Eco-fit

At one time, being green meant you were a bit naïve, unworldly or unaware. Now, being green means you have to be very smart to understand all the jargon and to ensure that you are not being ‘green washed’ by being sold ostensibly green products, which use a lifetime’s carbon footprint to be delivered at high speed.

Today, being green is a part of everyday life; we have greener fuel and fabrics and we recycle everything from glass an d plastic to cans and clothes.  And of course, this follows through to our business life, where many companies have ‘green’ CSR policies which cover everything from turning the office lights out when you leave, to recycling paper and includes buying eco-friendly products … including promotional products.

And there are bags of green promotional products from … well … bags themselves to coat hangers, pens and even TVs. So read on and find out just how many opportunities there are to go down the green route in the promotional world.

 

Bags of Green Initiatives

London-based packaging supplier, Carrier Bag Shop, has recently announced a great new range of cotton bags and jute bags in response to the growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives in the market. Cotton and jute bags are commonly sold by supermarkets as a ‘bag for life’ … no guarantees they’ll last that long, but they can be reused many, many times and look and feel better than the plastic variety. The new cotton bags come in a variety of colours: red, blue, yellow, pink, green, white, natural and black, with purple and orange on the way in Q2 of 2010.

With such a wide range of colours, the bags present versatile printing options through Carrier Bag Shop’s bespoke bag printing service. Naturally, printed jute and cotton bags are an increasingly popular marketing tool used to promote a brand’s positive environmental message in a format that can be used again and again, giving long-lasting brand visibility.

MB Enterprise, based in India, manufactures eco-friendly, fully biodegradable, re-useable bags in jute, cotton and canvas. The company also uses natural handles manufactured from bamboo, cane, cotton rope, cord or jute tape.
The range includes shopping bags, bottle bags, sports bags, conference bags and school bags.

 

Eco-Chic

Clippykit’s new range of Cover Girl bags are eco-chic being biodegradable, but they are also recyclable in a very different way. They can be used by promotional staff at an event with a corporate flyer tucked into the see-through pockets on the outside, and that flyer can be changed for the next event. Or the shopping or cosmetic bags can be given at an event with the corporate flyer in place and the recipient can replace that with a pic of their own choice to reflect their lifestyle. They’ll always remember who gave them the bag and being able to change the visual to suit the season or the occasion means the bag will get lots of use.

 

Green Desking

Green desking … why not? We’ve had hot desking and green washing, so I am now declaring that supplying green desktop promotional products is green desking … remember, you heard it here first.

Gwenagen Ltd/Gdock Promotions has been nominated and short-listed for The Asian Business Network (ABDN) 2010 Going Green Award! To fit the award entry criteria, the company had to demonstrate that it had implemented at least two green measures in the last 12 months and had a clear understanding and evidence of savings or cost benefits.

The nomination is based on the eco-friendly nature of the business and its product. The short-listed companies must demonstrate excellent environmental, sustainability practices and improvements. The company’s promotional Gdock is made from recycled materials, is recyclable and made in the UK with a minimal carbon footprint. A great promotional product, the Gdock combines the functionality of a multi-purpose docking station or phone stand with a large advertising and communication space. Delivered flat, it folds out into a sturdy stand which fits iPods, PDAs, mobiles and Blackberries – and is an excellent way to deliver information right to the desks of staff, clients or the wider community!

High Profile, a leading UK manufacturer of standard and bespoke plastic promotional products, offers a selection of biodegradable promotional items. Richard Wood, MD of High Profile, said, “Our entire bio product range (which includes rulers, paper clips, ice scrapers and boomerangs) is manufactured from a starch based material that is made from the by-product of the potato processing industry.”

Two new products in the range are the Bio House Moneybox and Custom Shaped Paperclips (sample pictured). These diverse and handy paperclips can be custom-shaped and are available in a variety of sizes. Additionally, recipients can add corporate colours and logos to their designs creating individual ‘masterpieces’. Universally used in the office and home environment, these bio paperclips are just another way recipients can include ‘green’ products easily into their daily lives.

 

EcoHangers

Almost everyone uses hangers. (This copy did say ‘Everyone uses hangers’ but having shared by house with three students for a while, I had to edit that copy slightly! Anything that got in the way of possessions gathering on the floor (wardrobes, cupboards and hangers) just seemed superfluous to requirements.)

Merlins Marketing brings us EcoHangers, the ‘eco-logical’ choice for replacing the millions of non-recyclable hangers that are disposed of each year. Made from 100% recycled materials, EcoHangers are a great way to build awareness, announce new products, highlight product attributes and can serve as a valuable marketing tool for any promotional message.

EcoHangers are 100% recyclable and reusable. Unlike wire and plastic hangers, EcoHangers are made from renewable resources. Research confirms that strong and durable EcoHangers are preferred by consumers over wire hangers and that they are welcomed into the home for long periods of time (OTX Channel Concept Study 2008).

Minimum quantity is 10,000 units, printed in full colour on both sides and available at  ‘affordable’ price. Merlins Marketing

 

Mightier Than the Sword … and a maybe greener

They say the pen is mightier than the sword and it looks as though it could be greener too in the case of the Prodir DS3 Eco. Billed as the Natural Difference, the DS3 is a quality writing instrument that, thanks to the use of renewable materials, is environmentally-friendly and can be personalised with biodegradable and compostable ink (a market premiere) in five natural colours: green, brown, grey, blue, red.

But if the biodegradable ink doesn’t match your corporate colours, you can have your pens decorated with any available Pantone colours in standard inks.  Prodir

 

Senator, a leading promotional pen manufacturer, has gone one step further than having a green range – with all their products containing at least 20% recycled material. Melissa Chevin, Marketing Manager, told Promo e-News, “From the outset, Senator’s corporate mindset has always centred on environmental consciousness and sustainability. We offer a range of genuinely recycled and biodegradable pens and every one of our products contains at least 20% recycled material.” 

The range of recycled, non-toxic and biodegradable pens manufactured by Senator is supported by a plethora of documented credentials, including Sedex, REACH and Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) accreditation. A new addition to the range is the Nature Plus Mix ‘n’ Match Ballpen (REACH and BSCI Accredited) (pictured). The ballpen is crafted from polyactide renewable resources and is designed to compost completely and safely, without leaving any plastic residues.  The barrel, clip and clip inner colours can be mixed for a truly customised product, perfect for corporate colour matching.

The pens are fitted with a super large capacity, non-toxic blue or black ink refill for long lasting use, and feature a web address embossed on the cap of each pen enabling recipients to check the sustainable credentials for themselves.

 

Green Viewing

 Promotional products and business gifts come in all shapes, sizes and budget brackets.

If you really want to splash out on a gift or long service award with green credentials, then this Sony KDL40WE5B 40" LCD (102cm) full HD 1080 Eco-friendly LCD TV from EIC is just the thing.

It features low power consumption (50% less), using the latest HCFL (Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlight technology. Also, a clever Presence Sensor detects motion in front of the TV. If you leave the room, you can set the picture to turn off automatically and turn on again when you re-enter. If you do not come back the TV completely switches off using The Energy Saving Switch which ensures you use less energy by cutting power consumption to practically zero when the TV is on standby.

So, the green theme goes right the way through the promotional and business gift catalogue, from desktop accessories, to fashion and shopping bags and is even evident in the electrical promotional products sector meaning that you can follow the green route whatever your product choice or budget.

 

Carole Bull

Editor

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