We are at the dawning of a new age for licensing. With legislation coming at us from all angles, the landscape upon which business operates is about to shift dramatically. The $340bn global licensing industry has the chance to be leading that sustainable transition from the front, we just have to seize it.
That opportunity sits at the heart of this year’s Sustainability in Licensing Conference – the brand licensing and consumer product industries’ only event dedicated to collective sustainable development – as it makes its return to the Royal Geographical Society in London on Wednesday, 8 November 2023.
Of course, this year’s Sustainability in Licensing Conference wouldn’t go ahead without the support of the industry, our Products of Change community and our honourable list of sponsors, all of which are flying the flag for sector sustainable development while taking great strides themselves. Let’s meet a few:
Character World Brands
Sustainability is an ambition thought about holistically at Character World Brands and a subject applied to all areas of the business as the team looks to drive change and improvement across its operations rather than with just one specific product or range.
It’s why in the last year, the team has rolled-out the use of BCI Cotton and GRS polyester throughout its bedding ranges as a new standard specification, as well as introduce recycled card and recycled plastic content, while reducing the overall volume of material, within its packaging – a move that has elicited keen response from customers and retailers alike.
Office waste is recycled, staff members enjoy the benefits of a ‘cycle to work’ programme, and the business is currently investing in electric charging points for electric cars showcasing the ‘top-down’ support the company’s move towards better sustainability is receiving.
Ambitions for 2024:
From sourcing through to on-shelf and right through to the products’ end-of-life, Character World Brands will continue to approach sustainability holistically. With reductions now made across its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, the business it keen to learn more about measuring and tracking scope 3 emissions at this year’s Sustainability in Licensing Conference.
Lisa Hey, head of product development:
“We’ve said it before but we believe a good night’s sleep shouldn’t cost the earth. We see the Sustainability in Licensing Conference as a great platform and opportunity to meet up with industry peers and like-minded companies to discuss developments and opportunities to drive sustainability in the work we do, even the day-to-day actions we take.
“We are passionate about making a difference and pacing a way for change, and for me – personally having been involved in SiLC and Products of Change from the beginning – this conference facilitates important debate, discussion, and a shared agenda to foster sharing best practices and ideation.
“SiLC is the place where people and companies across the industry can gather to combine our experience and knowledge. In the upcoming conference, taking place on Wednesday, 8 November, we’re looking forward to hearing updates, insights, and ideas from a wealth of speakers from all areas of the industry. It’s the ability to share and learn in these more formal sessions, but also in the informal and ad-hoc conversation and debate that will continue to push the green chat forward.”
Dreamtex
Dreamtex has spent the last 12 months putting its sustainability plans well into action and working closely with retailers to implement changes that include the removal of all single-use plastic from its products in store and the introduction of 100% recycled polyester filling into its collections of cushions. Since the launch of its National Geographic range using Repreve, Dreamtex has moved towards natural fibres such as BCI Cotton and bamboo.
The bedding specialist is currently engaging its factories in conversations around scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions mapping while internal changes at the company have boomed. Most recently the team has taken advantage of the North West Chambers of Commerce Green Rose programme which offers training sessions on sustainability and environmental management in small businesses and has set up procurement policies such as soft plastic recycling points, mixed recycling points, switching to recycled paper, and more.
The team is also in the process of evaluating carbon accounting software products that will allow the operation to gain insight y benchmarking and tracking its greenhouse gas emissions.
Ambitions for 2024:
Dreamtex’s new Bluey home décor collection will feature seasonal ranges such as Christmas and Halloween. All card used in the products is FSC certified while the range is 100% recyclable with no single-use plastic. The company is also reviewing more near-shore factories to source product from to reduce the carbon created in its supply chain.
Andy Downie, commercial director:
“Conferences such as SiLC drive the voice of the industry and amplify the need for change across every scope. We are very proud to be part of such a significant driver for change.
“We strive to do our best by the environment and are always looking for new ways to improve. We cannot wait for SiLC 2023 and are very proud to be supporting such an amazing voice of the industry.”
Natural History Museum
London’s iconic institution. The Natural History Museum is working on a new set of licensing programme-specific sustainability guidelines it believes ‘will steer future product development in the right direction’ while encouraging partners and other members of the licensing industry to do the same.
This is just the latest in a long list of actions the museum has taken in recent years to reduce its impact and help educate those at every juncture across its value chain of stakeholders. At NHM, the sustainable journey is ongoing and ever-evolving as new strategies are implemented from the simple (minimising packaging) to the more complex (seeking alternative product materials and developing customer-facing educational campaigns).
Some of the most notable partnerships to have emerged from NHM this year include its work with Dunelm which has launched its own Conscious Choice label with the aim of making it easier for customers to find homewares with a reduced environmental impact, and Joanie which continues to display a commitment to sustainable fabrics.
Ambitions for 2024:
The Natural History Museum, among many other initiatives, is actively looking at how to better educate customers on second uses for their products after they have finished with them, rather than throwing them away. The UK has a vibrant second-hand industry and the more the Museum can educate consumers to embrace a second life culture, the closer we can move towards a more circular economy.
Maxine Lister, head of licensing:
“It was fantastic to be able to attend the conference in person for the first time last year. Aside from the engaging panels and discussions on offer, it was equally valuable to be able to further expand on these discussions with other attendees between sessions.
“We took a huge amount from the conference, much of which has since steered our own approach to sustainability within our own licensing programme.”
Kids Industries
Kids Industries has been a long-term partner of Products of Change providing research and insight into the children’ and family market and ambassadorship through the company’s co-founder Gary Pope who proudly wears the badge, POC Ambassador for Children.
The industry insights expert has been on a mission this past year to begin tracking its own carbon footprint by measuring its scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions through through the creation of its own in-house ‘Green Team.’ Sustainability is also part of Kids Industries’ Super 6 – the six most important aspects of childhood the company has promised to never compromise on and always protect.
In recent months, Kids Industries has played a crucial role in the development of the Sustainability Framework Maturity Index tool, a means of collecting industry data on individual companies’ sustainable development to provide an overarching view of the industry’ progression with sustainability.
Jelena Stosic, director of strategy:
“Sustainability has been important to us right from the get-go, and we are really proud to be able to support SiLC and collaborate with Products of Change.
“Sustainability is a part of our pillars because it’s incredibly important to our audience, to us, to the whole world… and we are here to do the work and support the work to create a world we all actually want to live in.”
About SiLC 2023
The Sustainability in Licensing Conference will be making its grand return to the Royal Geographical Society in London on Wednesday, 8 November where the industry will convene to showcase and discuss the latest steps being taken towards industry sustainable development.
A full speaker line-up can be found at the Sustainability in Licensing Conference website where both in-person and digital-only tickets can also be purchases. SiLC 23 will be live-streamed to audiences around the world as the day’s jam-packed agenda takes the conversation of industry sustainability to a whole new level.
