For Chicago-based iPromo (asi/229471), finding more sustainable promotional products for clients is a matter of necessity.

Introducing Promo for the Planet

ASI Media has launched a new resource hub covering all things sustainability. Look for the Promo for the Planet logo on stories, or visit www.asicentral.com/promofortheplanet to stay up to date on all of our sustainability-related content, from case studies to in-depth features to infographics, videos, podcasts and more.

“We as an industry need to get ahead of the game before consumers choose for us,” says CEO Leo Friedman. “If everyone buying swag or corporate gifts knows a bunch is being thrown away, they’re less likely to buy it.”

Clients, he adds, have been requesting sustainably manufactured items, whether that means they’re recyclable, sourced from recycled or renewable materials, or created by a supplier with a sustainable plan for energy use.

“Many of our clients specifically ask for sustainable bundles,” Friedman adds.

So, iPromo obliged, creating what it calls the “EcoHug BRAGbox.” The kit consists of a cotton drawstring bag made of a mix of cotton and pre-consumer recycled cotton; a lunchbox made of polypropylene and bamboo fiber with a silicone lining and a bamboo lid that doubles as a cutting board; and a reusable cutlery set made of bamboo fiber and polypropylene, packaged in a convenient travel case.

The EcoHug box from iPromo has proven popular with clients wanting to give out more sustainable, reusable goods.

One of iPromo’s clients started ordering the EcoHug box as anniversary gifts for its employees, according to Sherri VanScoit, marketing manager at iPromo. “They liked this eco-friendly option so much and received such good feedback, that they expanded the program and ordered them for other gift handouts: onboarding, birthdays and appreciation gifts,” VanScoit says.

Another big trend, Friedman says, has been custom products made of cork, whether it’s a tumbler, keychain, coaster, USB drive or a drawstring bag made of cotton and cork. Cork is often considered one of the most renewable resources, since it’s harvested only from the bark of the cork oak tree, which then can continue to grow and help to clean the air. “Once it’s peeled, cork grows right back without actually hurting the tree,” Friedman says.

The distributor also wants to help its clients keep unused and unwanted promo items out of landfills, recently launching a service called SwagCloud. It’s described on the website as an “end-to-end solution for ordering, warehousing and shipping your swag, so you don’t even have to see it.” The idea, Friedman says, is that just as a company’s files live in the cloud, so too can their promotional products – with iPromo warehousing branded merch and shipping it out as needed. And if the company has unused merch after an event, they can return it to iPromo for storage, with the distributor providing a shipping label. If the client no longer wants the items, iPromo will donate or recycle the unused product on the client’s behalf for a fee.

“Our goal with this is to reduce pollution,” Friedman says.

Promo for the Planet is your destination for the latest news, biggest trends and best ideas to help build a more sustainable and socially-responsible industry.