Munchkin 2025 Sustainability Report: Heart to Heart

A Message from the CEO

Love is at the heart of everything Munchkin does, shaping its products and its commitment to a sustainable future. The company's philosophy transforms seeds into gardens, children into leaders, and trash into treasure. Munchkin's internal family, partners, and communities are driving meaningful change, making strides toward a future where love and purpose guide innovation. In 2024, Munchkin transitioned to 100% recycled polybags in packaging and achieved zero waste to landfill at its largest distribution center. These initiatives showcase the power of collective action in creating healthier communities worldwide.

The theme "From Our Heart to Yours" highlights the interconnectedness of choices, emphasizing the company's role as a caretaker of the planet for future generations. Initiatives like planting one million trees, championing regenerative food systems, and supporting conservation efforts demonstrate that business can be a force for good. Munchkin's dedication has earned recognition from Fast Company and Fortune. The company remains committed to its mission: to innovate with purpose, act with integrity, and lead with love, believing that together, the extraordinary is possible.

Family Roots, Sustainable Shoots

Munchkin's partnership with Trees for the Future has funded the planting of 5,000,208 trees through The Seedling Project. This initiative supports a growing agroforestry movement across five countries, aiming to restore degraded soil, rejuvenate ecosystems, nurture biodiversity, improve food supply, and enhance financial security in communities. Providing resources for long-term prosperity and health directly supports the environment and strengthens family bonds.

The report highlights Jeanne D'Arc, one of over 800 farmers trained by Trees for the Future. Jeanne, a mother of four from Senegal, has transformed her acre of land into a lush forest garden, growing 14 types of crops and 2,494 trees. This has provided her family with social and economic stability, enabling them to eat healthily year-round and send their children to school. Munchkin's trees have sequestered 180,807 metric tons of CO2 since 2016, demonstrating the positive impact of caring for each other and the environment.

Key statistics from Munchkin's funded progress in Tanzania, Singida, and Tabora include:

• 1,000,000 Trees Planted
• 958 Families Farming
• 800 Farmers Trained
• 7,074 Family Members Benefiting
• 800 Forest Gardens Started
• 46% Male & 54% Female Farmers

Heart the Herd: Protecting Elephants

Munchkin has partnered with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for five years to create the WildLove collection, featuring at-risk animals and their habitats. This collaboration began with the Miracle® 360° Sippy Cup and expanded to placemats, bath squirts, and apparel.

In 2023, Munchkin launched "Room to Roam," an ambitious program addressing biodiversity loss and securing migration paths for over 16 species in the African Savannah Forest, including elephants. The program aims to save the African elephant by providing them with safe passage and eradicating illegal hunting. This initiative has led to zero elephant poaching reported over the last two years, saving an estimated 20 elephants, 20 buffaloes, 5 lions, 10 sables, and 30 impalas, along with numerous other species.

The program also supports rangers through consistent rations, awareness campaigns, and improved living facilities, strengthening their fortitude. Ten out of 21 rangers received awards for their performance.

The report also details how improving the Mandavu picnic site has generated increased funding and water availability for communities, allowing them to plant gardens for nutrition and income. Measures to protect livestock include 69 predator-proof stockades. A community-based Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) committee has been established to mitigate issues, with nine community guardians trained to use an EarthRanger monitoring system.

Key achievements highlighted include:

• 254 Wire Snares Removed
• 10 Rangers Won Excellence Performance Awards
• 9 Suspected Poachers Detained
• 0 Elephants Poached

Jenga Mama: Empowering Women

Jenga Mama is a three-phase program focused on lifting women, their families, and tribes out of poverty by creating sustainable income streams. Last year, sixty women graduated from Phase One, learning professional trades like hairdressing, plumbing, catering, or dressmaking. Phase Two focuses on financial literacy, startup skills, and business development, with Phase Three planning for adaptive management and sustainable practices.

The program empowers women to become entrepreneurs, boosting their confidence and participation in community governance. The name "Jenga Mama" means 'empower a woman' in Swahili, reflecting its transformative impact on the lives and livelihoods of their tribes.

Environmental Stewards Program

This program works with students aged 8-13 in areas surrounding Hwange National Park, providing resources and environmental education. Key achievements include:

• 225 Tuition Fees Paid to Ensure Education for Primary School-Children
• 500 School Textbooks Donated, Benefiting 1,600 Forward-Thinking Students
• 100 Bicycles Donated to Students Who Commute Through Wildlife Corridors to Increase Their Safety

The Heart of the Solar System: Renewable Energy

In 2024, three of Munchkin's product manufacturing partners outfitted their factories with rooftop solar panels. Combined with energy-efficient panels at the Redlands Distribution Center, these initiatives reduce CO2 emissions by an additional 2,449.9 metric tons annually. Integrating solar panels lessens environmental impact and improves production efficiency.

Munchkin Manufacturers involved in solar power include:

• Thunder Power (TP): Completed solar panel installation in 2021, producing Munchkin cups, drying racks, dispenser bags, wipe warmers, snack catchers, soft-tip spoons, and pacifiers.
• Cenmax (CM): Installed solar panels at two facilities in China by the end of 2023, manufacturing Munchkin safety gates.
• Ningbo Huoke (NH): Completed solar panel installation in Shanghai by the end of 2023, producing Munchkin highchairs.

100% Recycled, Sustainable Packaging

In 2024, Munchkin took significant steps to reduce virgin plastic in packaging by introducing paper solutions that eliminate waste without compromising functionality. The company is ensuring that every package delivers the high-quality experience families expect.

E-commerce Shipping Bags: A Sustainable Shift

Munchkin is experimenting with reducing materials in direct-to-consumer shipping. Products marked "ship-in-own-container" (SIOC) arrive in sustainably recycled cardboard boxes. Munchkin is testing high-grade recycled plastics, specifically 100% opaque post-consumer plastic (LDPE), to create durable shipping bags.

These changes have resulted in:

• 64,887 lbs. of virgin plastic removed from circulation
• 341.6 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions reduced
• 2,456,683 shipping packages eliminated from Amazon alone

Munchkin is expanding its SIOC options and working towards transitioning to 100% recycled content mailers for all direct-to-consumer products by the end of 2025.

A Better Way to Bottle the Future

Munchkin is developing a new range of infant feeding products crafted from renewable glass and soft-touch silicone, designed for pure, clean feeding. The Bond Feeding Collection features the first baby bottle with a silicone anti-colic vent, ensuring milk never touches plastic, thus preserving vital nutrients. The glass vessels are coated in silky silicone for durability and a skin-to-skin contact experience, supporting bonding and protecting the bottle from impact. Silicone is heat-resistant, strong, and does not degrade into microplastics.

The Bond Bottle is scheduled for release on Munchkin.com on June 1, 2025.

Leaving a Legacy of Love: Zero Waste to Landfill

Munchkin's commitment to sustainability extends to its operations. The Redlands Distribution Center has achieved 100% zero waste to landfill, an initiative that involved installing solar panels and transitioning to electric operations. This achievement was supported by a partnership with Used Cardboard Boxes (now Used Cardboard Box Zero Waste) for pallet repurposing and recycling.

The Redlands center introduced SmartTrash technology to manage waste levels efficiently. Munchkin's headquarters in Van Nuys has a 65.7% landfill diversion rate, aiming for 80% by 2026. Canadian operations have achieved a 44.8% diversion rate, targeting 80% by 2027.

Munchkin is committed to pioneering zero waste across all operations, reducing CO2 emissions with initiatives like the Electric Yard Goat.

The company is also phasing out disposable plates, cups, and utensils in-office, encouraging employees to use reusable alternatives to further decrease their environmental impact.

Goals with Heart

Van Nuys HQ: 65.7% landfill diversion, on track to achieve UCBZW Bronze Status of 80% by 2026.

Canada: 44.8% landfill diversion, on their way to achieving UCBZW Bronze Status of 80% by 2027.

Munchkin Headquarters is saving over 574,623 lbs. of CO2 annually through 56 Electric Vehicle charging stations and a hybrid employee schedule. The company has replaced traditional cleaning agents with fragrance-free, eco-friendly alternatives and uses 100% recycled, biodegradable packaging.

Letter from the Chief Brand Officer

Diana Barnes, Chief Brand Officer, reflects on the company's journey towards a more sustainable, just, and joyful future. She highlights milestones such as achieving zero waste to landfill at the Redlands distribution center and removing 2.5 million shipping boxes from the Amazon supply chain. Barnes emphasizes that these achievements are the result of a culture that believes in showing up and doing the work, even when unobserved. She also notes the introduction of a no single-use policy on campus, eliminating paper cups and plastic utensils.

Barnes encourages continued progress, emphasizing that seeds sown today will color the world for future generations.

Appendix

The appendix lists the following external resources:

• trees.org/2022/05/19/jeanne/
• ifaw.org/international/journal/soaring-tourism-good-news-zimbabwe-wildlife
• ifaw.org/press-releases/jenga-mama-women-graduation-wildlife-protection
• ucbzerowaste.com/sustainability-certification/
• welcome.thunderpower.hk:88/index.php/Page/list/20.html#about1