If you’ve been watching the news or spending time on social media lately, you know that consumers are more concerned than ever about their plastic use. Eco-conscious consumers aren’t necessarily trying to cut plastic out, but they are increasingly shunning single-use plastics.
This has led to a market for alternative straws, made from materials such as paper and metal. Interestingly, brands with core products that are made of plastic are looking for innovative ways to encourage consumers to reuse their products.
In that vein, Hasbro has announced that it has expanded its toy and game-recycling program to France and Germany, with additional plans to launch in Brazil later this year. Through the program, consumers can send well-loved Hasbro toys and games to TerraCycle, a global leader in product recycling, who will recycle them into materials to be used in the construction of play spaces, flowerpots, park benches, and other innovative uses.
“Since launching the Hasbro Toy Recycling Program in the US in 2018, we’ve been planning to expand into additional markets to offer more consumers around the world a sustainable solution for recycling their well-loved toys and games,” says John Frascotti, President and Chief Operating Officer of Hasbro. “We deeply believe in taking care of our planet for future generations, and we see this expansion as the next step in our sustainability journey.”
Similar to the US program, once participants sign up, they can collect and box up their toys and games, print out a free shipping label, and send their box to TerraCycle, who will sort and recycle the products. Consumers in France can also bring toys and games to participating Picwic locations. The program is open to all Hasbro toys and games, including face-to-face games, toys, action figures, dolls, plush, and more.
“We want our consumers to know when they choose Hasbro toys and games, they can feel good that our products are of the highest quality, responsibly made, and recyclable through TerraCycle,” says Kathrin Belliveau, Senior Vice President of Global Government, Regulatory Affairs, and Corporate Social Responsibility for Hasbro.
It’s exciting to see brands using recycling efforts as part of an engagement strategy. These Hasbro consumers now have an additional phase in the customer journey that comes well after having bought the product. This will keep the brand top-of-mind and also present Hasbro in a favorable light to families.