Mainichi Newspaper - Plastic Bag Fish

It's always fun to see some of the creative and memorable methods that people can come up with to support the anti-plastic grocery bag movement. The Mainichi Daily News is a newspaper in Japan that is deeply committed to environmental issues. To show their corporate commitment to ecological causes, the company teamed up with the marketing agency Hakuhodo to produce this award winning public awareness message:

In an attempt to curb the use of plastic grocery bags, they set up a display at a local aquarium with hundreds of promotional stickers that looked like plastic bags twisted to resemble fish. The awareness campaign was intended to raise public consciousness about the number of cases in which marine creatures mistake plastic bags for fish, swallow them and then suffocate. The display was accompanied by promotional communication that included newspaper stories on plastic bag pollution and reusable alternatives.

To see a movie of the impressive display, head on over to the Cannes Lions website.

Is Your Sustainable Materials Promotion Really Green?

There's little doubt that ecologically-friendly consumerism is going to be one of the biggest stories of 2008. With a social environment being primed by near-daily news headlines on environmental issues, the release of major documentaries like Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and celebrity endorsements on the rise, being ecologically conscious has never been so popular.

Of course, with the prospect of cashing in on "green profits," manufacturers are responding enthusiastically to the changing social climate by producing an increasingly wide variety of "socially responsible" products to meet consumer demand. Product after product tout ecological buzz words like "organic," "sustainable development," biodegradable" and so on. It almost seems like we are on the cusp of a major industry change when being socially responsible is the norm, so why are some environmentalists bemoaning these seemingly progressive developments?

The problem, according to Linda Greer of the Natural Resources Defense Council, is that without independent certification and oversight of a product's entire supply chain, there is no way to ensure that there are no breakdowns in sustainable practices at some point during production. For example, while the organic cotton in your t-shirt might have been grown without pesticides and chemicals, such contaminants may still find their way in during processing.

This is not to say that all products claiming to ecologically friendly are a sham. The sustainable materials promotional product you might be thinking of buying is still "greener" than the alternatives -- there just might be a few hidden surprises for the unwary. If being guilt free about your purchases is important to you, getting that peace of mind will involve the additional work of checking up on the manufacturer's supply chain.

All reliable suppliers of ecological promotional products should have documentation of their manufacturing process to back up their "green" claims. Just don't stress yourself out looking for something that may not exist. As Siel from the LA Times said, there's probably no such thing as a perfectly green product.

Reusable Shopping Bags Gaining Popularity as Anti-Plastic Movement Picks Up Steam

We've noticed for a while that an increasing number of retailers have been promoting reusable shopping bags as an alternative to plastics, so the news of major department stores getting into the act is hardly surprising. But, did you know that there are entire towns that have implemented bans on plastic bags? According to this article at Tree Hugger, Modbury became the first town in Europe to ban plastic bags in favor of reusable alternatives.

An entire town banning plastic bags is noteworthy, prompting me to take a closer look into this phenomenon. A few minutes of searching revealed that a global anti-plastic movement may be picking up steam: Ireland had implemented a plastax in 2002 that cut plastic bag use by more than 90% and the idea is rapidly gaining popularity in other countries such as Australia, Taiwan and Singapore. Several countries, including China, Bangladesh and Bhutan, have already imposed bans on plastic bags.

Unfortunately, the idea seems to be slow in gaining steam within the United States. Only a handful of U.S. cities and states have taken measures to reduce plastic bag use and to my knowledge, San Francisco remains the only city within the United States to have imposed a ban. The good news is that a few other cities are now considering bans of their own (Madison, MI and Arlington, TX). While, plastic bag bans will not solve all of our environmental pollution issues, it's a good start...so here's to hoping that the rest of the world will hop on the ban-wagon soon.

IPÊ - Urban Bird Nests

The Institute for Ecological Research (IPÊ) is a Brazilian NGO dedicated to ecological conservation and habitat restoration. To raise support for their anti-deforestation drive, the organization turned to São Paulo agency FabraQuinteiro to come up with an effective marketing campaign that will increase awareness of deforestation issues among urban residents.

FabraQuinteiro created a series of promotional stickers that realistically resembled bird nests, complete with nesting birds, and placed them on wooden surfaces in highly trafficked metropolitan areas. The promotion was highly effective due to the strangeness of spotting wildlife within cities -- leading many people to do a double take and make a closer inspection. The copy on the promotional decals informed people that deforestation destroys the natural habitats of many animals and to make sure that all the wood they buy is legally certified.

(Via: directdaily)

Eco-Tip: The Top 5 Solar Powered Promotional Products

Using solar powered promotional products is a great way to raise awareness about your brand while keeping resource consumption to a minimum. These products don’t require lead-acid batteries, which end up in landfills and can release harmful chemicals into the soil and groundwater. Instead, they are powered entirely by cost-effective solar energy, a renewable resource that can save your recipients money on batteries and lengthen the duration of your promotions.

Aside from these practical benefits, solar powered products can give your business an eco-friendly reputation. For consumers who appreciate these values, solar powered promotions could lead them to choose your products and services over a competitor. Does your business cater to an environmentally conscious audience? If so, solar powered promotions are an effective way to deliver your message.

Let’s take a look at the top five solar powered promotional products:

1. Solar powered travel clocks. As your customers travel the world, they’ll appreciate an imprinted solar powered alarm clock to keep them informed of the time, date, and temperature. The helpful solar power source means they won’t have to worry about bringing any batteries along on their trip. Each time they glance at the clock, a flashing logo will remind them of your company.
2. Solar powered pedometers. Most promotional pedometers are powered by special batteries that the average person doesn’t keep around the house. When the batteries die, these promotions are discarded and your logo goes with them. However, with a promotional solar powered pedometer, you don’t have to worry about dead batteries. Your promotional will keep on ticking as long as the sun is shining!
3. Solar powered flashlights. Flashlights are handy items that will see a lot of use, but branded solar powered flashlights are even better! As always, no batteries are required. Don’t worry about the flashlight not working in the dark — these products store up energy during the daylight hours and provide continuous illumination when you need it most. Customers will happily keep your promotion on their key rings, on their desks, etc.
4. Solar powered radios. Solar powered promotional radios are a great promotion that your recipients will enjoy for fun, or even make use of during an emergency. The radio itself is compact and stylish, so your customers will be able to take it with them wherever they go. It receives both AM and FM frequencies and comes with high-quality earphones as well.
5. Solar powered calculators. Promotional solar powered calculators have been around for a long time, but they remain popular as ever. Calculators can be found in every office and are considered essential tools in many industries. If you cater to a financial audience, providing solar powered calculators as giveaways will deliver your message directly into their hands. Using the solar powered variety will increase the longevity of your product and ensure the promotion isn’t discarded when the batteries die.

These eco-friendly solar powered promotions are useful items that will outlast their battery-powered counterparts. Because they last longer, solar powered promotions can provide a larger return on your investment. You’re spending the same amount (or less in many cases), but the product advertises your brand for longer than conventional items. This is a great way to make your marketing budget go farther. Of course, there is always the benefit of reducing waste, battery pollution, and lessening your company’s impact on the environment overall.

Eco-Tip: Top 5 Biodegradable Promotional Products

Reducing impact on the environment is a responsibility that every company should take seriously. Not only will these efforts benefit the world we live in, but they can also save your company money and enhance your reputation at the same time.

That’s why intelligent businesses are beginning to use biodegradable promotional products to reach out to their customers and prospects. Using eco-friendly items is a unique way to promote your brand that most customers probably haven’t come across yet. By taking advantage of this growing trend, your company can reap the rewards of a successful and sustainable promotional campaign.

Currently, there are plenty of eco-friendly promotional products to choose from. Some are naturally biodegradable, while others might be recycled or solar-powered promotions. Let’s take a look at the top 5 products that fall into this exclusive “green” category.

1. Branded Eco-wipes. This unique promotional item is one that will definitely grab the attention of your audience. These 100% natural biodegradable rayon wipe cloths start out at the size of a nickel. Add a few drops of water and the roll expands into a full-size wipe that is alcohol and preservative free! The box that the wipes come in is also fully recyclable and made out of 50% bamboo and 50% post-consumer fiber.

2. Logo imprinted walnuts. Here’s another eco-promotion that’s guaranteed to turn some heads. With this promotion, you can actually have your company logo imprinted directly onto fully edible walnuts! This tasty treat is 100% natural produce, and will do a great job of advertising your company without creating waste.

3. Promotional golf tees. These biodegradable corn plastic golf tees come in an organic cotton drawstring pouch and make great giveaways for golf enthusiasts. Give them out at golf tournaments or as a simple gift at any time during the year.

4. Imprinted corn plastic click pens. These biodegradable promotional pens are made from non-petroleum plastic that is fully compostable. Corn plastic is a renewable resource, unlike oil, and it also biodegrades under the right conditions. Considering 25% of landfills are composed of plastic waste, corn plastic products also pose a solution to crowded dumps. If you are giving away a lot of pens at a trade show, why not choose biodegradable corn plastic?

5. Branded stress relievers. Luckily, one of the most popular promotional products out there now comes in a biodegradable version! We carry latex stress balls filled with compostable filler, guaranteed to help your clients and employees relieve stress and tension throughout the day. With this unique product, there’s no need to worry about generating any unnecessary waste.

By incorporating these sustainable, recycled, and biodegradable promotional items into your next campaign, you can help to reduce the impact that your business has on the environment. Staff and clients alike will appreciate your eco-products, and your company image and reputation will improve as a result. Browse our incredible selection of earth-friendly merchandise today!

Eco-Tip: The Top 5 Recycled and Recyclable Promotional Products

If you want to take the greener path with your next promotional campaign, consider using recycled promotional products to get more use out of dwindling resources. You can also make use of recyclable items, which can be re-used when their lifetime of promoting has come to an end.

Using recycled promotional items not only reduces the need for more resources, but it also establishes your business as a leader. By setting the standards for corporate responsibility, you can improve the world while enhancing company image at the same time. Using recycled and recyclable promotional products can make a great impression on those concerned with sustainability and the environment.

Here are five of the most useful and popular recycled promotional products out there.

1. Recycled imprinted drawstring backpacks. The eco-friendly model of this popular promotion is made with 51% recycled post-consumer materials, which saves energy and reduces waste byproducts from production. Customers and employees alike will be able to find plenty of uses for this bag. Try using it as a trade show giveaway, direct mail promotion, or as part of a new hire kit.

2. Recycled promotional mouse pads. These branded mouse pads, which are simultaneously a surface for your computer mouse as well as a 24-sheet writing pad, are made with 30% post-consumer materials and 100% recycled paperboard. Your logo is prominently displayed on each page, and the entire product can be recycled when the pad is used up. Multi-function and better for the environment!

3. Recycled branded messenger bags. Nobody will suspect that this stylish promotional messenger bag is actually 90% post-consumer recycled plastics. The fabric itself is 100% recycled PETE, making it an excellent choice for the eco-conscious. Messenger bags are becoming more popular, especially with younger age groups. No matter who is using your product, your logo is sure to get some great exposure.

4. Recycled imprinted journals. From the binding to the paper, these handsome giveaways are made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials. Even the ink that will be used to imprint your logo is completely eco-friendly! Your recipients will enjoy writing in their promotional notebooks without having to worry about wasting paper.

5. Recycled promotional apparel. Manufacturers are now making t-shirts and other apparel with pre-consumer recycled cotton in order to supply the huge demand for greener products. You can use these eco-friendly fashion items as part of your next promotion. They are a great way to show that your brand cares about the environment, as well as the comfort of its customers!

Using recycled promotional products to build your brand can make a lasting difference in the world we live in. Not only will you reduce material consumption, but you will set an example for other businesses to follow as well. It is up to all of us to promote these beneficial green practices however and wherever we can.

Eco-Product of the Week - Natural Insect Repellents

Summer is upon us, but unfortunately, so is the mosquito season. Unless you plan to mess about with wacky looking mosquito net clothing or the questionable sonic insect repellents, a good bug spray is your only real option for avoiding mosquitoes during your outdoors activities. For the vast majority of people, this means some form of DEET based insect repellent, which can work miracles at keeping the pesky bugs away.

However, before you reach for that can of chemical spray, you might wish to do some research on what alternatives are available...because while there's no question that DEET is extremely effective at repelling insects and lasts significantly longer than most alternatives, there are still some lingering doubts about the chemical's toxicity. Research have found evidence of neurological damage in rats after prolonged use and health agencies have also found evidence of side effects in humans.

Given the volume of DEET used every year, the number of adverse health cases are admittedly very low, but for those who wish to take no chances with their body, there are healthier alternatives such as picaridin or herbal oils. There's a good number of these botanically derived repellents, which tend to be volatile plant oils like citronella, lemon eucalyptus, castor, rosemary and cloves.

My current favorites are these completely non-toxic citronella-based repellents, which come in convenient pocket sized bottles. They make great giveaways at company picnics or any other outdoors promotions. The downside is that the effectiveness of natural insect repellents wear off quite quickly, so you'll need more and have to reapply more frequently than with DEET-based repellents. But in my opinion, that's a small price to pay for the peace of mind in avoiding potential health issues.

Eco Product - Eco-Friendly Apparel

It has been a while since we last discussed the use of renewable materials in the promotional apparel industry. The continuing innovations in fabrication technology have since elevated eco-friendly apparel options to a whole new level, so we thought it's time to do an update on what is available out there. Did you know fibers can now be derived not just from bamboo, but also from seaweed, coconuts, soybean and corn?

According to Jason Neve of Boardroom Custom Clothing, new eco-friendly fibers are introduced to the market every year and this may only be the tip of the iceburg. So, keep an eye out for more exciting sustainable fibers and let us know if you find anything new. Meanwhile, we'll present the five most exciting eco-friendly fibers that we have discovered so far:

Soybean -
One of the most exciting developments in the ecologically friendly apparel industry is manufacturers figuring out how to use byproducts and waste from the food industry to create apparel quality fibers. Fabrics made from soybean derived fibers are very soft and silky and are currently used mostly for making underwear. With tasty names like Tofu Tees and Edamame Wraps these creations are definitely something you'll want to look out for when they break out of the niche market.

Coconut -
Creating consumer goods from coconut fibers (coir) is not a new industry development. Coconut fibers have found use in many different applications for years, from rope manufacture to creating doormats and brushes, but was considered too coarse to be used in the apparel industry. However, a Colorado company named Cocona have developed a process for incorporating other coconut byproducts into apparel production -- specifically, infusing the activated carbon from coconut shells into other fibers, such as cotton and polyester. The resulting creation has many qualities ideal for use in performance apparel: enhanced evaporative cooling, odor management and UV protection. Unlike some the treatments currently used in performance apparel, Cocona claims that these special properties will not wash off.

Corn -
Ingeo is a polymer fiber that is derived from renewable resources like corn instead of oil. The manufacturing process ferments plant sugars from the raw material to create a polymer called polyactide, which can be used in other applications besides making eco-friendly apparel. Like other corn-derived eco-friendly products, the fiber also have the benefit of being biodegradable under certain conditions.

Seaweed -
Developed by smartfiber AG, SeaCell is manufactured by combining Lyocell (a 100% wood pulp derived fiber) with seaweed. According to the company, seaweed was chosen as the active substance for the protective anti-inflammatory properties of its trace elements. SeaCell currently comes in two versions: 'pure' seaweed and a 'active' variation with added silver treatment that provides extra antimicrobial properties.

Bamboo -
The first sustainable-material that we ever blogged about, bamboo remains a popular choice in eco-friendly apparel. Apparel made from bamboo are naturally anti-bacterial, biodegradable and extremely soft. For the hot summer months, bamboo apparel are especially appealing since they don't stick easily to the skin.

Climber Scale NY Times Building in Support of Environment

If there's only one thing I can say about New York City, it's that it's rarely ever dull. Yesterday, a French "professional urban climber" named Alain Robert scaled the facade of theNew York Times building, apparently in support of an environmental movement. Robert made the climb wearing a promotional t-shirt advertising the website: thesolutionissimple.org and also dragging a large green banned with the copy "Global warming kills more people than 9/11 every week."

According to Robert, the climb was a peaceful demonstration in support of World Environment Day, meant to raise awareness for the need for cleaner energy. A second man, a New Yorker named Renaldo Clarke, also made the climb later that day in support of a different cause. His promotional t-shirt was imprinted with the copy: "Malaria No More. Save the Children." Neither climbers used harnesses or other climbing aids to scale the building. The both submitted peacefully to police officers waiting to arrest them on the roof.

For more coverage of the stunts, check out the NY Times article here.

Eco Art - Eco-Graffiti

When I first heard about eco-graffiti, I thought it was quite an oxymoron. After all, how does one reconcile the use of toxic spray paints while still claiming to be eco-friendly? Well...you can't, but as it turned out, it's a non-issue. The artists involved in creating these following pieces of urban art have all came up with their own creative alternatives to spray paint:

Jesse Graves, a student at the University of Wiscousin Milwaukee, found his creative voice by experimenting with one of nature's most abundant substances -- mud. Concerned about the toxicity of spray paints to living things, Graves started using mud and stencils to create his messages of eco-activism. Nontoxic and easy to wash off, it's certainly a much nicer alternative to paints. Plus, the symbolism is just perfect -- using earth to talk about the Earth? Bravo, Mr. Graves! Check out Groundswell Collective's interview with Graves and a how-to on his process here.

Playing with mud not your thing? Aspiring eco graffiti artists with green thumbs might wish to try moss graffiti instead. Using a mixture of sugar, beer and moss, Brooklyn's Edina Tokodi created these living works of art around Williamsburg. These moss creations are surprisingly resilient and some are still around. Keep an eye out for them if you're ever in NYC. Photos and videos of her most recent mossvertising work, a collaboration with Jozsef Valyi-Toth for Philly's SEPTA, can be found at Red Tettemer.

Also fusing art and activism in Brazil, Alexandre Orion's works have landed him in hot water with the local authorities more than once. When is cleaning up industrial pollution a potential crime? When you're doing it for eco-activism, of course. Orion's unique brand of art, dubbed reverse graffiti, simply involves a lot of elbow grease and patient scrubbing at grime encrusted surfaces. Check out the video that made him an internet phenomenon below:

World Environment Day

June 5^th is World Environment Day; an invention of the United Nations, World Environment Day promotes awareness of the environment and attempts to inspire eco-conscious action. In lieu of the upcoming holiday it’s worthwhile to stop and think about how “green” all of us are. In the fight against environmental degradation every little bit helps, and now is a great time to implement eco-friendly policies at your own company.

Like many industries, promotional gifts are going green too. Reducing your company’s carbon foot print is as easy as making your next corporate event environmentally friendly. Use promotional products that will make a difference like a thermos made from recycled plastic, or organic cotton to show you won’t stand for insecticides use (cotton accounts for 25% of all insecticide use yearly). The choice to make a difference is yours; luckily there are people who can help you along the way.