our choices as consumers and citizens. Authentic brands have the ability to convey impactful messages in a way that can be easily received and digested by their fans – in an area like sustainability, this can be a powerful tool to help spread awareness and understanding.
I think the licensing space has an especially important role to play as collaboration is a fundamental part of the way it operates, and successful brand collaborations can hold many transferrable lessons for businesses where this is not such a natural way of working.
What do you think the brands and retail sectors of tomorrow look like? And what do you apply to your work to nudge towards that every day?
My personal belief is that a robust ESG strategy should eventually become as important to a brand as its logo or the quality of its products. We’re already seeing the tide of public opinion turning against things such as greenwashing, and it’s well known that sustainability is a key consideration when Millennials and Gen Z’s are considering purchases. As the levels of understanding in this area continue to grow and increase, it’s my hope that brands can keep pace with consumers and really deliver in this area.
Finally, you’re such a valued member of the POC network, what advice or thought would you offer to the next generation coming into the retail and brand industries looking to make change?
Never stop wanting to learn! Even outside of sustainability, the world will always keep on evolving and changing so it’s super important to always keep listening and absorbing new insights – you never know where the inspiration for the next great innovation might strike.
