TAKEAWAYS
1. Tactic Games is replacing plastic shrink wrap with UPM Raflatac Forest Film™ labels to reduce virgin fossil material use and lower their environmental impact.
2. Forest Film will be used as a sealing label material for the Mother Earth game, which was featured in the Toys go Green category at the world’s biggest toy fair, Spielwarenmesse in Germany in February 2023.
3. The clear Forest Film label is made with 90% renewable wood-based materials. Using it can replace fossil-based virgin plastics based on the mass balance approach.
4. By the end of 2023, Tactic aims to seal all games with Forest Film.
Finnish board game manufacturer Tactic Games recently made the decision to replace the fossil-based plastic shrink wrap around their game boxes with UPM Raflatac Forest Film™ label. The change was motivated by several environmental concerns.
"The use of unnecessary plastic in packaging contributes to environmental burden and the proliferation of plastic waste. Tactic wanted to shift towards a more sustainable packaging solution to reduce our environmental impact," Tactic's Marketing & Licensing Manager Jemina Heljakka explains.
Minimizing carbon footprint and utilizing recycled materials are top priorities in Tactic's game production, and the company has made numerous initiatives in reducing their environmental impact. Already, all products manufactured at Tactic´s factory in Finland use only certified paper, cardboard, and carton.
Using renewable Forest Film instead of fossil-based plastics is the company´s next move towards more sustainable gaming, decreasing Tactic´s carbon footprint. ISCC PLUS certified UPM Raflatac Forest Film is biocircular material made with pulp production residue. Using it can replace fossil-based plastics based on the mass balance approach. ISCC PLUS certified mass balance approach is a reliable way of allocating the share of used renewable raw materials to a corresponding share of products when renewable inputs are physically mixed with fossil inputs in processing.
“While we have not calculated exact carbon footprint reductions, we estimate that the switch from plastic to Forest Film labels will reduce Tactic´s plastic consumption by around 5.000 kilograms annually,” Heljakka reports.
Mother Earth first in line
Since the plastic wrap also protects the game boxes during shipping and on store shelves, extra attention has been paid to the durability of the printed packaging to withstand handling without the plastic wrap.
"The label needed to be sturdy enough to keep the game box closed, yet easy enough to open without damaging the box," Heljakka says.
So far, Tactic has received positive feedback from customers and consumers about eliminating the fossil-based plastic wrap. Fittingly, the first product sealed with the Forest Film label is the Mother Earth board game, an educational game championing sustainability for all ages. The trivia questions for Mother Earth were created by University of Lapland education students in a 2023 course on using game design and play to promote hope and sustainability among youth. The game was featured in the Toys go Green category at the world’s biggest toy fair, Spielwarenmesse in Germany in February 2023.
"By the end of the year, our goal is for all Tactic games to be sealed with the Forest Film label," Heljakka concludes.