Munchkin Expands Partnership with IFAW; Becomes Primary Investor of “Room to Roam” Initiative to Lease Tens of Thousands of Acres of Land In Africa to Protect Elephants

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1970-01-01 08:00

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 8, 2023--

Munchkin, Inc., the beloved baby lifestyle brand that sells millions of imaginative products and gear per year, announced it has made a $1 million donation to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) as a primary investor in the fund’s Room to Roam Initiative. The donation makes Munchkin the first company to lease 90,000 acres of endangered African territory that is imperative for elephant migration and survival. The company has also released its annual Sustainability Report in which its efforts to support and protect families – human and animal alike – are detailed.

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“Safeguarding the world’s most vulnerable creatures is ingrained in Munchkin’s ethos. Each year, we challenge ourselves to grow our efforts related to animal and plant conservation, and believe that a culmination of many little things truly adds up to make a big difference,” said Diana Barnes, “DB,” Chief Brand Officer & Creative Director and head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Munchkin. “That’s why we joined IFAW in its initiative to protect endangered territory, and continue our work to reduce carbon emissions, plant millions of trees and innovate our products and packaging to become an ever-more sustainable organization.”

Climate change, the rising human population, and the prevalence of poaching – the primary cause of elephant population decline – all threaten the existence of African bush elephants. In fact, more than 90% of this species has disappeared. The Room to Roam initiative is centered around preserving the now perilously endangered African elephant by giving this keystone species space to safely migrate through no-poaching territory. Over the next five years, Munchkin's increased donations to IFAW will fund the leasing of 90,000 acres situated in North Western Zimbabwe between Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park to ensure safe passage for elephants and 16 other migratory species that help proliferate life for countless plants and other animals.

Beyond announcing its engagement with Room to Roam in its 2023 Sustainability Report, Munchkin also details the impact of its robust CSR efforts in other areas:

Munchkin financed the planting of one million trees last year, bringing the total to four million trees planted since the beginning of the company’s partnership with Trees for the Future and its program “The Seedling Project,” launched in 2015.
As the only baby lifestyle brand member of the United Nations Global Compact, Munchkin aligns with The United Nations Emissions Programme’s aim to cut carbon emissions worldwide to avoid a cataclysmic natural catastrophe. In 2022, Munchkin diverted 82.58% of the waste from its U.S. warehouse away from landfills. Of the 82.58%, 22.59% was repurposed and 59.99% was recycled. The company’s hybrid policy that allows employees to work from home two days per week offset 350,627 pounds of CO2.
Munchkin released its first line of bamboo feeding products for little ones earlier this year to lower the use of traditional plastics and greenhouse emissions. Bamboo grows quickly, has more muscle than steel, absorbs up to 12 tons of CO2 annually and releases 30% more oxygen than trees. To package the products in the bamboo line, Munchkin used 100% paper-based packaging with nearly 70% recycled content.

To learn more and access Munchkin’s 2023 Sustainability Report, visit https://www.munchkin.com/assets/munchkin-sustainability-report-2023.pdf.

About Munchkin

Munchkin, Inc. is based in Los Angeles, California and has created innovative products for over 30 years. A global leader in children's feeding & care products, Munchkin has 329 patents to date and has earned more than 180 international product and brand design awards in the past several years alone. As the only baby lifestyle brand in the United Nations Global Compact, Munchkin's ongoing commitment to environmental protection and animal welfare is reinforced through its numerous corporate social responsibility initiatives and its annually published Sustainability Report.

Over half of Munchkin's global workforce is female, and women make up the majority of Munchkin's leadership team and board of directors. The company was ranked #8 Most Innovative Companies by Fortune in 2023. Munchkin products are sold in more than 45 countries around the world and have received over 1.25 million five-star reviews. Munchkin is on a mission to be the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. www.munchkin.com

Munchkin is evolving into a house of brands with the launch of Curio, a collection of finely crafted home goods made to transcend routine. www.curiohomegoods.com

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Judy Lee, ICR for Munchkin,Munchkin@icrinc.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA AFRICA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SUSTAINABILITY RECYCLING FAMILY SPECIALTY CONSUMER ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) CLIMATE CHANGE ENVIRONMENT RETAIL PARENTING CHILDREN BABY/MATERNITY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PHILANTHROPY OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES HOME GOODS FUND RAISING NATURAL RESOURCES ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

SOURCE: Munchkin, Inc.

PUB: 08/08/2023 02:15 PM/DISC: 08/08/2023 02:12 PM

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