WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE! Well… not exactly. I mean eventually, but probably not right now. Unless you’re reading this while eating a New York cheesecake because those things are to die for. So…what was I talking about?
The truth is our planet is in danger, whether it’s the increasing CO2 levels causing global warming, or the countless space used in landfills it’s time we start making small but vital steps to help.
Recycling
Recycling first and foremost saves energy and cuts back on the pollution we create, by conserving our natural resources.
I mean, it’s great, we can use the same materials over and over again rather than creating more waste. What’s not to love! By doing so we are taking vital steps towards a circular economy and helping preserve our planet for future generations.
The subject of going green is a huge topic of conversation with prominent figures such as Greta Thunberg keeping discussions about the future of our planet at the forefront of people’s minds.
Trivia
“Did you know?”
- 26 million tonnes of waste is created by British households each year, yet only 12 million tonnes are recycled.
- Recycling a single glass bottle will save enough energy to power a laptop for half an hour.
- 2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown away every hour in America
Different Types Of Eco-Friendly Promotional Products
What exactly is “Eco-Friendly”? We see this term used all the time but it’s used in so many different ways that it can be confusing to know what it really means.
This popular buzzword is often used for “greenwash” marketing. This is when companies invest copious amounts of time and money into marketing their products as “green”, when they aren’t as sustainable as they claim.
So how do you see through these false claims of “eco-friendly” promotional products?
Remember that there are five common categories that sustainable promotional products fall into:
- Recycled Fabrics – Common fabrics we see used are recycled fabrics & cotton
- Natural Materials – Bamboo, hemp, wheat straw and cotton are all-natural and biodegradable
- Giveback Items – Products that support sustainable causes are becoming more and more popular
- Reusable Products – Plastics that can be reused such as water bottles, straws and bags
- Sustainably Made Products – How does the company do business? Do they have policies to ensure their factories are safe?
Switching To Recycled Merchandise Makes Your Brand More Attractive
One very easy way to demonstrate that your business takes its corporate social responsibility seriously is by investing in eco- friendly promotional products.
Whether you want the items for prospective clients, employees or just to revamp your office, recycled promotional merchandise instantly connects your brand with that which cares for the environment.
At ConciseMediaBranding we try to provide the very best eco-friendly promotional products to match your business’ needs.
Browse our range of eco-friendly promotional merchandise here.
The Three R’s Of Eco Friendly Promotional Products
At some point in our lives we’ve heard about the “three R’s” of sustainability: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.
The overall goal of the “three R’s” is to prevent waste and conserve natural resources by implementing green practices at company facilities.
So what do we specifically mean when we talk about reduce, reuse and recycle?
Reduce
Less cheap stuff and more high quality, retail inspired, useful products that add value to your brand, customers life and to the planet.
Reuse
By creating high quality items that your customers can reuse again and again is far more sustainable than recycling old products into new ones.
Recycle
There is a reason that recycling is at the end of the list and not at the top, and for good reason, it encourages greater thought than “its ok, this thing can be recycled next week”.
Although recycling is more beneficial than creating whole new things, it’s still not without its problems.
For instance, when recycling plastics, the process of melting them down to form new products releases harmful fumes into the environment and adversely affects air quality, producing carbon dioxide. So while we may reduce waste and landfill we end up contributing to global warming instead!
Recycled plastics are also “downcycled” by this process, in which the quality gets a little bit worse and creates a lower quality product. Therefore, recycled products are not suitable unless a significant amount of virgin polymer is added to the mix to restore some of its chemical properties.
However, a lot of the problems with recycling have to do with plastics and not cardboard so it’s still important to recycle at every chance you get, and if you have plastics that are reusable make sure to keep using them! (*hint* you can get branded reusable plastic bottles here)
Conclusion
Turns out you don’t need to be a superhero to save the world. If we all start doing small bits like recycling more and producing more eco friendly products then we can all with a combined effort save the planet.