GREEN PARTY

WHY IS SUSTAINABILITY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE PARTY INDUSTRY?

Raluca: “Everyone celebrates, people throw multiple parties throughout their lives, so sustainability should and must be at the forefront of our thinking.

“It is also important to fight against the current preconceptions that it is largely a single use industry. We need to change that narrative, work on sustainable solutions, lead the way and drive the sustainability agenda to help combat the effects of climate change.

“And although there is a strong focus on products within the industry, it is also important to not forget about the other aspects of ESG. For example, ensuring that industry supply chains are ethically compliant and working with suppliers to guarantee safe and fair working conditions for all.”

Gloria: “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, is a responsibility that belongs to everyone. The balloon and party industry celebrates every aspect of life and our future lives depend on what actions we take today.”

Peter: “Historically, the party industry has been less than optimal in terms of sustainability and consideration towards the environment. It has been through nobodies’ fault in particular; it has just reflected the wider societal views of the time. Now though, with everyone thinking about sustainability more than ever before, it is important for all businesses, not just in the party industry, to reflect on their green journey and how they can improve their practices.”

Progressive Party talks to Raluca Runcianu, group head of sustainability and product safety at Amscan; Dominique Peckett, director at Smiffys; Gloria Veta, brand and sales director at Gemar, Julie Dommett, head of marketing at Pioneer Europe, and Peter Silver, head of sales at Rubies, about sustainability in the party industry.

Dominique: “As an event-based industry, the party sector has a responsibility to be aware of its impact on the environment. With a variety of single use products used at most events, it lies with the party industry to innovate with new ways to make celebrating more sustainable and reduce the impact on the planet.”

Julie: “Sustainability is an important issue for EVERY industry. In most markets worldwide, consumers are more conscious than they ever have been about the impact of their purchasing decisions - and people want to celebrate in a responsible way.”

HOW IS YOUR COMPANY WORKING TO IMPROVE ITS SUSTAINABILITY?

Gloria: “Sustainability is a never-ending journey. Gemar started out by committing to the UN Global Compact. We have successfully incorporated the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in our core business and strategic thinking.

“We strive to implement these universal principles in day-to-day operations and decision making and we measure the results and the progress towards our goals by reporting according to GRI guidelines.” Dominique: “Here at Smiffys, we are working to reduce our environmental impact as we move towards a more sustainable future. Our costume bags are now recyclable and made from at least 30% recycled plastic. We have removed plastic packaging for our wigs, which are now all packed in FSC certified paperboard boxes. We have also reworked how we pack accessories, moving to right-size packaging solutions that reduce the amount of carboard without compromising the protective nature, and removing plastic blisters.

“Working towards a more sustainable business is a key goal for us and we will continue to review how we can make more positive steps across the company.”

Peter: “Rubies Zero wants to cultivate positive change and protect our environment by supporting businesses through conscious products and achieving carbon neutral practices.

“As members of both SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) and the HIGG Index, Rubies is dedicated to ethical business practices. Rubies is wholeheartedly committed to changing and evolving the business and methods of design, manufacturing, and distribution to ensure we reduce the impact on the planet and stay ahead of the curve in the industry with regards to eco-friendly technological innovations.

“The business overall is evolving and working towards becoming fully climate conscious; all of these endeavours, combined with future plans, supports Rubies’ mission to eliminate its carbon footprint completely.”

Julie: “In the “Sustainability Update” that Pioneer Balloon company issued earlier this year, ceo Dan Flynn said: “We believe it is our responsibility to take meaningful action in support of a better, more sustainable earth, to ensure people of all ages enjoy balloons for generations to come. We are taking a 360-degree approach, looking at the full lifecycle of our products, to create measurable change for the future”.

“The report highlighted a series of company commitments including: creating a strategy to carbon neutrality by 2030, reducing plastic in packaging (and where unavoidable in the short term moving to a minimum 30% recycled plastic in packaging) and aligning company activities with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.” Raluca: “One of the first things we did was calculating our greenhouse gas emissions. We wanted to have a clear direction and a well-defined base line.

“Now, over two years later, we can confidently say we have made a tremendous amount of progress, particularly in those areas that were responsible for our most emissions. We have introduced a sustainable costume range with 100% recycled polyester, are in the process of introducing 40% recycled content in all our costume packaging, have stepped away from plastic in many product categories and where plastic is still used, we are working on ensuring it is easily recyclable and products are reusable.

“Our latex balloons are manufactured in an ISO1400 certified factory that operated in 2022 with 100% renewable energy. We are in the process of installing solar panels at our UK location and aim to expand this to further locations.

“We have recently finalised our five-year plan, we have some very ambitious goals, many things still need to be done, but a dedicated team to make it all happen.”

DO YOU THINK SUSTAINABILITY IS A KEY FACTOR IN RETAILERS’ BUYING DECISIONS?

Peter: “Retailers, just like trade manufacturers, are reflecting on their business practices now more than ever and seeing how they can be more sustainable. Over the past few years, it has certainly become one of the key reasons which could make or break a sale.”

Julie: “Yes, it is definitely a factor when selecting which brands retailers want to work with - and many retailers are also embracing sustainable concepts themselves and encouraging more responsible consumerism.

“Responsible use of products is key. It is pleasing to note that after years of campaigning by balloon manufacturers and industry organisations such as European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC), it is now widely accepted that balloon releases should not take place - and we have seen a significant decrease in balloons found in litter as a result.”

Gloria: “I think that sustainability is now at the forefront of every strategic decision taken by companies worldwide including buying decisions.”

Dominique: “As retailers become more conscious of the effect they are having on the environment themselves, this in-turn is changing their buying decisions. Having more sustainable products available to their customers is both improving the company’s environmental impact, as well as appealing to ever more conscious customers.”

Raluca: “Undoubtedly yes, retailers are becoming increasingly concerned and interested in their supply chain, whether that be scope 3 emissions, ethical sourcing, or product sustainability.

The consumers themselves are becoming increasingly engaged and that reflects on the buying decisions retailers are making. It is a chain reaction and to enact meaningful change everyone must be onboard.

“We see, increasingly, that retailers are expecting more from suppliers in terms of assurance and sustainable practices. Sustainability has become an important factor in any supplierretailer relationship alongside quality and price.”

DO YOU THINK SUSTAINABILITY IS BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION MORE NOW FOR CONSUMERS’ BUYING DECISIONS?

Dominique: “Customers are becoming increasingly conscious of the impact their purchasing decisions have on the environment. As we continue to see how our environmental footprint as consumers is affecting the planet, the sustainability of products we choose to buy is a key factor.”

Raluca: “Although quality and price will always sit highly in a materiality matrix, we increasingly see that consumers are interested in whether a product is sustainable, sourced in a responsible way and easy to recycle. Consumers understand that every action they take can make a difference, so they are looking for products which last longer, are sustainable packaged and are good quality. We are seeing more and more consumers speaking out against companies who are not taking action and those companies that fall foul of greenwashing.”

Gloria: “New generations of consumers are very concerned about their future and it’s our duty to provide environmentally friendly products and raise awareness among consumers on the proper and sustainable use of these products.”

Julie: “Yes, consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever before - and expect trusted brands to behave in a sustainable way and to be making ongoing improvements.”

Peter: “Consumers are more conscious of their purchasing decisions, and finding the right balance between price point and sustainability is key for their choices. Aside from the product itself being recycled, upcycled, or made from renewable resources, our research also indicates that consumers care about the ethics and sustainability of the companies manufacturing and selling the product as well.”

WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFICULTIES FACED BY PARTY COMPANIES WHO ARE TRYING TO IMPROVE THEIR SUSTAINABILITY?

Julie: “Across Europe, there are a variety of approaches being taken to implement sustainability programmes by individual member states.

“Countries are introducing different programmes, many requiring different pack labelling and administrative procedures, leading to ongoing changes for manufacturers to ensure future compliance.”

Raluca: “A major difficulty faced by party companies is keeping products in use for longer. As an industry it is important that we tackle this issue head on and work to find and source sustainable solutions. Most importantly we must inform consumers how to get the best life span out of their products.

“Ethical sourcing is also a hot topic, with much of the manufacturing occurring outside of Europe. At times it can become challenging to ensure that ethical compliance standards are implemented.

“Carbon scope reductions can also be challenging. Due to the global nature of our industry, finding ways in which to streamline logistics, source materials with a lower carbon impact and ensuring that as a company you are promoting biodiversity and conservation efforts in the regions in which you operate can at times seem like a dauting task.”

Peter: “With plenty of fresh ideas and innovation, the industry (and society on the whole) is anything but short of new processes, materials and more to revolutionise the way we work with our product and suppliers in terms of sustainability. But, as we all know, changing systems that have been in place for decades in some cases takes time; however, in a company like ours, our priorities lie with protecting the world we live in.”

Gloria: “As a balloon manufacturer one of the major difficulties is solving the challenges of a relatively small industry. You need to be creative and think out of the box to find the solutions to reach your goals because there are not many ‘off the shelf’ solutions available.”

WILL THE SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAN MAKE A BIG IMPACT ON THE SECTOR?

Raluca: “The single use plastic ban could impact the party industry dramatically given that single use plastic used to be a dominant component. However, a lot has changed over the last years. So, whilst the ban may put pressure on us, it does help drive the sustainability agenda and encourages our industry to innovate and find new options and pathways to creating the products our customers have to come to love. Ultimately the ban does serve to make a meaningful change and reduce the amount of plastic waste that is produced.”

Gloria: “It has already made a big impact; many products and practices have been lost, but we will never lose the opportunity to create something new. The simple sight of a balloon brings joy to people of all ages, and we firmly believe that we can spread that joy in an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and ethical way.”

Left: Amscan has stepped away from plastic in many product categories and where plastic is still used, is working on ensuring it is recyclable and reusable. Below: Gemar has successfully incorporated the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in its core business.

Julie: “Changes in legislation have already had a big impact on the sector across Europe. Product range changes required by the EU SUP Directive have been implemented by many over the last few years, involving lots of new product development, manufacturing changes and range updates.

“For the consumer, we recognise it may be challenging to identify variations in product ranges and understand the differences in pricing due to the use of different materials in the manufacturing process.”

Peter: “Consumers have already adjusted to the plastic ban in other areas of their life, for example with supermarket bags. We feel this change will be welcomed by consumers and if anything, will improve the industry’s standing in their eyes.”

Dominique: “The introduction of the single use plastic ban later this year may initially be a challenge for the party sector, but with a plethora of more sustainable options now available as an alternative for these products, the ban will have a positive impact on the industry and environment going forward. At Smiffys, we have made the move to plastic free party tableware ahead of the ban.”

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