I’ve learned that many steps towards eco-friendliness are small and incremental. However, today I have some big news about several leaps we’ve taken towards making our products significantly more environmentally sustainable.
Panda Is Now FSC Certified
We’re incredibly excited that our manufacturing partner, Panda, now offers all FSC-certified materials if a publisher chooses them, so Stonemaier Games is now using all FSC-certified materials in current and future print runs of our products.
FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. It’s an organization that examines the management practices of the world’s forests, ensuring that they are harvested in such a way that they grow back (that’s the great thing about trees compared to other natural resources–they grow back!).
Wingspan’s Components Are Now Plastic Free
As a nature-themed game and by far our bestselling product, we placed the highest priority on replacing plastic components in Wingspan with more sustainable alternatives. This process has taken some time to ensure that these aren’t just temporary measures.
All plastic trays and containers in the Wingspan game and expansions have now been upgraded to custom trays made from unbleached sugarcane bagasse, which is the dry pulpy fibrous material that remains after crushing sugarcane or sorghum stalks to extract their juice. The material is recyclable and actually more sustainable than pulp from trees. The tray and lid are functionally identical and are actually more space-efficient than the original plastic tray. The “containers” are now a little different, as they don’t have lids (plastic is much better at creating tightly sealed containers), but they neatly hold eggs and food tokens on the table.
All plastic eggs in the Wingspan game and expansions have been converted to wooden eggs. They are aesthetically and functionally identical to the original eggs. This includes the speckled eggs.
These changes will appear in the game and expansions (including Wingspan Asia, though there was an issue preventing the biodegradable bags for functioning with one of its components) that start appearing on our webstore and in retail stores in Q4 2022. Externally they’ll be indistinguishable from previous printings.
As is the case with components and methods less frequently used than plastic and plastic molding, these new components are significantly more expensive to manufacture, but we are not increasing the consumer price of Wingspan.
We’re still working on removing shrinkwrap from the card decks (this should change soon) and the exterior of the box (this is a bigger change). For full transparency, the Wingspan Nesting Box does include plastic trays, as they’re significantly more customizable than the pulp sugarcane trays.
Rubber Playmats (Not Neoprene)
This is just a little update, but I was happy to hear that Panda took the initiative a while ago to switch from neoprene playmats (Scythe and Wingspan) to the more sustainable–but functionally identical–rubber material. This material will also appear in our upcoming Red Rising and Tapestry playmats.
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I’ve updated the chart showing the level of eco-friendliness for all our games. Certain categories will eventually be fully green (instead of yellow) based on the FSC development, but because there are still products in circulation with non-FSC materials, I didn’t think it was fair to mark them as green yet.
We’re continually looking to become more eco-friendly while also expanding the joy we try to bring to tabletops worldwide, so I’m completely open to your thoughts, questions, and feedback in the comments below!
UPDATE 12/3/2023: An older version of this article stated that “All plastic bags in Wingspan (and all of our games) are now biodegradable–there are a few of these in Wingspan to store the various tokens.” While this was true at the time, the durability of these bags has not been up to our standards, and as a result we’ve switched to regular plastic bags (but only a necessary quantity).
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103 Comments on “Are Our Games Eco-Friendly? (Part 3)”
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Hi! I bought Europe expansion, which came without exterior shrinkwrap (it only had sticker on the two edges). But as I read here, exterior shrinkwrap has not been removed?
We have indeed started removing shrinkwrap when possible from expansions, just not games.
Are these temporary (test print) or permanent changes (changes on both games and expansions)? I read forums that some people are worried about the durability of for example new card trays.
That’s interesting. We haven’t heard any instances of the sugarcane pulp trays breaking, so it would seem those worries are unfounded (plastic is actually more likely to crack than these trays). We’ve had them in print for the last 18 months without durability issues.
Exactly, they were commentators’ thoughts, not real experiences. In BGG also many people started by complaint which changed into thanking the company after hearing the explanations.
I feel like I read somewhere that these were only trial prints (i.e., eco friendly prints). Is it safe to assume that they are permanent changes now?
I wouldn’t say that anything is permanent–we’re always open to changing, improving, and evolving so we can best serve our customers. But at least for the last 18 months, we’ve printed hundreds of thousands of Wingspan and its expansions with the sugarcane pulp trays–it was a full change, not a trial.
So basically you’re paying more for worse components. The plastic in board games is the last thing that actually damages the planet. If you ban one celebrity from using their private plane for just a day you’d make a greater impact than ruining the gaming experience of people. This is a lose lose situation for both parties. Generally this means that people are going to buy/print plastic inserts because the game now doesn’t have them. So the end customer will actually have to spend more and end up with plastic again.
Ivan: That certainly is not the goal. The goal is to maintain a positive user experience while being sustainable. I agree that there are impactful decisions others can also make to have a positive impact on the environment, but that doesn’t mean each of us shouldn’t try to make a difference in the ways we have control over.
Not a fan, tried the new version and it’s clearly a cheaper product provided in the name of being “eco friendly”.
I’m sorry you view it that way, Shawn. While the components may appear “cheaper,” they are actually more than double the cost of the plastic components. This is logical: Making something using a method or material that is not often used (in this case, sugarcane pulp) is going to be more expensive than making something using a method or material that is frequently used (plastic).
Did you… fail to read some part of the post? Or are you just unfamiliar wih manufacturing costs? Whatever the new version may be, it is not, in *ANY* sense of the word, “cheaper.”
There are numerous third-parties-for-hire who make perfectly good insert designs; the problem is typically that they’re not listened to by the publishers/designers, or are not actually provided the real specs of the game. They comment from time to time on BGG whenever one of their insert designs is poo-poo’d, and usually explain that they had a design X, but then the publisher removed wells, or removed trays, or perhaps only told them there would be half as many cards as were actually provided.
In any case, I would rather have a $10 increase to cost and have an insert that is passable than have to spend an extra $100 just to get a mediocre third-party insert.
I just purchased wingspan and the small bags were tattered beyond use. Is anyone else experiencing this?
Kourt: You aren’t alone. We switched to biodegradable bags for a while, but many of them don’t seem to have any durability. The good news is that games (and our lives) are full of plastic bags to use instead, and we’ve stopped making that type of bag until we can find a better eco-friendly option.
Does the new eco-friendly lid ‘click’ when put on top of the card tray? Or will it fall off and open when the box is stored vertically?
It clicks. It isn’t as tight of a click as a plastic tray, but it ends up close to flush with the top of the box–that compression (or the compression of a rubber band) helps.
Is it possible to trade in this new “eco friendly” version for the original. Or is there a certain number on the box that will indicate it’s an original version because we will not be keeping this new version.
Kelly: It sounds like you don’t like the new card tray and resource trays? We no longer have or sell plastic trays, nor do we accept trade-ins. There is no differentiating element on the box between this and printings with the plastic trays, as they are identical in terms of in terms of gameplay and functionality. Have you tried playing the game to see if you enjoy it regardless of the eco-friendly trays?
I just received Wi gspan. I was disappointed the eggs are plastic instead of wood. Is it possible to get a set of the original wooden eggs??
Thanks for your question, Nicole. Just to clarify: Originally, the eggs in Wingspan were plastic (though many people thought they were wood). Last year we switched to wooden eggs, which are the same color and size, but they’re slightly lighter. A variety of copies of Wingspan are in circulation, so we don’t know which stores have the wooden vs plastic eggs. I do know this, though: The current batch of speckled eggs on our US webstore are definitely wood: https://store.stonemaiergames.com/collections/accessories/products/100-speckled-eggs-for-wingspan
I got wingspan for my birthday, very excited! Love the wooden dice, eggs and cubes and all the components look amazing! I haven’t played before so don’t know what it used to look like.
I do have a question, on the side of the box there’s a layout of how to pack the box that I assume is for the previous version with plastic boxes. Is there a newer version or video for this? There’s also only 4 trays instead of 5 (not sure if I’m meant to cut them so they’re 4 singular trays?) they don’t fit neatly in the box (for an ocd person anyway).
Understand if it’s still a work in progress, just wondering if there is a designed way 😀 looking forward to play this weekend!
Thank, Mercia! Happy birthday. :)
You’re right that the side of the box is a bit outdated. There were always just 4 trays: two for mixed food, two for mixed eggs. The cardboard trays aren’t designed to be cut or folded–just store the food and eggs in bags and pour them into the trays during setup. Thanks!
Awesome, thanks!
I didn’t get the info on the side of the box, but now I know why. Isn’t it weird that there are plastic bags then? Would be more eco-friendly to have better organizer options? That also will make it last longer… Now it is kinda sad how I have to buy may own organizers to storage Wingspan safe. I do think the plastic bags are more harmful that a tray that closes… Now we have bags that break and have to buy organizers (sounds less eco-friendly to me…). Sad for a quality game to be put in a box like this…
Wingspan includes a storage solution in the box–you don’t need to buy anything. Plastic bags use significantly less plastic than plastic trays.
[…] Improvements: We’ve been working with Panda to improve the eco-friendliness of our games, and several of those endeavors started appearing in Wingspan and other games in 2022. They […]
I recently got myself a copy of wingspan and was surprised at the condition of the plastic baggies. They were disintegrating as I opened them. I’ve had to replace them with my own plastic bags to store the pieces. Eco-friendly is fine, but at least make sure that things are functional. It seems that what is really happening is companies are looking for ways of cutting costs and spinning them as great and wonderful features. No organizer included! You’ll have to buy your own separately. No storage containers for your game pieces! You’ll have to buy your own separately. Baggies that fall apart before they get even one use! You’ll have to buy your own separately. Disposable paper trays instead of reusable plastic ones! Who would play a game more than once? Lower quality materials all around! Aren’t we wonderful and ecofriendly?
Thanks for this constructive feedback, Jane. That certainly is not the condition the plastic bags are meant to arrive in. However, please do not dispose of the paper trays–I’m not sure why anyone would do that. They actually cost more to make than plastic trays (as do the special bags), and they serve their function well of containing components on the table while you’re playing. An organizer isn’t necessary for Wingspan, but a few plastic bags are needed.
Not trying to take sides here, but I don’t think that “what is really happening is companies are looking for ways of cutting costs and spinning them as great and wonderful features”. That might happen, but one thing is independent from the other. Usually going green increase costs – plastic is ubiquous exactly because it is cheap – and the company usually needs to withstand loss of revenue from increased prices, or loss of profit from increased costs, or needs to invest to enhance productivity to compensate the cost increases due to sustainability.
I for one prefer games without any inserts if that can lower the final price, specially if the games are expected to receive expansions. Some games do not need super detailed trays, plastic bags can even be more convenient. I prefer if the publisher leaves the decision to go for the insert to me. It also breaks my heart to throw a big plastic insert that was not adequate to the game when I go for my final storage solution. Gloomhaven, Mage Knight Ultimate Edition, Xia… they all made me feel guilty about all that plastic.
Finally, the new plastic bags that Stonemaier is using, IIUC, is biodegradable, but not compostable. I think that biodegradable plastic needs some specific conditions to degrade (heat, light, oxygen, etc. Inside a wrapped closed box with no ventilation that should not happen. – if it did, you might want to take the case to the store you bought the game from (or Stonemaier, idk).
Just to share a personal anedocte on this, a while ago I got a shrink wrapped copy of Terra Mystica. When I opened it, it had mold signs in several components, and a rubber band that was used to bind some components together had melted down and damaged the cult board.
Thanks Alberto! Just to clarify one point: The opaque bags we use actually are compostable (we also use clear biodegradable bags that are not compostable, depending on circumstances). Both are more expensive to make than regular plastic bags.
Understand that it costs 2-10x more for the consumer to buy an aftermarket insert than it does for the designer/publisher to just craft a proper one. It also takes an untold amount of waste plastic because the consumer doesn’t have perfect specs, and many people failing to 3d print many trays is far worse environmentally than one company failing to print a small number of prototypes.
EW, I partially agree with you in the sense that the aftermarket insert can cost more, especially if we take into account the fact that a second separate purchase will probably incur extra logistics and retail costs.
However, in my personal experience (so, take it with as many grains of salt as necessary), the game publishers/developers/manufacturers usually come out with subpar solutions regarding included inserts. There are some very well-done cases (Days of Wonder did an excellent job with Five Tribes and Shadows over Camelot), some okay-ish (their Ticket to Ride insert is kind of okay, Awaken Realm’s game inserts are good but not without some flaws), and there are some inserts that are not functional (Ghiochix.it’s insert for CO2 Second Chance didn’t fit some tokens, for example).
I think the best solution would be if publishers invested a little more in the R&D side for the inserts. I would guess, however, that the overall design costs would increase a lot because the component designs, the game mechanics, and the storage design would all be much coupled, which probably increases the risks of design mistakes. Another good solution that I’ve seen is when they subcontract a specialized provider for inserts, like Gametrayz. The inserts for Gugong, Dwellings of Eldervale and many others are excellent. But I guess this still brings some added costs (although not the ones related to separate purchases), which might explain why they are usually adopted for deluxified versions of games.
On the other hand, many games do not need anything more than a couple of plastic bags to organize things, and in many cases, a Plano-like storage box for small bits is enough to keep things organized and efficient for setup and tear down (although definitely not pretty). In some cases, the users might not like the storage organization the included insert comes up with, and, like I mentioned, sometimes expansions come and break the insert solution. So, the included insert might be an unnecessary and wasteful solution for these cases. And wasting plastic is the worst sin we are talking about when we speak about eco-friendliness.
Site got confused so my reply is attached to another post, but:
There are numerous third-parties-for-hire who make perfectly good insert designs; the problem is typically that they’re not listened to by the publishers/designers, or are not actually provided the real specs of the game. They comment from time to time on BGG whenever one of their insert designs is poo-poo’d, and usually explain that they had a design X, but then the publisher removed wells, or removed trays, or perhaps only told them there would be half as many cards as were actually provided.
In any case, I would rather have a $10 increase to cost and have an insert that is passable than have to spend an extra $100 just to get a mediocre third-party insert.
Super progress! I’ve just compared the first sustainability chart with the last one.
As I’m writing a bachelor thesis on the topic, I am interested, is there an opportunity to calculate the carbon footprint of these sustainable games? Or does Panda publishes any information about ecological impact of the manufacturing?
Thanks for your question, Olga. Panda is working on a really helpful document along these lines–I just read the latest draft yesterday, and I look forward to sharing it when they release it.
Thanks. It would be interesting to read.
When in the UK will we see the new pulp components in the base game of Wingspan?
I don’t know the exact time, but even if I knew the exact date they would reach stores, I wouldn’t be confident saying that day, as stores might have previous inventory that they need to sell through. I can only say that those games are now in circulation.
Does this mean that the new components are not currently in circulation in the UK then?
Never mind, I’ve just read the end of your comment. Thanks for the help!
When can we expect to see these products appear in the UK as Wingspan Asia is not currently available on Zatu for example.
After the release date, and not before. The FLGS release date of Wingspan Asia is December 2 and the online store release date is December 9.
Ok, thank you. I assume this also means the new printing of the base game will arrive then, as I might wait to order the base game as a Christmas gift until it is eco friendly.
[…] news follows last month’s announcement that the newest reprint of Wingspan will feature high-quality sugarcane pulp trays and inserts […]
So, are the tray styles and sizes shown in the Nesting Box photos the same as before but now made of recyclables instead of plastic? I’m hoping for the larger size trays shown previously in the Nest Box photos to hold lots of eggs and foods together. The small egg trays shown above wouldn’t seem to fit in the Nest Box the same as the larger trays shown previously. Thanks.
Here’s what I say in the above article: “For full transparency, the Wingspan Nesting Box does include plastic trays, as they’re significantly more customizable than the pulp sugarcane trays.” The changes shown in the article above are for Wingspan, not the Nesting Box. You can see the trays in the Nesting Box here: https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/wingspan-nesting-box/
The new trays (shown here holding eggs) do indeed fit into the Nesting Box–there’s plenty of room for them.
The reason that made me decide at last to buy the wine crate was seeing you unbox it on YouTube and showing the compostable bags.
Thank you for keeping up the good fights.
Also: this sugar cane bagasse trays look very much like the pulp material they use to make egg cartons we get at the supermarket. Is it already too late to ask you to make the new wingspan products come with their eggs in miniature bulk egg cartons? :-D
https://a.co/d/ad6MlY3
Thanks Alberto! It is too late, but that’s a neat idea! :)
[…] know how many editions of the base game they have made now, but they are also including more eco-friendly components in the next […]
This is wonderful news. Thank you for the update.
I will prefix my comment – I think these are great changes. I like the natural materials an appreciate the effort you are going to to make your games sustainable.
One concern I have over the switch (not just here but in lots of industries at the moment) – I have read from various sources that switching from plastic to wood/cardboard, while sustainable and eco-friendly, can actually incur a greater product lifecycle impact in terms of Greenhouse Gas emissions and climate change. The process for manufacturing plastic is very efficient and low energy, while wood and cardboard have lots more steps involved. Of course, disposal of plastic is the main issue with the material. You mention that Panda is only using FSC certified materials which is great, but is there anything to say about the emissions of the new manufacturing methods and materials use?
Thanks,
Jeremy: With plastic, I think the issue is twofold: It doesn’t biodegrade for a long time (and when it does, the microplastics end up everywhere forever), and making it requires natural resources that won’t renew themselves (unlike sustainable forestry).
But you’re right that the methods used to make our products matter just as much as the materials. Panda has talked to me about this, and they talk about it a bit here too: https://pandagm.com/our-environmental-commitment/
Personally while I like this initiative I feel the game box needs something protective around it during shipping. Plastic wrap at least feels like a clean barrier against any shipping box holes/damage etc.
So an eco-friendly replacement would be ideal. Having 4 stickers is horrible for many reasons imo. I’m always let down when a game shows up like that.
See Jamey’s response to my same comment.
Have you considered the 4 stickers used in some games (such as sushi go dice)? This replaces having to wrap the whole game in shrink. I was surprised at first, but it worked nicely for that game. Wonder what your thoughts are on that approach
MK: We have, and we use the stickers on some expansions (I think we’re moving to do that with most expansions). The downside is (a) it vastly decreases the shelf-life of a game due to moisture/humidity getting in the box and (b) stickers can leave behind an unappealing residue.
Interesting. Thanks for the detailed response.
I wonder if we could build boxes out of a different material to fix the problems. Alas, I assume Panda Games tried all the ideas they could think of.
For now I love that you use it in expansions (for which the game box is often less important).
This is incredible – thank you for continuing to keep us updated on the eco-solutions for Panda and Stonemaier!
Joining the conversation at step 3, I noticed that all the discussion is about manufacturing through Panda, which is a chinese firm. The last row on the matrix is Regional Manufacturing. In addition to having to go through all the incremental gains again with a (several) new manufacturers, what are the other challenges to moving manufacturing out of China?
Andrew: The biggest challenge is the many of the little bits and pieces we make at scale in China simply aren’t made in the US. Even the few US manufacturers that make games source the majority of their components from China and assemble them here (which is a decent first step). My hope is to work with Panda to incrementally offer more of their services from a facility in the US.
Also, quick correction: Panda is a Canadian company with their main facility in China.
Presumably the ideal for the final state is multiple regional facilities? The US is not significantly closer to me in Europe than China is (although the route for a ship is considerably more direct).
That gets complicated. While you have less shipping distance if you can get all the manufacturing done regionally, using local raw materials, you do then have to replicate the setup costs across each location, and redo quality control, etc. Rather than shipping one production sample, you need one from each region, which multiplies that impact.
It’s possible it would still come to a net improvement overall, but you’d have to look at the whole picture rather than just the shipping.
Is white the actual color or will these be dyed? Cool initiative.
This is the actual color; no die, no bleach.
This is all really great, and I’m so glad you’re thinking about these things and acting upon them.
Just a thought (perhaps a caution) around offering these new components to people who already own the game; particularly as I’m seeing these requests already starting to appear….. Knowing what many gamers are like (myself included), there’s going to be a strong temptation to want to replace all of our existing components with the new ones, particularly if newer expansions don’t match (in feel at least) what we already own. Would it be worth highlighting that throwing away/storing a load of perfectly functional plastic to replace it with new components that are made of something different (however sustainably they’re made) rather defeats the point.
Well done on all of this; please keep going!
“throwing away/storing a load of perfectly functional plastic to replace it with new components that are made of something different (however sustainably they’re made) rather defeats the point.”
I agree 100%, Stephen!
This is fantastic news! Really looking forward to seeing the materials in the new components when we order the Asia expansion. Thanks for being committed to finding more sustainable solutions.
I love reading this and I hope more publishers follow suit
Thanks Jackie! I’d say that we’re more of a follower than a leader in this area, but hopefully all publishers can learn from each other.
That’s really cool that you’re taking this so seriously. I know from our work that it’s not always easy (let alone cheap) to find REAL sustainable alternatives. You’d initially think that paper/ cardboard is the solution to everything, which sadly isn’t the truth or it wouldn’t be as difficult. 😅 Good thing that progress is made on those sugarcane and potato type alternatives.
Bamboo too! We’ve been using bamboo toilet paper for a few years now, ever since we learned how sustainable it is.
Wow. I am impressed and elated. I’m very thankful for the work Stonemaier and One Pip Wonder have done for opening discussions on making environmentally friendly board games, Stonemaier’s willingness to hear and take action, and for the 🐼.
Thanks Alaena! One Pip Wonder really got me thinking about this topic last year, and Panda in particular has been amazing at diving deep into my questions and providing answers in a timely manner (followed by solutions, which take longer, but I’m glad they’re taking the time to get it right for the long term).
Those new trays are awesome! Any chance of being able to order some as an accessory product?
It’s possible!
This is a great initiative.
I look forward to the day when publishers also ask whether their game production is geo-politically friendly. But this is a start.
JeffJeff: We’re definitely already asking that question! It’s actually a part of the chart on this page: “Regional manufacturing or assembly”.
Good Day Jamey,
Love your games and products. Own many of your games. Could you explain what is meant by ‘geo-political’ friendly? Concerned that the more politics gets into gaming the worse off it becomes because people pick and choose already based on perceived biases versus reality. Thanks for what you do!
Paul: Yeah, I’m not sure I’d exactly use that term–you’re right that it’s highly subjective. I think the concept is about choosing the most ethical partners, which is much more about the partners and people we choose, not the country they happen to be located in. The location matters to me more in terms of freight shipping distance (which will inevitably be far no matter what, as we sell games worldwide) and whether we’re supporting local/regional labor vs labor in other countries (though, either way, people are people, no matter where they happen to be born).
Hi, Jamey. Can we get a better pic of the new trays? The one in the article is quite small.
Sure, please see the end of the article.
The wooden eggs are aesthetically identical to the plastic ones? Like, you can hold them in your hand and you can’t tell the difference, by texture or weight?
Texture, size, color, shape, weight–token to token, you would need precise measuring tools to tell the difference.
Wow, can’t wait to see that! Also happy I don’t feel compelled to re-buy all the eggs! :)
Thanks SO much Jamey for blazing this trail. I really hope that big publishers like you doing this at scale makes sustainable materials and processes more in demand and subsequently more affordable for us smaller publishers. That would be such a dream!
Thanks Malachi! I wouldn’t say we’re a trailblazer at all, but we’re trying our best. :)
That’s great! One of the elements I check before buying a game is how much plastic it contains, and whether it is necessary. Indeed, some components can’t be replaced that easily, what to say about shrinkwrap? But I’m very happy about this.
I’d have loved to have all Wingspan with wooden components, but I think it’s a way to show how it changed. Looking forward to future releases!
Thanks Bernardo! It’s awesome that you’re so careful as a consumer to support the products that make for a more sustainable future. And we’re working on the shrinkwrap problem! :)
As a person who works in the Sustainability industry/someone who almost drooled over the Nesting Box prototype at Gen Con, this is a very exciting update, Jamey! I commend the big steps that SM/Panda have taken, and completely agree that big changes require considerable time and effort.But, like rolling a snowball downhill, they build up over time. Thanks for this Sustainability series and for walking the talk.
Thanks! It’s been really encouraging to see how open Panda is to making these improvements–they’ve been very deliberate to ensure these aren’t flash-in-the-pan measures, but rather permanent, sustainable upgrades.
What alternatives are you considering for shrink wrapping the game box? As a consumer, I tend to dislike the stickers that some publishers use as they don’t come off very cleanly.
Brian: There’s a photo of the method we’re pursuing in this article: https://stonemaiergames.com/are-our-games-eco-friendly-part-2/
“Inspired by games like Tim Eisner’s Canopy, I asked Panda about the prospect of gift-wrapping games instead of using shrinkwrap. Currently there’s no automation at Panda for this, making it very labor intensive–personally, I don’t feel good about asking Panda’s workers to gift wrap tens of thousands of games by hand. However, Panda is looking into machinery that can handle the gift wrapping for games of various sizes, and they’re optimistic about the prospects.”
So so so happy about this! Awesome!
Thanks for all the inspiration and healthy challenges to improve, Jona!
Great progress Jamey! Amazing to see an industry leader be so active in creating a more sustainable product :)
Thanks Joeri! We’re definitely not leading in this particular area, but we’re working towards a more sustainable present and future.
Where is the updated chart,? I can’t see it.
It’s at the link: https://stonemaiergames.com/about/eco-friendliness/
Thanks. I thought I was looking at an older version of the chart, because the chart says Wingspan is still using a plastic insert and doesn’t have only wooden tokens. I thought you just said that you’re switching to a pulp insert and all wooden tokens. Does the wingspan column reflect this new natural Wingspan format?
Here’s how I explain the yellow in the post: “Certain categories will eventually be fully green (instead of yellow) based on the FSC development, but because there are still products in circulation with non-FSC materials, I didn’t think it was fair to mark them as green yet.”
Okay, I understand now. Thanks for clarifying!
Wow – What a great change.
Is white the new color for the trays?
Jamie: For this type of pulp sugarcane tray, different colors aren’t viable, and even white requires bleach. For the lowest impact, we’re going with the natural color–it’s sort of an off-white.