If you are proudly operating a sustainable brand, it could reflect badly on your business if you then choose unsustainable items for your promotional products. Items that are wasteful, single-use, or made from unsustainable materials could reflect badly on your company and cast your brand in a bad light.
This is why eco-friendly promotional products are growing in popularity. These items are typically made from recycled or sustainable materials. They can also help to drive down waste by offering a reusable alternative to single-use items. This is not only great for your planet but also great for your brand image.
If you’re thinking about adding some eco-friendly promotional products to your marketing mix, read on to learn more about how to navigate these choices and how to select the right products for your brand.
There are many ways your promotional products could be deeded to be eco-friendly. Consumers are also more likely to ignore the materials and manufacturing process if the end result is a product that helps them to reduce their waste. Let’s look at some of the ways a promotional item could be considered to be eco-friendly.
Some materials are more sustainable than others. For example, fabric made from bamboo is often better than cotton. However, there are sustainable ways to produce cotton, including using recycled fibres, so don’t assume that all cotton products are going to be bad for the environment.
Other factors to consider include the processing and printing. Toxins in some printing inks contain high levels of heavy metals that can pollute waterways. To avoid this, you could choose products made using non-toxic inks.
Eco-friendly products are most effective when they align with your wider brand values, messaging and operational choices.
Another way you can make a sustainable choice would be to offer a promotional item that helps to reduce reliance on single-use items. This could include a reusable coffee mug that would replace takeaway coffee cups or a tote bag that would replace countless plastic bags.
Promotional products can also be used as a way to raise funds for sustainable causes. Examples of this include pin badges that are sold at a high markup as a way to encourage donations. You could also give away small items like pens or keychains in exchange for a donation.
| Product Type | Waste Reduction | Brand Visibility | Longevity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reusable Coffee Cups | High | High | Long-term |
| Water Bottles | Very High | Very High | Long-term |
| Tote Bags | High | High | Long-term |
| Lanyards | Medium | Moderate | Medium |
Choosing eco-friendly promotional products will likely have indirect benefits for your brand. It is most likely to have a positive boost on your brand image, which can help to increase brand loyalty as customers will feel more aligned with your goals and objectives.
These benefits might not feel as tangible as something like a boost in sales or improved brand recognition, but it is nonetheless important. Your brand perception can have an impact on future sales and also on brand loyalty. If customers see your brand as one that values sustainability, this can help them to feel more connected with your cause.
A loyal customer is more likely to act as an ambassador and advocate for your company. They’ll do the hard work of promoting your brand, just because they see your company as a force of good in the world.
Sustainable promotional products align brand actions with brand values. When customers see environmental responsibility in practice, trust and loyalty follow.
If you’re sold on the benefits of being eco-friendly, here are some of the most popular products to consider. You don’t have to put all of your eggs in one basket, and you could choose a range of promotional products for different purposes to help spread the message about your company.
It’s estimated that we go through around one billion single-use coffee cups every year. So anything that we can do to reduce this level of waste is surely a worthy effort.
Offering a branded reusable coffee cup will help you to connect with customers looking to make more sustainable choices. And you’ll also enjoy free daily exposure, as they will take their coffee cup with them to work, and out and about at the weekend.
You can make the most of your brand colours and logo with this sustainable promotional product. You can further ramp up the eco credentials by choosing materials like cork or recycled plastic for the coffee cup design.
Like coffee cups, single use plastic water bottles are also thrown away en masse every year. Around 60 million plastic bottles make their way to landfill every single day. To help combat this, you could offer your own reusable water bottle.
These offer a large branding area and the possibility to enjoy some widespread free advertising. Water bottles are versatile and portable, so individuals are likely to take them everywhere.
You could enjoy visibility in the office, at the gym and out and about on the weekend. You could even enjoy international exposure if your bottle is the bottle of choice for an overseas trip. Choose materials like aluminium for maximum sustainability. Even plastic bottles can be considered sustainable, as they are designed to be used time and time again.
Another wasteful item that we turn a blind eye to every single day is single use plastic bags. To avoid the need to purchase a new bag for life every single time you visit the shops (and accumulate a large collection at home) you could offer customers a stylish tote bag.
Tote bags made from sustainable cotton or bamboo are the most popular. A sturdy canvas tote will also provide a long-lasting solution. Another perk of the tote bag is that it offers a very large branding area that is designed to be seen. You could enjoy free advertising at the supermarket, in the office and at the gym when you get your eco-friendly tote bag into the hands of your customer.
Lanyards are versatile items that are gradually replacing the keyring as the giveaway item of choice. Choose a lanyard made from recycled fibres and printed with non-toxic ink to achieve the full spectrum of eco-friendly credentials.
Lanyards are excellent because they have a high perceived value, despite being low cost to print. They also have an excellent brand area and the possibility of enjoying some significant brand exposure. Those forgetful people who misplace everything will always appreciate a branded lanyard that will allow them to keep track of their most important items.
Another product with high perceived value but a relatively low cost for the company is sunglasses. Choose from materials such as bamboo or recycled plastic to enjoy the eco-friendly benefits to your brand image.
As soon as the sun is shining, your promotional sunglasses will enjoy some exposure out in the world. Branding on the arm of the glasses will ensure your company name is visible and the wearer will be positively associated with your brand. This is an ideal choice for companies with a reputation for being laid back and relaxed.
There’s no shortage of eco-friendly choices to add to your marketing mix. While you can head into this with the best intentions, even the most planet friendly items can become wasteful if you fail to plan. This is why you should always choose evergreen branding and designs for your eco-friendly promotional items so that you are never left with wasted products are that no longer relevant.
Discover eco-friendly promotional products designed to reduce waste and increase impact.
Are eco-friendly promotional products more expensive?
Not always — many offer better long-term value through repeat use.
Can sustainable products still deliver strong branding?
Yes — many eco-friendly items offer large, highly visible branding areas.
