Redefining Sustainable Business at the Products of Change Conference 2025

The Products of Change (POC) Conference 2025 took place at London’s Royal Geographical Society on November 5, gathering top leaders and innovators from the brand, licensing, and retail sectors. The event focused on actionable sustainability strategies, commercial benefits, and accelerating industry-wide change ahead of looming 2030 goals.

Key Highlights and Themes

Record Attendance and Engagement

• 2025 marked the highest attendance in the Conference’s history.
• Engaging speaker sessions surpassed previous years, enhanced by live illustration from artist Andy Gray, providing visual summaries of insights.

Industry Collaboration and Practical Sustainability

• POC emphasized the "how to" of sustainable business integration rather than theoretical discussion.
• Founders Helena Mansell-Stopher and UN’s Caroline Petit urged attendees to design products "with people and planet, not for them," highlighting the industry’s critical role in effecting real, lasting change.

Consumer Insights and Market Trends

• Tamara Sender Ceron from Mintel shared that 46% of women aged 16-34 bought fashion from fast-fashion brand Shein last year, underscoring the urgent need to pivot towards circular and second-hand retail models.
• Hilary Strong of smol stressed accessibility, noting "progress is better than perfection" and advocating for millions adopting sustainability imperfectly rather than a few doing it flawlessly.

Packaging Innovations

• Industry leaders including Paul Earnshaw (Tesco) and Christian Lanckman (LEGO Group) challenged misconceptions, asserting that sustainable packaging does not necessarily cost more and encouraging supplier collaboration.

Corporate Sustainability Integration

• IKEA’s Thomas Suchy revealed their strategy of upskilling all country managers to act as Chief Sustainability Officers, embedding sustainability deeply into corporate operations.

Consumer Demand Momentum

• Nicolai Broby Eckert of Simon-Kucher declared sustainability the biggest consumer movement of the 21st century, with 78% of consumers placing it among top five purchasing criteria.

Networking and Exhibitor Showcase

For the first time, the Conference featured an exhibitor zone spotlighting innovative sustainable products and strategies from partners like Mills Fabrica, Pure Table Top, Waterhaul, Teemill, BioFluff, Universal Music Group, and others. This fostered dynamic connections and collaborative conversations among attendees.

Awards Celebrating Sustainable Leadership

The POC Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Awards recognized pioneers contributing to:

• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Eden Project, Dayrize, Pure Table Top, Fabacus
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): RDP Creative
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): Moose Toys
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): Universal Music Group, Bravado International Group

Industry Voices on the POC Experience

• Lisa Hey (Character World Brands): Praised the Conference as a uniquely collaborative and inspirational day.
• Steve Manners (Licensing International): Highlighted the optimistic tone and shared commitment to action.
• Russell Watts (Penguin Random House): Valued the impressive attendee list and speaker quality, underscoring the power of collective purpose.

Continuing the Momentum

Products of Change will sustain its momentum via ongoing webinars, working groups, and events aimed at driving sustainable innovation across industries. Digital tickets remain available for access to full session recordings.

Official Supporters

BBC Studios, Disney Consumer Products, Mattel, Warner Bros, Pure Table Top, and many more brand leaders contributed to making the event impactful and unmissable.

For more insights and to join the sustainable products community, visit Products of Change and explore their ongoing initiatives.

Design Delight Studio curates high-impact, authoritative insights into sustainable and organic product trends, helping conscious consumers and innovative brands stay ahead in a fast-evolving green economy.