The Changemakers: Hasbro

The licensing industry has global influence. Consumers flock to buy the products the industry creates, and the revenue driven at retail is a substantial driver in a brand’s power to implement change. Some executives harness the power of their position to become what License Global calls a “Changemaker,” meaning they are leveraging licensing’s potential as a catalyst to create change.     

Brand Licensing Europe has just concluded, and we chatted with Catrina O’Brien, director, U.K. licensing and consumer products, Hasbro, to discuss how the toy and entertainment giant has paved the way for other companies to make eco-conscious choices. 

License Global: Hasbro is very transparent about your sustainability efforts. There is a page on the Hasbro website dedicated to environmental, social, governance and other related reports. Why is it important to Hasbro to have such transparency with its consumers? 

Catrina O’Brien: Hasbro’s purpose has always been about spreading joy and building communities, and that includes protecting our planet. This priority extends to the partners we choose to collaborate with, such as Products of Change and Wastebusters and Tesco, which help us work towards building a more sustainable future. 

Sustainability and social governance are top of mind for many consumers today, and we believe it’s our responsibility to share the meaningful steps we are taking as an organization to drive sustainability. Of course, we have a lot of work left to do as we continue to build on Hasbro’s legacy of impact through play, but every step helps when it comes to protecting our planet. 

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Hasbro’s Sustainability Center of Excellence is a cross-functional task force that works on driving and communicating its strategic Environmental Blueprint across the organization. What does this task force look like and what areas does it focus on? 

Our ESG team collaborates closely with our leadership and Board to pinpoint key focus areas and drive initiatives throughout the organization. To learn more about our sustainability priorities and ongoing efforts, please refer to our latest ESG report here. 

Peppa Pig and CleanerSeas Group have teamed for ocean clean up. Why was Peppa the right spokesperson for this and why did Hasbro choose to do this initiative? 

At Hasbro, everything we do is centred around purpose: making the world a better place for all children, fans, and families. When we collaborated with Cleaner Seas, whose mission is to give back to our world by cleaning the seas through the collection of plastic and litter from the beach, it was about encouraging young families to learn all about our oceans and what they can do to help protect them for future generations.  

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Peppa Pig was the right voice for this program because Peppa encourages children to set out together to explore the world around them, while giving them the confidence to see every first step as a new adventure – protecting the world around us is so important and Peppa is such an encouraging character in the lives of fans.  

This tied into our entertainment as well, as the “Peppa Pig” series has an episode dedicated to sea treasures which is all about the adventures of Peppa and George collecting rubbish off the beach. Through the series, there are many other episodes and songs that relate to sustainability – probably the most popular being “The Peppa Pig Recycle Song.” 

You worked with Wastebusters and Tesco on a Recycle to Read program. What did this program look like and how has it helped the environment? 
We deeply enjoyed our collaboration with Wastebusters and Tesco on the Recycle to Read program. This initiative allowed us to work closely with a key retail collaborator to address waste reduction and promote literacy – two causes we are passionate about at Hasbro, especially through our Peppa Pig brand. 

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The program was initially rolled out in 19 Tesco stores across the U.K. The concept was straightforward: we placed Hasbro-branded bins in these stores where customers could drop off unwanted plastic toys. To drive participation and raise awareness, we used promotional materials featuring popular Hasbro brands like Peppa Pig and Transformers to help kids and families better understand these important causes. 

This effort not only helped divert plastic toys from landfills but also supported our mission to get more books into the hands of children. By recycling toys and encouraging reading, the program contributed positively to both environmental sustainability and child literacy. 

You’re part of the Products of Change network. Why was it important for Hasbro to be involved with this organization and what is your hope with this relationship? 

Being part of the Products of Change network is crucial for Hasbro because it aligns with our commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. This organization provides a platform for collaboration and innovation among companies, brands and thought leaders who are dedicated to driving positive environmental change within the industry. 

For Hasbro, involvement with Products of Change represents an opportunity to stay at the forefront of sustainability initiatives, share insights, and learn from others who are equally passionate about making a difference. Our goal with this relationship is to deepen our understanding of sustainable practices, contribute to industry-wide improvements and accelerate our efforts to minimize our environmental footprint. 

We hope that through this collaboration, we can help drive systemic change, foster new ideas, and implement effective solutions that benefit both the planet and our consumers. By working together with other like-minded organizations, we aim to lead by example and inspire broader industry progress toward a more sustainable future. 

Are there any additional sustainability initiatives from Hasbro and Peppa Pig you’d like to share? 

Great question!  Through a series of partnerships with One Tree Planted, Hasbro has sponsored the planting of over 132,000 trees around the world with the goal of replenishing essential natural resources and, in turn, combatting climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. So far, we have planted in four key regions across the globe including Brazil, the U.S., India and Ireland, together helping global reforestation efforts.  

At Hasbro, we’re passionate about protecting our planet and conserving natural resources for future generations, including pursuing innovative ways to reduce our environmental impacts across our value chain. Also, Peppa loves to be outdoors! So, sustainability initiatives will always be a natural tie-in with our brand and activations, and there is absolutely more to come in the future.