Toy maker Hasbro wants to play in the eco-packaging game. The board game giant will ditch its plastic packaging by 2022. The move means that games like Monopoly, Scrabble and Operation will no longer have shrink wrap, window sheets, plastic bags or elastic bands, as the Associated Press reported.
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That does not mean the product itself will change. The monopoly houses and hotels will still be plastic, so will Mr. Potato Head and all the parts used to dress him. All of the G.I. Joes and My Little Pony figurines that Hasbro sells will be plastic too, but the company does offer to recycle the toys for anyone who mails them in. Instead of changing its product line, the company is targeting the elements most likely to be discarded once the game or toy is opened, according to the AP.
"Removing plastic from our packaging is the latest advancement in our more than decade-long journey to create a more sustainable future for our business and our world," said Brian Goldner, Chairman and CEO of Hasbro, in a press release. "We have an experienced, cross-functional team in place to manage the complexity of this undertaking and will look to actively engage employees, customers, and partners as we continue to innovate and drive progress as a leader in sustainability."
The move to get rid of the single-use plastics will appeal to parents who are increasingly horrified by how much waste is created just to open a toy, and it will eliminate what one Hasbro executive likens to a water-bottle problem, as Forbes reported. That is, the toys will stay with families for years, but the packaging is discarded right away, much like a plastic water bottle after your thirst is slaked.
"Reimagining and redesigning packaging across our brand portfolio is a complex undertaking, but we believe it's important and our teams are up for the challenge," said John Frascotti, President and Chief Operating Officer of Hasbro in a press release. "We know consumers share our commitment to protecting the environment, and we want families to feel good knowing that our packaging will be virtually plastic-free, and our products can be easily recycled through our Toy Recycling Program with TerraCycle."
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Hasbro has made a concerted effort to improve its environmental footprint. Hasbro also eliminated wire tires in 2010, added How2Recycle labeling in 2016, plant-based bioPET in 2018, launched a top-notch recycling program that lets parents print a free shipping label and mail toys to TerraCycle, which turns them into new products, according to Forbes.
"Before plastic came around people found ways to make and display products and its really just up to our ingenuity to find ways commercially appealing ways to do that going forward," said Frascotti, as Forbes reported.
"Certainly all the evidence is that today's parents, the millennial generation and younger, are more focused on sustainability issues, so it's appealing to their customer too. It's good business," said Gerald Storch, the former CEO of Toys R Us, according to Forbes.