Brand Licensing Europe launches sustainability activation to spotlight innovation in retail
Brand Licensing Europe, in partnership with global educational hub Products of Change, is spotlighting innovation across sustainability in a new activation at this year’s event (in-person, ExCeL London, 17-19 November, followed online event 30 November-1 December).
The BLE Sustainability Activation in partnership with Products of Change will feature six zones highlighting the inroads retailers, brands and manufacturers are already making in sustainability. These include a showcase about Asda’s George for Good strategic approach to sustainable production, including its core sustainability pillars, licensed product ranges and 100% sustainably sourced school uniform ranges along with their new 3D technology to heavily reduce waste in production.
Sustainable fashion company and apparel licensee Teemill will demonstrate its circular innovation, ‘bringing to life’ the process of ‘shredding’ material to re-use. The award-winning manufacturer’s shredder turns pre-loved clothing into yarn, which can be reused to create recycled clothing, ready to find a new owner.
The sustainable licensed products showcase will feature brand owners and licensees from across the brand licensing industry, including Tesco, Hasbro, Mattel, Lego, Keeleco, Character World, Dreamtex and Discovery.
On the outside walls of the activation, BLE attendees can read up on the United Nation’s 17 life-changing Sustainable Development Goals. The graphics will be supported by stats on why being sustainable makes sense for individuals, organisations and the planet provided by Kids Industries and information about Informa Market’s own initiatives to be more sustainable.
“Brand owners, retailers and manufacturers have all been making purposeful and practical commitments to improving the sustainability of their products, businesses and the sector as whole through a range of initiatives focused on putting the planet before profit and we can’t wait to showcase these at BLE in November to inspire others on their sustainability journeys,” commented Anna Knight, VP of Licensing, Informa Markets.
Helena Mansell-Stopher, Founder & CEO of Products of Change added: “With both Covid and Brexit hitting business hard this year, it has been extremely encouraging to see the industry still focusing on transitioning to a more sustainable production model, as well as incorporating a large proportion of the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals within their sustainability framework. I cannot think of a better place to celebrate the industry’s achievements than being able to physically show them at BLE this year. It is a real honour to be working with the progressive team at Informa to bring this activation to life, and I’m really looking forward to inspiring more business to come on the sustainable journey with us”.
