By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Products of Change (POC) is set to take center stage at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) this October, spotlighting sustainability and innovation in the licensing industry through a series of talks, showcases and collaborations.
The organization will host its “POC Power Hour” in the Networking Hub on Tuesday, October 7, bringing together industry leaders to discuss regulation, circular innovation and the power of partnerships. The session reflects POC’s broader mission: helping brands, retailers and licensees accelerate the transition toward a more sustainable and resilient licensing sector.
A Closer Look at Regulation That Impacts Licensing
The Power Hour will open at 4 p.m. with “Beyond Compliance: Legislation Driving Change,” led by POC founder and CEO Helena Mansell-Stopher. The session will cover the growing wave of global and European regulations that brand owners and licensees must navigate, while offering practical steps to remain compliant.
Attendees will also get a first look at POC’s pioneering Maturity Index, described as an industry-first tool designed to capture and benchmark environmental data from manufacturing partners. The index aims to give brand owners greater visibility into the sustainability practices of their licensees, offering a clear roadmap for improvement.
From Soap to Screen
At 4:30 p.m., the focus shifts to real-world applications of sustainability with “From Soap to Screen: Sustainable Partnerships in Action.” Steve Sheffield of LUSH and Alexandra Filletti of Paramount will discuss their collaborations on SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles product ranges.
The projects, developed entirely plastic-free, tie directly into Paramount’s Operation SeaChange, an ocean clean-up initiative targeting marine plastic. By removing plastic packaging from the collections, LUSH was able to design innovative, impactful products that resonated with fans while staying true to its environmental values.
“Working with a brand’s IP and plastic-free requirements breeds innovation,” Sheffield said. “It enables new ground to be broken, creating both engaging, hugely popular, and sustainable consumer products.”
Circular Innovation Showcases
Beyond the stage, POC will also spotlight a range of circular innovations at its stand (D254), highlighting companies that are rethinking how products are made, sold and reused.
Among them is Coffeenotes, a UK-based stationery brand that transforms used coffee cups into premium paper products. Each year, more than 50 billion cups end up in landfill, but Coffeenotes works with UK papermakers James Cropper to recycle 95% of each cup’s fiber through its CupCycling process. The remaining plastic lining is converted into energy.
In addition, the company uses boards made from unconventional waste streams, including agro-industrial by-products, textiles, brewing residue and grass fibers.
“I hope it will encourage visitors to consider the genuine sustainability of the stationery products they produce or purchase,” said Sarah Downey, co-founder of Coffeenotes. “Branded stationery can be more sustainable without compromising on quality or design, and education and communication are core to Coffeenotes.
“I view POC as a driving force in educating and supporting brands to be more sustainable, so we are delighted to be working with them,” Downey added.
Another highlight will be Teemill, which will showcase its circular print-on-demand technology designed to reduce waste and close the loop in fashion and licensed merchandise.
The company has open-sourced its system, enabling brands to adopt closed-loop packaging, low-impact printing and its Remill process, which recycles old t-shirts into new ones.
“The whole principle of it was making it as easy as possible for people to adopt a more sustainable product,” said Tobias Penner, Teemill’s director of trading. “Rather than keeping the technology and that supply chain to ourselves, we wanted to help other brands—whether established players or those new to merchandise—connect to it.”
On-site, Teemill will demonstrate its technology with examples of licensing collaborations. The company says its approach not only reduces waste but also cuts costs and speeds up time to market, helping brands meet sustainability goals while opening new revenue streams.
“BLE is the perfect event because everyone who can influence real change in the industry is under one roof,” said Rob Caulfield, senior business development at Teemill. “We want to connect with new and existing partners and show how working with Teemill can help brands achieve sustainability goals while unlocking new revenue.”
Networking and Next Steps
To close the day, POC will host member drinks at its stand at 5 p.m., immediately following the Power Hour. The event will give attendees the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and explore ways to collaborate on building a more sustainable licensing ecosystem.
For Mansell-Stopher, the goal is clear: ensuring that sustainability becomes embedded in the licensing industry, not as an optional extra but as a standard way of doing business.
“POC is here to help companies understand, adapt and thrive in this new era,” she said. “The solutions are here—it’s about scaling them and working together to drive meaningful change.”