by Samantha Sage
Businesses use popular promotional items like pens, mugs, and stickers to get their name out there and grow their sales. While these items are effective marketing tools, many are made from materials that are not environmentally friendly, leading to company logos being unintentionally associated with wasteful items that harm the environment.
As sustainability becomes increasingly important for companies and consumers alike, it’s worth exploring greener options for common promotional giveaways to ensure you're promoting your brand without creating unnecessary waste. At MARCO Ideas Unlimited, prioritizing eco-friendly promos is one of our core values, and we're ready to help you find the best eco-conscious options for all your swag needs.
The best news is that eco-friendly promotional items don’t have to be boring or plain anymore! MARCO Ideas Unlimited stocks cool and modern designs of sustainable promo products across all categories. Your brand will shine with eco-smart promotional items that are aligned with your values while still being desirable giveaways that don't end up in landfills.
Here are some starter ideas for swapping common promo items with more eco-friendly alternatives:
Put The "Write" Foot Forward with Sustainable Branded Stationery
Custom stationery like branded pens and personalized notebooks are among the most common - and potentially most wasteful - classes of promotional products. Discarded plastic waste from used pens and notebook covers collects in our landfills and threatens our health. Renewable alternatives to plastic stationery made with materials that are sustainable, durable, and biodegradable keep your brand moving without contributing to waste streams. With custom engraved pens made from bamboo and recycled aluminum, up to reclaimed marine plastic bottle waste and disposable contact lens cases upcycled into premium Uni-ball pens, the perfect writing instrument for any eco-conscious brand can be personalized with gorgeous color or elegant engraving.
Renewable material notebooks are offered in a wide range of custom branded options - from unique and durable Stone Paper notepads produced with less water and waste that are perfect for hard working construction crews in the rainy Pacific Northwest, to recycled notebooks with intriguing covers made from used coffee grounds that are ideal for coffee shops or Portland, Oregon's signature coffee stands, your branded stationery can do more good for the planet with a little promo product selection insight from our team. We can even print many items from plantable seeded paper embedded with wildflower seeds that sprout when planted after use. These green branded notebooks, sticky notes, and greeting cards only needs water and sun to grow once you're ready to dispose!
Recycled Stainless Steel Drinkware and Straws - Infinitely Reusable!
Drinkware is a hugely popular promo item category, but polycarbonate plastic water bottles and mugs can be wasteful and damage the environment during production. Swap disposable plastic drinkware for reusable options made from sustainable materials like bamboo, recycled aluminum, or glass. Custom eco drinkware like recycled aluminum water bottles and bamboo travel mugs get your message across while also helping the planet. An added perk of sustainable drinkware is that people will use it again and again, amplifying your marketing message.
If your office or customer lobby needs custom printed disposable cups, go for recyclable and biodegradable paper over styrofoam. Custom branding eco-friendly reusable straws pair well with your custom imprinted drinkware, while helping your clients reduce their dependence on single-use waste (they also make very useful trade show giveaways!).
Looking for a high-end swag options to impress? Skip the Stanley cups and go for brand name custom drinkware made from recycled aluminum, for a premium feel that still does good for the Earth. Our Pelican brand line of custom drinkware offers 24hr+ insulation performance comparable to Yeti and Stanley with Earth-friendly renewable materials - our elegantly engraved Pelican cups, tumblers, and water bottles are offered in a wide range of unique and desirable colors, ready to be customized without the stock delays of trendy brands (though we can still customize Stanley, Yeti, and other popular retail brands into promo items for your business too!).
Upcycled Backpacks and Tote Bags - Carrying Your Brand to the Future
Custom imprinted backpacks and tote bags make great promotional product ideas for employee onboarding, corporate events, and community outreach giveaways. But cheaply made or undesirable swag bags are often discarded, creating waste with your logo in a landfill - which no one wants! Support ethical production and give materials new life by providing eco-friendly custom branded employee backpacks and totes made from upcycled materials like plastic bottles and waste fabric, or sustainable materials like recycled and organic cotton sling backpacks. These branded bags not only have more longevity and desirability to be kept, they are produced in less-impactful ways to our environment than cheaply and wastefully produced alternatives.
USA-Made Wooden Gadgets and Stickers for Homegrown Goodness
Custom branded tech gadgets like flash drives and phone chargers are great giveaways, but they often contain dense plastics and other materials that are difficult to recycle. Opt instead for branded electronics made from recycled aluminum, bamboo, or other sustainable material sources. For example, phone chargers made with biodegradable materials like natural wood help reduce plastic use and e-waste, while being used constantly to give great logo impressions. Power banks with recycled wheat plastic cases are a greener choice over plastic versions that are often used as giveaways at tradeshows. Bamboo or alternative fibers can replace plastic housings and buttons in commonly branded audio gear like ear buds or office essentials like branded swivel flash drives made from bamboo and wood. Ethically sourced wood makes beautiful and rustic phone cases, laptop sleeves, wireless chargers and more, all laser engraved with your logo and fashioned right here in the USA.
Vinyl stickers are popular low-cost handouts at events and tradeshows. Unfortunately, vinyl contains chemicals like phthalates and PVC that can be harmful to the environment. An easy fix is to swap vinyl stickers for decals made from sustainably harvested wood. Custom cut wooden stickers have a classy, natural look that enhances your branding, and can be easily composted or recycled after use. The engraved and layered wood stickers offer a wide range of customization options, and they can be die-cut into any shape or size needed. These low-minimum promotional items are sure to impress your customers with their high perceived value, meaning your custom wood stickers will be placed in a high visibility place of honor.
With increased public awareness about sustainability, promotional products that are better for the environment are an evergreen business marketing move. They demonstrate to customers that your company genuinely cares about public and environmental health. As we all become more conscious of our ecological footprint, leave less of a mark - but make more branding impact - with greener promotional items.
Need some personalized promo help to give your brand's swag an eco-overhaul?
Our reps are ready to take your green marketing to the next level - tell us what's working for you now, and we'll supply new item recommendations that our 65+ years of experience tells us will work even better!
Contact the customer service team at MARCO Ideas Unlimited for custom eco-friendly swag suggestions that will give your brand the green light for more sales.
Samantha Sage is the Marketing Coordinator & Sales Assistant for MARCO Ideas Unlimited. Sam leverages her years of multi-industry marketing experience to help businesses grow their brands with quality promotional products. When Sam isn't researching new & unique swag options, you can find her in the Oregon woods with her husband & senior rescue dog.