Just as society is focusing more and more on protecting the environment, there's an ever increasing demand for
eco-friendly promotional products. As a result, there have been hundreds of new eco-friendly promotional products introduced over the last couple years and more are coming out all the time. As with any new product category, prices of eco friendly items tend to be somewhat higher than their traditional counterparts. However, the price disparity between the two continues to decrease each year as demand and competition increases.
Just as in the retail market, there's not really an widely established certification program to substantiate that a product is eco friendly. As a result, many suppliers have established standards for their products. Of course, there are some basics characteristics of eco-friendly products that help consumers in identifying products that offer better protection to the environment. These widely recognized characteristic include:
Reusable Promotional Products: When considering needs that have been traditionally satisfied with disposable or one-time-use products, look for alternatives which can be reused for an extended period of time. A great example of this is the use of stainless steel water bottles, aluminum water bottles and BPA-free plastic water bottles instead of disposable plastic or paper cups. One of the other key attributes to consider is whether your customers will WANT to reuse the products. Buying a reusable product that's likely to be thrown a way is really no more responsible than buying a disposable product (and may be worse if the reusable product isn't biodegradable). That's one reason why water bottles are a great example. People like them and will reuse them. Another great benefit, many of these water bottles provide large imprint areas and often can be printed nearly 360 degrees around the bottle. Tote bags are another great reusable product that people are likely to keep and reuses.
Recycled Promotional Products: Products made from material that has been recycled are great eco-friendly options since they're limiting the use of new resources and giving another life to previously used material. It's important to recognize that some products may be made from a combination of both recycled material and new raw material. There can be a variety of reasons for this. Raw material may need to be combined with recycled material to enable the product to meet certain performance standards (e.g. strength, etc) for example. Recognizing this, suppliers will often identify what percent of the product is made from recycled material. When available, this information is typically found on promotional product distributors websites. There are a wide range of products made from recycled material including recycled tote bags like the Go Green Tote made from 100% recycled water bottles, recycled journals like the Evolution Journal with 100 sheets of recycled paper featuring the recycle symbol, USB drives with recycled cases like this See-Through Recycled Green USB drive and even recycled apparel like this Recycled Anvil T-Shirt made from 50% recycled polyester.
Sustainable Promotional Products: Sustainable products are those which use natural resources which can be replaced at a pace which keeps up with consumption. A prime example of what is widely viewed as a more sustainable resources is bamboo. Since bamboo grows rapidly, it can be more readily sustained especially in comparison to slow growing hardwood. There are a large number bamboo promotional products including bamboo picture frames, bamboo awards, and even bamboo apparel. Jute Promotional Products, like Jute Totes, are another example of products based on a more sustainable resource.
Biodegradable Promotional Products: While biodegradable attributes can be difficult to substantiate, there are some materials which will degrade more quickly in landfills than others. A great example of a biodegradable promotional product is the corn pen. The pen is made from plastic pellets derived from lactic acid, extracted from corn starch . The pellets are molded into products which, after use, are composted and biodegrade in the soil unlike traditional plastics. There are a few other corn-based products which are also biodegradable including this great soup mug. For an inexpensive eco-friendly giveaway, consider biodegradable golf tees!
Renewable or Recyclable Promotional Products: As more and more communities implement recycling programs, the concept of a recyclable product is becoming clearer and clearer. Depending on the material, certain products may be recycled with material reused for other products. This is also referred to as renewable. Just as household waste made from glass, paper, aluminum, and certain plastics can be recycled and renewed into other products, a wide range of promotional products also fall into the category. Aside from glass, paper and aluminum which are more easily identified, products made from other materials can often be recycled. Of course, the key here is that there has to be a means of getting the used products to someone who will recycle them. For that reason, it's suggested that you look at your local recycling guidelines to determine the ability to take advantage of a specific products renewability. Many of the items we've already mentioned also can fall into this category including the corn-based products, aluminum water bottles and Go Green tote.
Whether it's in recognition of Earth Day or to support the cause year-round, consider eco-friendly promotional products and eco-friendly awareness products like the eye catching
"how big is yours" foot print lapel pin for your next promotion. Even the lapel pin is eco friendly since it's made using post industrial materials including scraps and trimmings that would normally be discarded!
