Earth Day began in 1970 as a modern environmental movement to promote the preservation of the environment by fighting pollution, oil spills, toxic dumps and more. Since then, it has morphed into a global celebration for all things eco-friendly. Promotional product distributors, manufacturers and vendors can all do our part! And since 1 in 3 consumers prefer eco-friendly products (according to a Curiosity at Work survey), it just makes good business sense too.
Here are the latest trends in eco-friendly promotional products.
Reusable Products Are Earth and People Friendly
The reusable product market is an easy way to venture into eco-friendly products. It includes anything your recipient can use over and over again in replace of a product that produces waste.
Think water bottles. This is an easy way to encourage your users to “go green” while not spending too much green from your budget. If just one person switches from a plastic water bottle to a reusable one, 217 plastic water bottles will stay out of landfills, according to Mathematics for Sustainability. Imagine the impact you can have simply through a promo product.
Reusable straws are another big trend in the reusable product market. With the latest call to ban the plastic drinking straw, using reusable straws to promote your brand could create waves. Each day, Americans use enough throw-away straws to wrap around the earth 2.5 times, and these plastic straws cannot be recycled, according to Final Straw. You can help reduce plastic waste by using a branded reusable straw as a giveaway.
Recycled Materials Making Their Mark in the Eco-Friendly Products Market
Items made from recycled materials are a great way to showcase your brand and your company’s environmental responsibility. Plus, in recent years, this trend has grown and now the subset of products has a variety of product to choose from.
Recycled paper notebooks are very popular promotional products. The imprint space is large for a vibrant, visible logo and they also show off your corporate responsibility.
Bags are a great option too! From tote bags made of recycled plastic to backpacks made out of upcycled rubber or recycled fibers, you can find a reusable bag that meets your brand’s needs, in a variety of price points.. And bags are popular with consumers as well.
No matter what promotional product you choose, when you go with eco-friendly products, make sure they are labeled properly. Keep an eye out for the Mobius Loop, which indicates that the product can be recycled. The Mobius Loop with a percentage indicates how much of the product is made from recycled materials. The Green Seal indicates that a product was produced in an environmentally friendly manner.
Promote Your Brand with Eco-Friendly Products
With the advance of recycling capabilities and manufacturing, eco-friendly products are as easy to come across as non-earth-friendly products. While eco-friendly promotional products may be more expensive in some cases, consider the value that using them can have on the environment and on your company’s reputation. Consider your audience when you ask: Are they worth the extra expense?