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MEGA Brands Australia

OVERALL

Owned
USA
Rating
Boycott

Toys and stationery importer and distributor

MEGA Brands products are manufactured in Canada and China. In Australia about 80% of MEGA Brands products are sold through the major toy retail outlets such as K Mart, Big W, Target, Toys 'R' Us and Toyworld.

Company Ownership

MEGA Brands Australia Pty Ltd   AUS     website         
  MEGA Brands Inc   
   owns 100% of MEGA Brands Australia Pty Ltd  
CAN     website         

Toys and stationery maker

Founded as Mega Bloks in 1985. Makers of plastic building blocks and other construction and magnetic toys, puzzles, games and stationery. Acquired by Mattel in 2014.

      Mattel Inc   
       owns 100% of MEGA Brands Inc  
USA     website   email      

Toys

Mattel Inc. is the world's largest toy company. Founded in 1945. Mattel closed its last USA factory in 2002, outsourcing production to China. Brands include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
MEGA Brands Australia Pty Ltd
Social ICP Committed Brands Program member
The ICTI CARE Process is the toy industry's ethical manufacturing program aimed at ensuring safe and humane workplace environments for toy factory workers worldwide. This company is a member of the 'ICP Committed Brands Program' which means they only contract from factories that have an ICP Seal of Compliance. However human rights groups including SOMO and China Labor Watch have criticised ICTI Care, with investigators finding serious labour rights violations occurring in ICTI-certified factories.
[Source 2018][More on Workers Rights]
MEGA Brands Inc
Social ICP Committed Brands Program member
The ICTI CARE Process is the toy industry's ethical manufacturing program aimed at ensuring safe and humane workplace environments for toy factory workers worldwide. This company is a member of the 'ICP Committed Brands Program' which means they only contract from factories that have an ICP Seal of Compliance. However human rights groups including SOMO and China Labor Watch have criticised ICTI Care, with investigators finding serious labour rights violations occurring in ICTI-certified factories.
[Source 2018][More on Workers Rights]
Mattel Inc
Environment Rainforest Alliance honouree
This company won a 2014 Sustainable Standard-Setter Award from the Rainforest Alliance, which recognizes businesses that are working diligently to meet rigorous sustainability standards, protect the environment, and support local communities worldwide. The award recognises Mattel's improvements in its paper and wood-fibre sourcing.
[Source 2014][More on Eco-Certification]
Social Workers rights in China
This 2014 report by China Labour Watch investigates four Chinese factories supplying some of the largest toy brand companies in the world, including this one. The report reveals many labour violations in these factories, including long hours, excessive overtime, dangerous working conditions, low wages, and underpaid workers.
[Source 2014][More on Workers Rights]
Social Workers rights in China
This 2015 investigative report by China Labour Watch found that poor working conditions in Chinese toy factories continue. This company was among those implicated in the report. Labor abuses such as low wages and excessive overtime are still widespread, with very little improvement in working conditions over time.
[Source 2015][More on Workers Rights]
Social Workers rights in China
This 2017 investigative report by China Labour Watch reveals labor abuses in four Chinese toy factories. One or more of these factories supply this company. Labor abuses include low wages, excessive overtime, dangerous work environments and humiliating living conditions.
[Source 2017][More on Workers Rights]
Social Workers rights in China
This 2018 investigative report by China Labour Watch reveals labor abuses in four Chinese toy factories. One or more of these factories supply this company. Labor abuses include low wages, excessive overtime, dangerous work environments and humiliating living conditions.
[Source 2018][More on Workers Rights]
Business Ethics 15.0% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017
This company received a score of 15/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
[Source 2017][More on Sustainability Reporting]
Business Ethics 18/100 SAM Rank
This company received a SAM Rank of 18/100 in the Leisure Equipment & Products and Consumer Electronics category of the 2018 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment. The index is based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
[Source 2018][More on Sustainability Reporting]
Environment CDP Climate Change Score of D
In 2018, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of D.
[Source 2018][More on Climate Change]
Social Child labour scorecard
This website by German NGO Earth Link rates companies on their corporate policies against child labour, production monitoring and accusations of child labour. This company received at least one red mark, indicating poor performance in one or more of these areas.
[Source 2013][More on Human Rights]
Social Conflict minerals rating
As You Sow's 2018 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 206 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was above 40% (Minimal).
[Source 2018][More on Human Rights]
Business Ethics Excessive CEO pay
As You Sow's 2019 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Margaret H. Georgiadis came in at number 9 on the list, having been paid US$31,275,289 in 2018. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."
[Source 2019][More on Finance]
Social Workers Rights in China
This 2005 investigative report by China Labour Watch reveals how workers in Chinese toy factories endure work schedules that surpass the legal limit by at least 36.5 hours per week, pay rates as low as only 59 percent of the local minimum wage, unsanitary cafeterias, dorm rooms housing 22 people each, and employees forced to foot the entire cost of their work-injury insurance and, in some instances, lack of insurance of any kind. [Listed under information due to age of report]
[Source 2005][More on Workers Rights]
Social Workers rights in China
This 2013 investigative report by China Labour Watch reveals systemic labor violations in Chinese factories which supply Mattel, including wage theft, excessive overtime, low wages, hiring discrimination, hot and crowded dorms, fire hazards, worker health concerns, pollution and many more. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
[Source 2013][More on Workers Rights]
Social Recall of toys
Bad Company Awards 2007 - Mattel recalled over 21 million toys from around the world over a five-week period in 2007, due to design faults and the use of poisonous levels of lead paint. The recall included one toy that contained over 200 times the amount of lead permitted by US lawmakers.
[Source 2007][More on Product Safety]
Environment Cancelled contract with APP
In Oct 2011 Mattel announced that it will stop buying paper and packaging linked to rainforest destruction following a global campaign by Greenpeace. One such company is the notorious Asia Pulp and Paper group (APP), which Greenpeace investigators have shown to be involved in widespread rainforest clearance in Indonesia.
[Source 2011][More on Palm Oil]
Social ICP Committed Brands Program member
The ICTI CARE Process is the toy industry's ethical manufacturing program aimed at ensuring safe and humane workplace environments for toy factory workers worldwide. This company is a member of the 'ICP Committed Brands Program' which means they only contract from factories that have an ICP Seal of Compliance. However human rights groups including SOMO and China Labor Watch have criticised ICTI Care, with investigators finding serious labour rights violations occurring in ICTI-certified factories.
[Source 2018][More on Workers Rights]
Social Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
[Source 2017][More on Human Rights]
Information OpenSecrets.org profile
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
[Source 2014]

> About the Icons

Company Details

Company Structure Wholly-owned subsidiary
Aus Manufacturing No

Contact Details

Address Suite 4, Building 26, 270 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, VIC, 3168, Australia
Phone 03 9501 2030
Website www.packagingcovenant.org.au/documents/File/MEGA_Brands_AP_07_10.pdf

Products / Brands

MEGA Brands Australia
Mega Bloks Construction
Mystic Babies Dolls
RoseArt Markers & Highlighters
RoseArt Stationery
SRX Markers & Highlighters
SRX Stationery


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