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Eco-friendly board games and puzzle makers Gibsons Games are taking sustainable action to protect the Amazon Rainforest!
The jigsaw puzzle and board games business has joined forces with One Tribe to protect trees. Gibsons Games has been creating puzzles and board games since 1919. They strive to provide entertaining games and puzzles that all generations can enjoy.
While the business has a big love for games, they have also worked tirelessly to limit their environmental impact. As a result, sustainability is woven into their brand DNA. As a UK-based company, they are leading the way in providing eco-friendly board games and jigsaw puzzles for kids and adults, with their plastic-free packaging, 100% recycled puzzle board and use of FSC puzzle. Additionally, the majority of their jigsaw puzzles are made in the UK, to minimise carbon emissions.
They stand out because of their fantastic product offering but also due to their commitment to the environment, their people, and their local community. Gibsons is the perfect example of a business that goes the extra mile and not only talks the talk but walks it too.
Continue reading to learn more about our new partner, Gibsons, and how they execute sustainability within their business model.
From indoor board games to sustainably-conscious games for all
Gibsons certainly has had an exciting journey going from an indoor board games company to a thriving eco-friendly board games and jigsaw puzzle business. Their voyage to this point all began over 100 years ago when founder Harry Percy Gibson created the company. Now, they are into their fourth generation as Harry’s great-granddaughter takes the wheel. It all began for Gibsons Games in 1919 when the company was formed. Initially, they sold popular indoor board games like ‘Dover Patrol’ and ‘L’Attaque.’
Business remained strong until they met an unlikely challenge; however, it only strengthened them. In the 1940 Blitz, their offices, literature, and manufacturing equipment were destroyed. Due to this, they could no longer manufacture products on their own premises. However, they didn’t give up and remained resilient. The Founder’s two sons, Harry Aisbitt and Robert Gibson, re-established trading in 1946 from Barrett Street in London’s West End.
In 1973, the founder’s grandson Michael Gibson became the Managing Director, and later, the company began to introduce classic games like ‘221b Baker Street’. They officially launched their first jigsaw range in 1986, and their blue boxed puzzles arrived several years later in 2002. These new products and launches redefined the Gibsons brand. In the 2000s, they had more than 250 titles in their jigsaw collection and best-selling playing cards and games.
In 2016, Harry Percy’s great-granddaughters Nicki and Kate became Sales Director and Managing Director. The 2000s also marked the years when they began to build their dream team, several of the members still with them today, including Geoff Lee, their Business Development Director. Today, the company is excited to continue to produce innovative games and puzzles for all generations and remains committed to its mission of ‘bringing people together’.
Gibsons recognises the importance of adopting a sustainable business model, and to ensure this, they have created their own ‘green game plan.’ Their team is always trying to find ways to reduce their environmental footprint. To help with this, Gibsons set up their own ‘Green Gang’ in 2019 with an aim to be as sustainable as possible in the business. They have made some remarkable changes to date, and they have no plans of slowing down with this. One significant action they have made is joining forces with us at One Tribe. Every time a customer places an order, they donate to protect the rainforest, which reduces their carbon footprint while also helping to save the planet.
Gibsons are also leading the way in challenging the need for single-use plastic in board games, puzzles, and playing cards. By the start of 2020, they had swapped the shrink wrap plastic that covers their puzzle boxes for bio-degradable stickers. This means they save more than half a million metres of plastic each year. Alongside this, they have also reduced the size of their puzzle boxes. This means they take up less room when being transported to customers, and as a result, this action also works to reduce their carbon footprint. Another important thing they do to help the environment is they only manufacture their jigsaw puzzles in Europe and the UK. Due to the locality, this helps to lessen carbon emissions.
Their jigsaw puzzles are made from the thickest, recycled board available on the market, and they use vegetable-based inks too. This makes their puzzles less harmful if they are thrown away and chemical-free. Gibsons have also worked tirelessly to replace all single-use plastic in their games. As a result, most of their games now use paper ‘belly bands’ to hold playing cards together and have cardboard inserts rather than plastic ones. They also use sturdy biodegradable clear tabs to hold games together. These efforts make their board games eco-friendly and reduce their impact on the environment.
Not only are Gibsons making a difference with their products, but they also ensure their offices meet the mark when it comes to sustainability. Their actions to ensure their offices are environmentally conscious include installing solar panels on the office roof and switching to plastic-free, sustainable food and products. What’s more, they work with First Mile, a business that helps more than 25,000 UK businesses with recycling their waste. Through their collaboration, Gibsons recycled a whopping 80% of their office waste in 2021.
The waste that was not recycled was brought to an Energy From Waste facility. Here, waste is safely incinerated. The process generates heat and electricity that powers UK homes, and by-products residues are then used in the construction industry. In addition, they source their energy from a sustainable energy company, which provides them with 100% renewable electricity from hydro, wind, and solar. Gibsons also encourages their team to cycle and walk to work over driving through their Cycle2Work scheme and have installed LED energy-saving lightbulbs in their offices.
Beyond their environmental impact, Gibsons also has a deep care for wellbeing, diversity, inclusion, and community. Their sustainability plan is about ensuring their operations are environmentally sound and making sure their people are looked after. After all, they feel their team members are the heart of everything they do. Gibsons is committed to establishing an environment that allows its team members to strive and meet their full potential. Aside from meeting targets, they also ensure they create a workplace that employees love to work in and provide adequate training opportunities. In addition, that looks after their health and wellbeing. They have a health and wellness scheme in place and have numerous activities employees can get involved in to take a break and bond. For this very reason, in 2019, they achieved the Investors in People accreditation for their commitment to recognising the potential of their team.
In addition to selling eco-friendly board games for kids and adults, Gibsons are also big on supporting their local community. They support several different causes that align with their own values. They are a corporate sponsor of Jigsaw4U, which is a charity providing youths and families in Surrey and London with services such as counselling and support. Gibsons hold numerous fundraising events throughout the year for Jigsaw4U, including bake sales, quizzes, triathlons, puzzleathons, Christmas gifts for children, and more. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, they also donated more than 1000 puzzles to charities. Some of these charities included Dementia Concern, Age UK, Stripey Stork, in addition to many care homes. Finally, Gibsons has supported the charity Samaritans and is an annual supporter of the Toy Trust Christmas Card Initiative.
We’re delighted to have Gibsons Games partner with us here at One Tribe. Prior to our partnership, they had already implemented so many positive actions for their people, the environment, and their local community. It is inspiring to see a company execute so many measures and recognise that you can profit with purpose.
After all, sustainability is about the planet but also everyone living on it. Gibsons are the type of company all businesses should inspire to be like in today’s world. Since signing up with us, they have protected over 50,000 trees. We look forward to seeing further progress from this unique eco-friendly board games company and working with them to fight climate change.
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One Tribe is a Climate Action Platform enabling businesses and their customers to make a positive environmental impact.
