Bon Ton Toys: Accelerating Sustainable Toy Production with Root’s LCA Platform

Bon Ton Toy logo

Leading with Purpose

With a heart for sustainability and durability, Bon Ton Toys isn’t just about making fun, high-quality toys – they’re on a mission to make a positive impact on our planet. Certified as a B Corp, a proud member of 1% for the Planet and with a strategic partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Bon Ton Toys is serious about spreading smiles while keeping the earth smiling too. They’re actively working on setting science-based targets and exploring ways for their business to become more circular. To fast-track their sustainability journey, Bon Ton Toys chose Root for our expertise in providing precise and actionable sustainability data.

PUBLISHED: 21 August 2024

WRITTEN BY: Charlie Walter

Bon Ton Toys: Accelerating Sustainable Toy Production with Root’s LCA Platform

Bon Ton Toy logo

Leading with Purpose

With a heart for sustainability and durability, Bon Ton Toys isn’t just about making fun, high-quality toys – they’re on a mission to make a positive impact on our planet. Certified as a B Corp, a proud member of 1% for the Planet and with a strategic partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Bon Ton Toys is serious about spreading smiles while keeping the earth smiling too. They’re actively working on setting science-based targets and exploring ways for their business to become more circular. To fast-track their sustainability journey, Bon Ton Toys chose Root for our expertise in providing precise and actionable sustainability data.

PUBLISHED: 21 August 2024

WRITTEN BY: Charlie Walter

Table of contents

Key Information

  • Number of product footprints: 601
  • Sector: Plush Toys
  • B Corp Certification Score: 109 points
  • Number of product footprints: 601
  • Sector: Plush Toys
  • B Corp Certification Score: 109 points
"I would definitely recommend Root to other companies. Their ability to calculate company’s carbon footprint distributed across scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions, coupled with detailed product footprints through LCA, along with their supportive dashboard and personal guidance, makes them an invaluable partner in our sustainability journey."
1516966566309 Root Sustainability
Ineke Bollen
Sustainability Lead at Bon Ton Toys
2 boys sitting surrounded by many sustainable plush toys from Bon Ton Toys

The Need for Comprehensive Sustainability Data

Bon Ton Toys faced a significant challenge: they needed detailed product-level data to understand their current impact and find the best ways to improve in line with their sustainability goals. Through their B Corp certification journey, it became clear that they needed to complete Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) to gain insights into their overall company impact and the impact of their products. Plus, they needed solid data for future Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) reports and to share with stakeholders like WWF. Bon Ton Toys needed a trusty ally who could streamline this crucial data-gathering and management process. And let’s be honest, who hasn’t felt the pressure of juggling all these sustainability challenges alone? We’ve been there and we knew exactly how to help.

“Filling out the B Corp assessment made it clear that we needed detailed insights into both company-wide and product-specific impacts. Understanding our products’ life cycle impacts was crucial for our B Corp, Net Zero and wider sustainability journey.”
1516966566309 Root Sustainability
Ineke Bollen
Sustainability Lead at Bon Ton Toys

A Tailored Tech-Enabled Solution

Bon Ton Toys’s partnership with Root resulted in a seamless and stress-free data collection process, allowing them to confidently provide accurate data. Our team was always available to answer questions, enabling Bon Ton Toys to feel supported throughout the process. Thanks to the intuitive and user-friendly dashboards, Bon Ton Toys could easily interpret the LCA results and make impactful changes within their business.

“The guidance through the data collection process and the dashboards was excellent. All the support and explanations made us feel in control.”
1516966566309 Root Sustainability
Ineke Bollen
Sustainability Lead at Bon Ton Toys

Data-Driven Transformation

Partnering with Root meant that Bon Ton Toys had detailed product footprint data across 601 products. This gave them the robust information needed to back up their green claims without breaking a sweat and steer clear of any greenwashing pitfalls. 

One uplifting discovery from the product footprints was that Bon Ton Toys’s logistics routes had a notably low impact, thanks to their use of more sustainable transportation methods.

Equipped with detailed company and product-level data, Bon Ton Toys is now ready to tackle CSRD reporting and other regulations. Having product footprints also strengthened their relationships with stakeholders, especially WWF. With solid data in hand, Bon Ton Toys could confidently show that their recycled filling plush toys, made from recycled materials, had a significantly reduced environmental impact. Being able to share detailed product data easily has been fundamental to building trust with their stakeholders.

Two boy playing with their sustainable plush toys

Partnering with Root meant that Bon Ton Toys had detailed product footprint data across 601 products. This gave them the robust information needed to back up their green claims without breaking a sweat and steer clear of any greenwashing pitfalls. 

One uplifting discovery from the product footprints was that Bon Ton Toys’s logistics routes had a notably low impact, thanks to their use of more sustainable transportation methods.

Equipped with detailed company and product-level data, Bon Ton Toys is now ready to tackle CSRD reporting and other regulations. Having product footprints also strengthened their relationships with stakeholders, especially WWF. With solid data in hand, Bon Ton Toys could confidently show that their recycled filling plush toys, made from recycled materials, had a significantly reduced environmental impact. Being able to share detailed product data easily has been fundamental to building trust with their stakeholders.

Two boy playing with their sustainable plush toys

Accelerating Sustainable Toy Production

It’s all about making a difference together! With Root’s support, Bon Ton Toys can now confidently navigate their journey to set science-based targets and work with suppliers in China and Vietnam to boost environmental performance throughout their supply chain.

Bon Ton Toys is just getting started! They have uploaded their data for the 2022 fiscal year and are now gathering data on their products for 2023. What they are most excited about is comparing their product-level data across the years to see how their sustainability initiatives are helping reduce the impact of their toys.

“Root enabled Bon Ton Toys to substantiate their mission of bringing happiness to children, protecting their future and educating them about the world we strive to preserve. With data-driven insights, we showed that their toys are a better choice for a more sustainable world and identified key areas for further improvement.”
Root foto Maud Root Sustainability
Maud Schijen
Co-founder at Root Sustainability

Through Root’s LCA platform, Bon Ton Toys has ensured regulatory compliance, made data-driven decisions to reduce their environmental impact and strengthened relationships with stakeholders by providing clear, transparent evidence of their impact data. Bon Ton Toys is now zooming ahead on its impact journey, solidifying its position as a leader in the plush toys and gifts industry.

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