Boston, January 27 2026– Hasbro, one of the largest toy companies in the world, has agreed to disclose how it assesses and manages situations where the lobbying done by its toy trade associations is misaligned with the company’s policies, including its work to ensure the safety of chemicals in its toys. The company made this commitment in exchange for the withdrawal of a related shareholder proposal from Green Century Capital Management.
Hasbro is a member of The Toy Association, which lobbies on issues including the regulation of potentially hazardous chemicals in toys such as Oregon’s Toxic Free Kids Act which it lobbied against.
“People want safe toys for their children. We applaud Hasbro’s work to ensure its toys don’t harm kids’ health or the environment,” said Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century. “We encourage the company to press its trade associations to support strong regulations for plastic chemicals in toys.”
Hasbro maintains a list of nearly 7,000 chemicals that it doesn’t use in its toys because of human and environmental health risks, such as BPA, which has been linked to developmental, behavioral and health problems in children. The Toy Association, in contrast, has a position statement that describes BPA as having a “strong safety record.”
Hasbro has agreed to disclose by late March how it assesses whether its principles align with those of its toy industry associations, and what steps it takes when there is a misalignment.
We shouldn’t have to worry about chemicals in toys
Leading experts on chemicals and children’s health point out that regulations around the world are not sufficient to keep children safe from hazardous synthetic chemicals. Hasbro risks reputational damage if the organizations it funds lobby against legislation to keep children safe, contradicting its own public statement that “the safety of children enjoying our products is our number one priority.” This disconnect isn’t just bad for society; it’s bad for business.
“We shouldn’t have to worry about whether dangerous chemicals are in toys for our kids,” said Frances Fairhead-Stanova, shareholder advocate at Green Century. “It’s also not in the interest of toy companies such as Hasbro — or their shareholders — for consumers to be worried about this. Safer options exist.”
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