How Green Is Your Promotion?

In a world of initials (RSVP, PTO, ASAP and the dreaded VAT), the letters CSR have become very important to those involved in the promotions industry.

When matching a promotional product or campaign to a brand, in order to ensure it conveys the brand ethos and identity correctly, you need to look at the brand's credentials and investigate its CSR (corporate social responsibility) policy. If it is committed to eco-friendly, environmentally friendly and/or ethical sourcing, then this must be an important part of the brief and must be adhered to in order to avoid the possibility of damaging brand image.

CSR PACKAGED IN A POD
Mark Glanville, MD of Pod Packaging says, "As companies and marketers look at their carbon footprints, there is more concern than ever for an integrated corporate social responsibility plan that takes into account all promotional activity."

Even before corporate social responsibility became an industry-wide issue, Pod Packaging prided itself on being market leaders in ethical and environmentally-friendly promotional solutions at competitive prices.

The current Pod collection consists of a range of lifestyle gift packs, bottled drinks and edible treats housed in stylish brushed aluminium containers. Items in the range include:
Corked Pods – which can be filled with an array of sweet or savoury treats, golf tees or even a bespoke item of your choice! The corked pod can be branded with your company logo and message.

A4 Postal Pod – The brushed aluminium A4 postal pod doesn't just send out an invitation it sends it with style! There are branding opportunities on either end of the pod for your company name or logo. www.podpackaging.com

ISO 14001 FOR BTC GROUP
Although the BTC Group has been established for 30 years supplying promotional merchandise and business gifts, it is not resting on its laurels. It has recently been awarded ISO 14001, designed to help companies achieve consistent environmental compliance together with continuous improvements in environmental performance. It applies to those environmental aspects over which an organisation has control and where it can be expected to have an influence. ISO 14001 is compatible with BTC Group's existing ISO 9001 accreditation for quality management resulting in a seamlessly integrated management system.

Managing Director, Frank Murphy, comments, "Companies that become ISO 14001 accredited, show that they are making three commitments; a commitment to comply with legislation, a commitment to prevent pollution, and to continually improve the Environmental Management System." www.btcgroup.co.uk

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS WITH GREEN CREDENTIALS
But back to the products themselves, Event Merchandising is the Global Merchandiser for Live Earth.

Cool, creative and environmentally friendly products, including the fire hose belt (pictured here), were sold around the world raising money to help the Climate Crisis. The company's range of environmentally friendly products has expanded to include Carbon Neutral Clothing. www.liveearthshop.com

Even technical products can have a natural element. USB Flashbay has launched a new USB flash drive made with an entirely wooden shell. It's called the Natures Series.

The company will supply a visual proof of your logo on a USB flash drive or you can request a dummy sample. www@flashbay.com

The confectionery section of the promotional industry is also going green. GroovyChocolate has introduced new recyclable 'compostable' boxes alongside 100% recycled boxes. The company has also expanded its range of organic confectionery with new 100% organic truffles.

Available as single chocolates, or as three or seven chocolate boxes, these delicious, hand-made organic truffles are carefully packed in to recyclable and compostable boxes, tied with raffia ribbon and printed in up to four colours.

Andy Fairburn of GroovyChocolate confirms, "All our Organic truffles are approved by the Soil Association." www.groovychocolate.com

Everything Environmental, a trade only supplier of personalised recycled and eco friendly promotional and business gifts, has launched a range of ethical clothing for the promotions market.

The new EarthPositive™ range of progressive promotional clothing includes men's and ladies' T-shirts, hoodies and a unisex selection of polo shirts, all made from organic cotton.

The organic status of the EarthPositive™ range from Everything Environmental is certified by the Soil Association. The range is also Carbon Neutral, manufactured in a purpose built factory using wind and solar power. This clothing is also fairly traded (accredited by the Fair Wear Foundation) and carries the Confidence in Textiles mark.

Evan Lewis, founder and director of Everything Environmental commented: "It is an important landmark not only to launch our first ever range of organic/fair trade clothing, but the fact that it's up to same level of quality and design as retail fashion, widening their appeal." www.everything-environmental.co.uk

The Corporate Merchandise Company (CMC) has been in the business of sourcing creative promotional merchandise solutions for over 14 years and is currently one of the largest distributors of promotional products in the UK. As such it is well placed to observe the trend towards the increased use of eco-friendly and recycled products in the promotional and incentives sector.

According to CMC marketing executive Nathan Collé, "Companies are becoming increasingly concerned about being environmentally-friendly. We have seen a distinct increase in demand for many of our eco-friendly products. Indeed, we have extended our range of recycled products to cater for this increase in demand."

CMC's eco-friendly products range from clothing to desktop accessories. The eco-friendly clothing includes T-shirts made from 100% unbleached natural cottons, such as the Continental Organic Jersey T-shirt , and T-shirts made from 50% post industrial waste cotton and 50% recycled plastic bottles!

The company's desktop accessories include a wide range of recycled pens and pencils that look great, are competitively priced and protect and care for the environment.

For example, the 'Recycled Car Pen' is one of CMC's best selling retractable, twist action pens. As the name suggests, it really is made from recycled car parts!
(Guide price: 500 at £0.37 each)

CMC can also supply 'Recycled Mouse Mats' – which are made from recycled tyres
(Guide price: 250 at £1.77 each).

Collé concludes: "I'm sure this trend towards using eco-friendly and recycled products in the promotional sector will continue to grow as corporate social responsibility becomes more widespread." www.cmc-uk.net

DEGRADABLE OR BIO-DEGRADABLE? AN EXPLANATION
Whilst some people confuse eco and environmentally-friendly (eco being related to the planet and environmental focusing on your more local environment), others are perplexed about the difference between degradable and biodegradable. Sophie Howes, Director of sourcing company Tomato Source Ltd explains, "For example, a plastic bag that is classed as 'degradable' has still been made from fossil fuels – it has had a chemical additive introduced to help it degrade. Whereas a truly biodegradable product is one made from pure 100% natural organic matter that naturally decomposes, or readily breaks down in the presence of biological organisms, such as bacteria and or fungi. In the simplest form, for something to be biodegradable it must have been alive at one time." (See other advice on sourcing 'green' products from Tomato Source in this month's Top 10 Tips.)

Tomato Source has recently launched the Bio PonchoTM, a truly biodegradable and compostable product, invaluable at all sorts of corporate or public outdoor events. The Bio PonchoTM can be supplied either printed on the huge brandable area with your own brand/company logo, or as plain, unprinted stock. www.tomato-source.co.uk

DELIVERING A GREEN CAMPAIGN
As much thought needs to be given to delivering your products in an environmentally-efficient way, as goes into selecting 'green' products. Pace Network, a global transport provider with a specialisation in the field of sales promotion, has identified this fact and is addressing the situation.

All vehicles in Pace Network's extensive fleet are either Euro III or have Reduced Pollution Certificates. This means that whether your campaign utilises one of Pace's Sprinter vans, a 7.5 tonne or a 26 tonne vehicle, its emissions will be well below the levels set for transport in London and that Pace Network's fleet will not incur any additional charges when delivering within the Low Emission Zone in the capital. Which is just as well as Pace Network is the official freight provider for the forthcoming Promotional Marketing Exhibition, where 200 exhibitors will be delivering and collecting product samples, brochures, POS and other stand components to London's Olympia exhibition centre.

Looking to the future, Pace will shortly be taking delivery of three new vehicles, which comply to Euro 5 standard, not just the Euro 4 currently required.
Pace Network's green credentials do not end there, as Colin Harrison, Joint Managing Director of Pace Network, says, "As part of the company's commitment to environmentally-efficient practices we also offer advice on how to reduce packaging and on methods of consolidating goods to reduce the number of trips required, both of which have considerable impact on the final carbon footprint of the campaign."

As well as providing freight services to the Promotional Marketing Exhibition, Olympia 15 – 17 April, Pace Network will also have a stand at the event (no. 410) where Pace Network will be able to advise you on the complete range of its services.
www.pace-network.co.uk

There will be a number of companies at the Promotional Marketing Exhibition showcasing products with a green element, as well as traditional product, alongside a complete range of promotional and motivation services. The Promotional Marketing Exhibition will be the focus of our feature in the March issue of Promo E-news, so if you are exhibiting, visiting or otherwise involved in the event, drop me an e-mail and let me have your news, views and comments.

Carole Bull
Editor

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