Spotlight on Sustainability: A Conversation with MGA Entertainment’s CEO Isaac Larian

June 4, 2019 | MGA Entertainment Inc. recently kicked off a new free recycling program with TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling complex materials, that will make it easy for consumers to recycle L.O.L. Surprise! products, packaging, and accessories. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products.

Toy News Tuesday editors caught up with Isaac Larian, CEO and founder of MGA Entertainment, to learn more about the program and MGA’s other sustainability initiatives.

Why is it important for the toy industry to address sustainability?

Isaac Larian: Instilling sustainability to today’s youth and educating them on the importance of maintaining it will help contribute to a balanced environment. It is the responsibility of the industry to provide education and opportunities for practice to consumers and MGA has stepped up to the plate.

How will the program work?

Isaac Larian: Consumers can participate by visiting the TerraCycle’s L.O.L. Surprise! page online and clicking submit product. The site will then issue consumers a free shipping label where they can apply to any shipping box filled with L.O.L. Surprise! packaging and products. TerraCycle has made the process fast, easy, and convenient for consumers.

Are you looking to expand the program to additional MGA products?

Isaac Larian: L.O.L. Surprise! is our initial launch with TerraCycle and we are evaluating for additional MGA products in the near future. The new program brings recycling ease to consumers just in time for our key summer L.O.L. Surprise! product launches including an L.O.L. Boys Series, L.O.L. Sparkle Series, and L.O.L. Oh La La Baby Surprise. It is important that we provide consumers with a means to easily and effectively recycle our packaging and products and we hope to expand our recycling program for our fans in the near future.

What other measures is the company taking to be more eco-friendly?

Isaac Larian: We are actively working and testing other sustainable initiatives to take this even further. We are looking to create more environmentally-friendly products. In addition, we are launching the L.O.L. Surprise! TerraCycle program internationally starting with the U.K. in July, and other countries will roll out later this year.

To learn more, visit the L.O.L. Surprise!™ Recycling Program online.