Redan – Sustainability and Looking after our Planet

At Redan we take the sustainability of our business and products very seriously and have been working hard over the past few years to make changes to the materials we use to ensure we protect the environment.

This is an ongoing process and we are continually looking for new and viable ways in which we can improve.

Our overall aims are:

• To reduce and eventually eradicate single-use, non-recyclable plastic packaging
• To drastically reduce non-recyclable materials in covermounts
• Have clear recycling labelling

We have adopted the Professional Publisher’s Association (PPA) guidance to have circular and sustainable packaging and covermount gifts and to constantly investigate new solutions, building best practice.

Magazines

All our magazines are printed in the UK from chlorine-free paper, and for the last 10 years have been certified PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) meaning that the paper is sourced from well-managed forests, along the lines laid down by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Magazines are fully recyclable.

Magazine and Covermount Packaging

We are a member of the On-Pack Recycle Label scheme (OPRL) and all packaging is clearly labelled.  Examples:

We only bag magazines when it is absolutely necessary.  All bags are made from LDPE material which is fully recyclable with supermarket carrier bags.

Alternatives to plastic wrapping are being researched, including paper-based materials.  We are aiming to use materials with at least 30% recycled material before April 2022.

The backing cards for our covermount gifts are all FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) rated and the blister shells and VAC trays can be recycled with regular household waste or at a recycling facility.

Covermounts

Where possible, we are limiting the use of non-recyclable plastics in our covermounts.  In 2 years, we have reduced our usage of non-recyclable plastics by 70% and expect this to be reduced by a further 20% by the end of 2022.  The vast majority of our covermounts are therefore recyclable.  We are constantly researching other materials. The long term aim is to remove non-recyclable materials completely and we continue to work with our suppliers to find alternative solutions which are both recyclable, safe and affordable.

Covermounts – Educational Value

In line with our magazine content, which follows the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the covermounts on our Fun To Learn magazines facilitate play-based learning opportunities that complement the seven areas of learning in the EYFS; Communication and Language Development, Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Literacy Development, Mathematics, Understanding of the World, and Expressive Arts and Design, along with their associated Early Learning Goals. They also facilitate different types of play opportunities as described by play expert, Bob Hughes, who has defined 16 ‘types of play’ in this book, A Playworker’s Taxonomy of Play Types (2002).

Our covermounts, such as medical sets, shopping sets, tea sets and bubble-blowing sets, go through the same stringent toy safety (EN71, IS08124 and UKCA) testing as regular toys and have a multi-use function. As with regular toys, children will turn to them time and time again for further enjoyment.

The importance of play in early childhood development and education has been recognised for over a century. Our thinking behind play has been influenced by the work of many theorists, educationalists, psychologists, sociologists, researchers, and practitioners, including Piaget, Vygotsky, Montessori, Steiner, Parton and Bob Hughes.

There were 4.2 million UK children living in poverty in 2019, according to Government figures. The affordability of our covermounted magazines (typically £5.99, which includes a covermount, magazine, stickers and educational workbook) offer all children an opportunity to play and learn.

New Solutions – Recycle to Read Campaign

We are proud to be a member of the Recycle to Read initiative which launched in June 2021. This is a large-scale, cross-sector, not for profit initiative which will build a new recycling infrastructure for toys and tech through schools and retail. Collected toys and tech will be recycled into other products, examples being playground equipment and garden furniture. Recycling of toy products will be rewarded by giving books to schools and the wider community.

We now share information in our magazines, on our website and through social media about how our readers can recycle our covermounts.

Subscriptions

We offer subscriptions to our magazines which do not feature the covermount.  Single copies without the covermount can also be purchased via our website.  All mailed copies are sent in paper envelopes which are fully recyclable.