Why Buy Green Promotional Products

By now, you’ve most assuredly at least heard the terms “global warming” or “global climate change” or “carbon footprint.” While these terms may have negligible meaning to you personally, they have substantial meaning to many environmentally-minded individuals. What better way to appeal to such folks than to get some eco-friendly promotional products for your next marketing campaign.

Buying eco-friendly promotional products (or green products, as they are also known) has a positive impact in a number of ways. Obviously, purchasing green promotional items helps the environment in some way or another. Depending on the type of green product you’re buying, the benefit to the planet could be seen in a number of ways. We will explore this further when we discuss the different types of green promotional products you can buy.

Aside from being beneficial to the planet, procuring environmentally-sound promotional goods is good for your business, as it shows your customers that you care about more than just the bottom line. Whether you’re buying the goods for an Earth Day or Arbor Day promotion, or if you’re buying them just because they minimize waste production, InkHead has hundreds of Earth-friendly items from which to choose.

Finally, green promotional products are good for your customers. Not only will they appreciate whatever item you give them, people feel better knowing that the item has a global benefit. While it’s true that not everyone is sold on the premise of films like An Inconvenient Truth, it is difficult to deny the importance of protecting the planet for future generations, regardless of the reason.

About Buying Green

Before you can buy eco-friendly products, it’s helpful to know what makes an item green. Depending on your promotion, one eco-friendly product may resonate with your audience differently than other items.

Three Rs of Waste Management

In case you’ve forgotten the 3Rs of Waste Management from those Saturday morning edutainment programs or your elementary school science class, they are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. InkHead offers items that fall under each of these three categories.

Reduce

Many of our items are made in the USA, and because we have relationships with suppliers across the country, we can generally locate an item manufacturer close to you. There are two benefits of doing this. First, when we can find a supplier near you, that means you will save money on shipping costs. Second, because the shipment doesn’t have to travel as far to get to you, we’re reducing the amount of overall energy expended to complete your order. This is a crucial component to any green promotion.

Reuse

If reducing the energy required to complete your order is not enough, then check out one of our promotional items that encourages reuse, such as custom water bottles or promotional coffee tumblers.

Recycle

While InkHead carries many items that either require less energy to produce or encourage reuse, we also have items that are made from recycled materials, and other items that are themselves recyclable.

Environmentally-Friendly Materials

In addition to items that fall under the 3Rs of waste management, we also offer items that are made from Earth-friendly materials, such as biodegradable plastics or bamboo.

Bioplastics (plastics made of renewable biomass substances, such as corn) and biodegradable plastics (plastics that will deteriorate naturally over time) allow the creation of plastic goods without the long-term impact on the environment. Most biodegradable plastics, when disposed of properly, will biodegrade in about 5 years of so. Corn plastics, like ethanol, come from a renewable source while still providing a comparable solution.

Bamboo makes an ideal material for a green promotional item for many reasons. First, the growth cycle of bamboo is far shorter than most other trees, meaning that it’s easier to replenish a grove of bamboo than it is other types of trees. Next, a grove of bamboo trees will produce 35% more oxygen than tree groves of comparable size. Finally, bamboo requires less fertilizer and pesticides to grow, making it even more palatable as a green product.

Jute, otherwise known as burlap, is made from a vegatable fibre. Jute has gained an advantage as being an eco-friendly option instead of poly and paper bags as polybag are made from petroleum and are non-biodegradable and manufacturing paperbags requires large quantities of wood. Jute has none of these problems and are therefore being used widely for these purposes but higher cost is a setback for it. It is also used for making fashion and promotional bags.

Items Made from Recycled Materials

When most people think of products made from recycled materials, they tend to think of recycled paper goods, such as notebooks and jotters. InkHead has plenty to choose from, including the very popular Pocket Eco-Note Keeper, which features a cardboard cover made from recycled paper and includes 60 pages or ruled recycled paper, as well as a micro-writer pen. Not what you want? See the rest of our Eco-Friendly Promotional Jotters.

Paper isn’t the only thing that can be recycled, as the Anvil Organic Cotton in Conversion Blend Short-Sleeve T-Shirt shows. This 50/50 combed ringspun cotton in conversion (transitional cotton)/recycled polyester tee features shoulder-to-shoulder tapering, a seamed collarette, double-needle sleeves and bottom bem, and a tearaway racer label. If this shirt doesn’t cover your promotional needs, be sure to check out our other Promotional Eco-Friendly Adult T-Shirts.

Items That are Recyclable

In addition to carrying items composed of recycled materials, we also have several items that can be recycled whenever your audience is done using them, such as the Little Thunder Tote Bag, which is made from sturdy premium non-woven polypropylene with dual reinforced 20″ carrying handles and a hemmed opening. Not only is the bag 100% recyclable, it also contains 20% post-industrial recycled content.

Another option is the Pac-a-Sac Foldable Tote, which folds and tucks neatly into a backpack or purse and is made from soft textured non-woven polypropylene and recycles with #5 plastics. If you want a different type of tote bag, be sure to see our complete collection of Eco-Friendly Promotional Tote Bags.

Items That Encourage Reuse

In addition to items that are made of recycled goods and items that can be recycled, InkHead also carries items that encourage repeat use from your intended audience, thereby reducing the amount of waste generated. For example, the Terra Porcelain Tumbler may look like a paper cup, but it is by no means a paper cup. Featuring a silicone lid and an eco-friendly gift box, this tumbler is sure send a jolt to your next green promotional campaign. If the Terra Porcelain Tumbler doesn’t strike a chord with you, please look at the rest of our Promotional Eco-Friendly Coffee Mugs.

According to a 2007 study by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Americans bought nearly 31 billion bottles of water in 2006. Good thing InkHead carries a number of Promotional Eco-Friendly Water Bottles, including the nifty Big Eco Safe-Sip Water Bottle. This BPA-free 24 oz. water bottle is made from 30% recycled material, features a twist-off lid with push/pull spout, and is made in America from biodegradable plastic.

Items Made from Environmentally-Friendly Materials

Water bottles aren’t the only product made from biodegradable plastic that InkHead carries. For instance, you can go with our 9-inch Flying Disc, which would be perfect for a green promotion on a college campus. While we don’t offer any other flying discs made of biodegradable plastic, we do have several other Promotional Eco-Friendly Outdoor & Sporting Goods available.

We even have items made out of bioplastics, such as the Eco Paper Barrel Pen, which features a barrel made of recycled paper and plastic parts made from a corn-based plastic. If the Eco Paper Barrel Pen isn’t hitting the right note, then be sure to see what other Promotional Eco-Friendly Pens we have available.

As we’ve mentioned, bamboo is another material beneficial to the environment, and InkHead carries several promotional items made out of bamboo, like the Cadeau Bamboo Keychain, which would make the perfect token of appreciation at a environmental trade show or seminar. If you’re interested in keychains, but don’t want bamboo, please see the rest of our Promotional Eco-Friendly Keychains.

Jute is another material beneficial for the environment, and InkHead has several items made of jute available in its catalog, including the Milan Jute Tote, which features cotton rope handles and a button loop closure.

How to Buy Green Promotional Products

When you are browsing our catalog, be sure to look for items with the little leaf. This signifies that the item is eco-friendly.

Additionally, be sure to use the Eco Friendly product filter when browsing product categories to view only those items that are eco-friendly in that category.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, InkHead has hundreds of Custom Eco-Friendly Promotional Products across nearly all of our product categories. Regardless of your industry, event, or audience, you are bound to find an eco-friendly item that your audience will appreciate and that will boost awareness while concurrently helping lessen our overall impact on the environment in some way. Isn’t a healthier planet the ultimate gift you can either give or receive?

Remember that the Custom Eco-Friendly Promotional Products featured here are subject to availability and may not be available in all colors at the time of your order. Please call us at 800.554.0127 to confirm sufficient stock is available.