Gibsons has already eliminated plastic wrap and plastic bags on its Little Gibsons jigsaw puzzles and games. 

By the end of 2020, Gibsons, the independent jigsaw puzzle and board game company, will have reduced the size of its puzzle boxes and removed all shrink wrap as part of an overarching strategy to decrease its carbon footprint.

Its move reflects worldwide demand to make more eco-friendly choices, as the nation becomes increasingly aware of the detrimental effect consumers are having on the planet.

From September 2019, Little Gibsons jigsaw puzzles and games will no longer come with plastic wrap or a plastic bag, making it entirely recyclable. Gibsons’ adult jigsaw puzzles will soon follow suit, with the removal of all cellophane wrap which is being replaced with secure, recyclable paper tabs to keep the puzzle pieces safe. This decision will save 521,096 meters of plastic per year – same as the length of 4,300 football pitches. In addition, Gibsons has also made its jigsaw puzzle boxes on average 29% smaller than the current size, reducing transportation of the products. The jigsaw puzzle inside the boxes will remain the same size and quality, being the thickest on the market and made using 100% recycled board.

Gibsons will also be turning its attention to the manufacturing methods of its board games. Its range of classic wooden games such as Shut the Box and Cribbage is already forest friendly, being manufactured from reforested rubberwood. The rubber trees are only cut down once they are no longer producing rubber and are immediately replaced with another tree. The company will be looking into other ways to reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions when producing its other games, such as 221b Baker Street, Mind the Gap, L’Attaque and Pass the Bomb.

Embedding the strategy across the company has seen internal changes too, such as solar panels at Gibsons head office and sourcing milk in glass, reusable bottles. The company fully intends its #greengameplan to have an impact across the business.

Gibsons’ managing director, Kate Gibson, said: “We recognise that we have a responsibility to the environment beyond current regulatory requirements and are committed to improving our environmental performance. It is important that as an industry we work together and think about the part we pay in this hugely important issue.”