Hasbro to use bio-based packaging in 2019

Hasbro Inc., Pawtucket, Rhode Island, has announced that it will begin using plant-based biopolyethylene terephthalate (bioPET) for blister packs and plastic windows in its product packaging starting in 2019.

Using bioPET plastic is another step in Hasbro’s sustainable packaging journey, the company says. In 2010, the company eliminated wire ties and replaced polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with PET in 2013. In 2015, Hasbro achieved 90 percent recycled or sustainably sourced paper for packaging and in-box content and moved from PET to postconsumer recycled (rPET) in 2016.

Moving forward, Hasbro will use bioPET plastic made with 30 percent plant-based material derived from agricultural by products. Hasbro says this shift in material builds upon its efforts to continuously enhance the sustainability of its packaging and enables it to develop packaging that is less reliant on nonrenewable resources.

“At Hasbro, we take pride in designing for the environment and believe that every package makes a difference,” Kathrin Belliveau, senior vice president of global government, regulatory affairs and corporate social responsibility, Hasbro, says. “We’re proud of the strides we’ve made to advance the sustainability of our packaging and we know our consumers care deeply about this. We see every day as a chance to do better, and through actions like this, we are developing a more sustainable business and reducing our environmental impact.”

Hasbro ranked No. 3 on New York City-based Newsweek’s 2017 Green Rankings that assess the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. on overall environmental performance. The company was ranked No. 1 on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list for 2017 by CR Magazine, Northampton, Massachusetts, and was recognized as a 2018 World's Most Ethical Company by Ethisphere Institute, Scottsdale, Arizona.