Proof over promises. Progress over perfection.

If last year’s inaugural Sustainable Merch Summit was focused on laying the groundwork for the ever-present impact of sustainability in merch, the second annual conference – held on Earth Day – was concentrated on emphasizing what steps the promo industry can take to move forward.

The summit was once again co-hosted by the Branded Merch Network, ASI, Apparelist and the 2 Regular Guys podcast. PRINTING United Alliance – ASI’s strategic partner – served as education sponsor and Stanley/Stella (asi/89011) as the event’s presenting sponsor, providing limited-edition Sustainable Merch Summit T-shirts to the event’s first 200 registrants.

With sessions focused on certifications, building trust through transparency and sustainability as a growth strategy, the 2026 summit emphasized that the promo industry still has a long way to go, but that everyone has to start somewhere – and that every step in the right direction is a good one. Starting to collect baseline data or beginning the journey toward a sustainability certification are both key examples of how companies can take concrete stock of where they are, and start to work toward something better.

“We’re humans – we need concrete measurements, not just abstract concepts,” said Cassie Green, content director of Apparelist. “It’s not because it makes things perfect. It’s because it makes things visible. And once it’s visible, we have accountability.”

The Real State of Sustainable Merch

ASI’s Executive Editor of Sustainability and Special Projects Theresa Hegel, alongside Green, opened the summit with a brief discussion on the current legislative state of sustainability. Much of sustainability regulation in the U.S., Hegel said, typically tracks from European influences to California before more widespread adoption, meaning that current legislation in both California and Europe are things for promo pros to keep an eye on.

Digital Product Passports, for example, which provide detailed origin, materials, repairability and recycling information, are set for widespread launch in the EU next year – just one example of consumers wanting product-level traceability metrics.

“It’s important to understand where things are made, where they’re sourced from, what they’re being manufactured with and then also what their new life might be somewhere,” Green said. “That’s a huge piece of this traceability and transparency discussion, which I think is where we’re also seeing a lot of progress.”

In addition to legislative priorities around product sourcing and transparency, however, one of the most important – and often overlooked – metrics of sustainability is the longevity of the product itself, Hegel noted. ASI’s recent Ad Impressions Study found that promo items generate an average of 3,300 impressions over their lifetime, for instance, and that 78% of consumers would keep a promotional item because it’s useful to have.

“When you’re thinking about sustainability as items that are kept and appreciated and used for the long term, those are important things to note,” Hegel added.

Certifications: What Actually Matters & What Doesn’t

One of the biggest obstacles for companies interested in improving their sustainability practices through official channels can be the sheer number of certification programs available. Many popular sustainability certification programs were built for large companies that have dedicated ESG or compliance teams to manage them, making it tough for small businesses without those resources to weed through the noise.

“Not all certifications necessarily carry the same weight, so it’s really important to do your due diligence.” Sara Osorio, PRINTING United Alliance

Green’s summit panel “Certifications: What Actually Matters and What Doesn’t” focused on shedding light on the world of certifications, particularly for those unfamiliar with it. The most important piece of advice from PRINTING United Alliance’s Environment, Health and Safety Affairs Coordinator Sara Osorio? Focus on the certifications that make the most sense for your business.

“Not all certifications necessarily carry the same weight,” Osorio said. “So it’s really important to do your due diligence, look at what your business needs and naturally ask questions. Is it credible? Are its criteria robust?”

A few of the popular certification options available for print and promo pros include the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, which looks at the holistic printing process; the Global Organic Textile Standard, which certifies 100% organic cotton and other textiles; Ecotex, which ensures products don’t contain certain chemicals; and EcoVadis, an overall rating which has gained popularity in recent years.

And while certifications like these are an important benchmark for a company’s sustainability goals, the panelists urged promo pros not to be limited by the requirements set by their chosen certification program. Instead, it’s crucial to think of certifications as a starting point, rather than an end goal – there’s always so much more that can be done and shared, said Lane Hokanson, senior global marketing manager at Counselor Top 40 supplier Goldstar (asi/73295).

“It’s really all about measurable progress,” Hokanson said. “I know that validation from a third party can really make that feel a lot more believable, and I think it’s really all about giving the story behind those certifications.”

“We can support these certifications and their validity by really embracing the responsibility ourselves and going beyond it,” added Julie Johnson, key account manager for print on demand at sustainable apparel supplier Stanley/Stella.

Proof Over Promises: Building Trust Through Transparency

Certification programs will only get you so far, though, without applying a certain level of transparency in the process and its results to your clients, vendors and business relationships. Hegel’s summit panel “Proof Over Promises: Building Trust Through Transparency” dove into how transparency – even on perceived business shortcomings – can only serve to help companies on a sustainability journey.

For Caity Baumann, senior director of business development and head of sustainability at Counselor Top 40 distributor BDA (asi/137616), it’s crucial to remember the difference between what a company has accomplished and what they’re aspiring toward. Regardless of the starting point, moving in a positive direction in the sustainability and compliance space is admirable.

“I think companies get really stuck on, ‘Oh, I don’t want to reveal what we’re not doing well,” Baumann said. “But it has to be a mindset shift, that it’s not about where you’re at in this moment. It’s about where you’re going, and it’s about how you’re preparing yourself to get there.”

“If you’re not doing any type of measurement today, and you’re really relying on promises, that is a great place to start with proof,” she added.

In some cases, Baumann said, BDA can take that transparency beyond its internal operations to share the percentage of its carbon footprint attributable to a particular client, which can help a client progress along their sustainability journey.

“It’s not about where you’re at in this moment. It’s about where you’re going, and it’s about how you’re preparing yourself to get there.” Caity Baumann, BDA (asi/137616)

On the product side, Eric Henry, president and CEO of North Carolina screen printer TS Designs, gave the example of his company’s Cotton of the Carolinas line, which adds a QR code to every T-shirt that allows the recipient to track their item from “dirt to shirt,” down to which North Carolina cotton farm their textiles came from. The initiative – and the transparency that comes with it – has allowed Henry to build relationships not only on the customer side, but also with the farmers who supply the cotton for his product.

“One advantage to come from transparency is the relationships you develop with the people in your supply chain,” Henry said. “It’s not just a PO and a price – there’s a relationship to that farmer.”

Above all, Baumann notes, remember to lean on those industry relationships – there’s room for everyone to educate each other and help those who are just starting out on their sustainability journeys.

“We can’t wait for perfection – anything we can do to help one another to take steps forward, I call that a win,” Baumann said.

When Sustainability Becomes a Growth Strategy

The key for selling sustainability, as contradictory as it may seem, is not to make it seem “salesy” – it’s to build it into the fabric of your business.

“When it’s part of your DNA, and it’s who you are – and then you have all these other aspects around it – that’s when we see a big difference,” said Julie Johnson of Stanley/Stella during a summit panel titled “When Sustainability Becomes a Growth Strategy.”

Hosted by Jay Busselle of the Branded Merch Network, each of the panel speakers shared that talking about sustainability in a way that made it clear it was part of their firms’ wider strategy has directly won them new business. Sustainable products aren’t a “magic bullet” for gaining new clientele, said Will Kulick of Blue Ridge Graphics (asi/581668), but it’s often what can get a company a foot in the door for a new customer, or to keep the conversation flowing.

Kate Alavez, president of Counselor Top 40 distributor PromoShop (asi/300446), for example, recounted one memorable pitch where PromoShop was in the RFP process for a large enterprise client. The reason the distributor ultimately managed to stand out in the bidding process, Alavez said, is because they leaned into the client’s nature-based values with a product selection that was clearly authentic and aligned.

“The client called out that we were getting this exactly because we understood how their values stand out, and what it means to speak beyond the advertising campaign into the ethics of who we are as an organization,” Alavez said. “And it won us the bid.”

“They don’t want more conversation. They want proof.” Cassie Green, Apparelist

With that, said Ryan Moor, co-founder of Allmade Apparel (asi/34341), it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of what a diverse selection of clients are asking for when it comes to sustainability – and then ensuring your product selection matches those needs.

“Sometimes it’s carbon, sometimes it’s water saving, sometimes it’s recycling, sometimes it’s using organic,” Moor said. “It becomes part of the standard, but the ability to offer something that really matches the client request is important.”

All of this together is indicative of a larger movement in sustainability. For the companies making a difference, it’s no longer a “nice to have” or a side conversation – it’s the main driver behind product decisions, business strategy and overall growth.

“They don’t want more conversation. They want proof,” Green said. “The brands that stand out, they’re maybe not flashy or maybe don’t have the biggest budget, but they have solid messaging, and more importantly, they have clear evidence.”

Find a replay of the full 2026 Sustainable Merch Summit here.

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