Ecopreneurist

Can Promo Help Save The Reefs?

John Simonetta — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:27:26 +0000

This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Simonetta Freelance, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

I like the beach. A lot of folks like the beach. And this time of year dozens of cruise ships are taking people from cold northern climes to warm southern waters. Indeed an item as basic as brandable sunscreen is a big seller for our industry at this time of year. Believe me, cruise ships hold a lot of sunscreen.

However, over the past few years the world has come to learn that traditional sunscreen kills coral, indeed many places like Cancún in Mexico ban traditional sunscreen all together. So what is an Ecopreneurist targeting the snowbirds supposed to do?

Enter Aloe Up Sun & Skin Care Products. Aloe Up offers a natural, biodegradable (reef friendly), hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) sun and skin care line produced from aloe organically grown in Harlingen, Texas and sold in over 60 countries worldwide.

Aloe Up biodegradable SPF 25 sun lotion holds a minimum of 25% pure Aloe Vera Gel, is alcohol, mineral oil, and PABA free, is independently tested, and complies with FDA standards. Aloe Up products are fragrance free as well.

What does that all mean to the Ecopreneurist? Simple. This is the good stuff, and placing your logo on this item is the safe bet when it comes to brandable, upscale sun protection.

“Our products are biodegradable,” says Dan Ohlson, Vice President of Sales for Aloe Up Sun & Skin Care Products. “In the case of the screen this means it may be used in and around all coastal regions, including resorts in Mexico which have strict regulations banning screen due to the fact that it kills coral by killing plankton (its food source).” Ohlson went on to say that an item like Aloe Up SPF 15 Pro Sport will stay on in the water for up to 8 hours, will not sweat into your eyes on the golf coarse, it will not soak into your skin. {see video clip}

Smelly Pen 50% Plant-based Renewable Plastic

John Simonetta — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:28:10 +0000

All-in-One seems to have a hit on their hands with their new USA Good Scents™ Twist Pen. Adding scent to a pen gives the item a visceral connection with the user, and is a great way to get your promotional item, and hence your brand, noticed. And the EQP price of $0.99 makes them cost competitive. Here is the video making the rounds.

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

For the Ecopreneurist, I think the most interesting thing about the pen is that it is 50% plant-based renewable plastic. My point is these pens already have a hook in that they come scented in a choice of Chocolate Chip, Mocha Latte, Brown, Strawberry Fields, Vanilla Dream, Green Meadow, or Lemon Zest. The pen did not need to be eco-friendly to sway the buyer, it already smells like cookies for goodness sake.

The fact that the USA Good Scents™ Twist Pen is made with renewable plastic is yet another excellent example of the promotional products industry producing more eco-friendly items to meet growing demands of the market for more choice when it comes to ‘green’ solutions. And thinking eco even when that is not the primary focus of the product.

If you are an ASI member Steve Smidt is the contact to talk to at All-in-One. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

All-In-One Lowers Cost On Eco Max Recycled Pen™

John Simonetta — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:31:25 +0000

Like other promotional items suppliers, for 2010 All-In-One is both reducing costs on their eco-friendly line while also increasing the number of eco related items in their inventory.

For me this is another sign of the marketplace getting what it wants when it comes to eco-friendly promotional items, namely more choice and lower prices.

A stand out here is the Eco Max Recycled Pen™. Eco Max Recycled Pen™ is a click style pen with a 100% recycled plastic barrel and an EQP price of just $0.36 with one color imprint.

This is nearly a $0.10 reduction on the 2009 price of the Eco Max, but other than price, nothing else has changed, it is still the same sturdy unit. With over 5 billion pens sold a year in the USA, this is a great, basic place to start to green the office.

As a variation on this theme All-in-One line also offers the Eco Grip Recycled Pen™ at EQP $0.46, which has a contour-molded plastic grip section. Again, a good sturdy pen.

The Eco Max Recycled Pen™ and Eco Grip Recycled Pen™ are both samples of the new generation of plastic pens made from recycled content. In that respect they are taking materials out of landfills. However these pens are not themselves recyclable, nor are they biodegradable.

Pre-Printed Jute Shopper From V Natural

John Simonetta — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:45:31 +0000

This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Simonetta Freelance, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

There are a number of pre-printed poly non-woven and recycled material totes on the market. A pre-printed bag allows the buyer to get more bang for their back as they are purchasing a pre-designed and decorated item to which they simply add their own logo or other information.

For those looking beyond poly or recycled content bags, Vitronic Promotional Group, home of the V Natural line, has introduced a pre-printed jute tote available with either leaf or ladybug motif.

This natural fiber shopping tote has a sizable 8″ gusset with 22″ handles. The overall size of the bags is a good 16″W x 8″D x 12″H. At this size it holds the equivalent of two standard plastic grocery bags.

The leaf or ladybug motifs would work well for any Ecopreneurist focused on gardening, growing, or natural produce demographics.

The bags themselves run EQP $5.13 per unit with one color additional imprint, so they certainly run higher than poly non-woven totes, however the added benefits of Jute’s natural insulating properties, low thermal conductivity, and antistatic characteristics are benefits that poly non-wovens do not offer. Not to mention the fact the non-woven bags are not a natural material.

If you are an ASI member Rory Campbell is the contact to talk to at Vitronic Promotional Group about these bags and the rest of the V Natural line.

If you are interested in these items to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

EcoCoolie Pocket Coolie 2.0

John Simonetta — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:01:47 +0000

Remember the ECOCoolie from Numo Manufacturing? The first version of the EcoCoolie had only 15% post-consumer recycled material. At the time I applauded the fact that this Dallas based manufacturer was at least making a post-consumer material coolie (it was the first on the market as far as I could tell), but was disappointed at the low 15%.

Now Numo has come back to the market with the EcoCoolie Pocket Coolie 2.0 available Feb 1, 2010. This unit is made of 1/8″ high-density recycled-open cell scuba foam and will boast a full 85% post-consumer content, and at EQP for $0.89, that is $0.10 less than the EcoCoolie version one, when it debuted last year.

The EcoCoolie is available in Black, White, Red, Royal Blue, Navy Blue, Kelly Green, Lime Green, Bright Orange, Purple, Forest Green and Yellow. If your business is in the business of handing out coolies, then 2010 might be the year for you to go green with your beverage marketing materials.

And that is not all. Numo is using the same 85% post-consumer content material on their EcoCoolie Bottle Jersey 2.0 (EQP $1.65), EcoCoolie Four-Color Process Bottle Jersey ($EQP $2.72), EcoCoolie Zippered Bottle Coolie (EQP $2.08) and EcoCoolie Four-Color Process Zippered Bottle Coolie (EQP $3.49). Again all made with at least 85% post-consumer content material.

The beverage coolie is likely one of the most popular promotional items available in our industry. Like caps and tshirts, most people have a favorite coolie they have had for years, often showing their support for their favorite school, sports team, or brand.

Coolies provide the Ecopreneurist with a large imprint to cost ratio and are certainly an item to consider for any business that caters to the sport, outdoor, beverage, or educational markets.

If you are an ASI member with questions for Numo Manufacturing Tracy Moore is the contact to talk to. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Here Come The Mugs

John Simonetta — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:03:09 +0000

The Ultimate Eco Mug from Debco and the I AM NOT A PAPER CUP mug from IMC were likely some of the hottest items in the promotional products market in 2009. The idea behind the design is to provide a customizable, double walled ceramic mug that looks like a paper cup, but that is in fact reusable.

Well as often happens in the promotional products industry once an item becomes popular it evolves as more manufacturers create similar units, and of course prices go down. We know from Debco that in 2010 their pricing will be reduced and their mugs will be available with colored lids. (I will report the Debco 2010 pricing when I get it in the comments section of this post).

In the meantime two other well establish manufacturers, Numo Manufacturing and Hit Promotional Products have both released their own versions of the I AM NOT A PAPER CUP design.

Numo Manufacturing is bringing to market the 488 Ceramic Double-Wall Tumbler. These 11 oz. White Stoneware Ceramic with Black Silicone Lid cups have an EQP of $4.99 with single color imprint. The imprint area is an impressive 3″ W x 3″ H, expanding to 8.5″ x 3″ H when done with a wrap. That is a significant increase in print area from previous mugs. Prices include a one-color imprint on one or two sides and a multi-color imprint is no problem if the decal method of application is used.

Hit Promotional in 2010 is offering the 7141 11 oz. Double Wall Ceramic Mug with Silicon Lid at an EQP $6.99 and the larger 15 oz. Double Wall Ceramic Mug with Open Handle at an EQP of $7.99.

The print area on the 15 oz. with handle is 2 ½” W x 1″ H, with a wraparound size of 5″ W x 1″ H. On the 11 .oz imprint area is 2 ½” W x 2″ H and wrap around is not available, nor is mutli-color imprinting. Mutli-color imprinting - again via the wrap around - is available on the 15 oz. Double Wall Ceramic Mug with Open Handle.

What Hit does bring to the table is color. Lots of color. Both of their mugs are available in White, Cobalt Blue, Ocean Blue, Lime Green or Black. Lids come in Black or White.

2010 Resolutions: Less Water Bottles, More Stuff Made From Water Bottles

John Simonetta — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:54:41 +0000

According to Wikipedia, in 2008, U.S. bottled water sales topped 8.6 billion gallons for 28.9% of the U.S. liquid refreshment beverage market, exceeding sales of all other beverages except carbonated soft drinks, followed by fruit juices and sports drinks. According to another study, in 2006, 38 billion plastic drinking bottles ended up in global landfills which will [only] begin to decompose in the year 2706.

If 2010 is finally the year your organization stops buying bottled water for employees (instead why not provided reusable drinkware?) and starts buying goods recycled from water bottles, here are a few items I suggest you think about. {Note: When I say recycled from water bottles I am normally using a shorthand term that our industry uses for items made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), a recycled material derived from used water bottles, yogurt containers, and like plastics.}

Following the lead of retailers like Patagonia, the promotional market offers many apparel choices of items made from recycled plastic soda bottles, often called Recycled Polyester.

In 2010 Ash City will offer 38 items made from Recycled Polyester, including their very popular e.c.o. fleece jackets and vests (EQP $39 -$47) and their new MEN’S RECYCLED POLYESTER INSULATED TEXTURED JACKET (EQP $99.00). Other items in the line included polos, performance sport shirts, caps and office bags, with enough selection (and price choice) to move the whole team to eco-friendly apparel.

Another manufacture to look at is Gemline which offers a number of bag and tote options, including their stylish Recycled Messenger Bag, and their new for 2010, “I USED TO BE A PLASTIC BOTTLE” 100% recycled PET fabric shopping tote.

Like some other manufacturers of rPET shopping totes, Gemline pre-prints their tote with a message, in this case the words “I USED TO BE A PLASTIC BOTTLE”, on the base of the bag to leave no doubt with your target audience that they are receiving / using an item made from used material.

The bag also offers a large imprint area for your organization logo or message. These study 13″L 15″H 8″W are a great substitute for the average shopping bag with a current EQP of $2.48 per unit.

But of course rPET is not just for shopping totes.

One of the more impressive bags to come out in 2009 was the Wilson® Eco Carry Bag from Norwood which is made from 100% recycled fabric. The Wilson® Eco Carry is also a 100% true golf bag, with the same weigh, feel, and quality construction expected from the Wilson brand. The only real difference is that this bag used to be water bottles. There are even matching Wilson Eco Core golf balls, in this case the center of the golf ball (not the outside shell) is made from recycled materials. The Wilson® Eco Carry has an EQP of $155.67.

In addition to these samples rPET is being used in the promotional industry for caps, tshirts, padfolios, backpacks, even golf umbrellas.

The point is that if you want to stop buying bottled water, and instead start buying items made from the thousands of bottled water bottles that are rapidly filling our landfills, the promotional item industry offers many options for your organization to be a little more green in 2010.

If you are interested in information on these items please take a look at the manufacturers websites, and the links to past articles from 2009. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

2010 Resolutions: Switch To Reusable Mugs In The Office

John Simonetta — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:41:59 +0000

For readers that have decided that 2010 will finally be the year to move the office away from polystyrene and paper cups to reusable mugs at the old coffee machine, here are a couple of ideas on popular models under $2.

Norwood offers two budget mugs under an EQP of $2, the aply named 11oz. Budget Mug at $1.25 and the 11 oz. Color Accent Budget Mug at EQP $1.79. While the basic Budge Mug might be one of the best selling mugs in the industry, the Color Accent Budget Mug is really the stand out here, as it allows for a lot of color at a low price. The imprint area on both mugs is 2-1/2″w x 1-3/4″h, with a three color maximum for artwork.

A nice trick to get the most out of the Color Accent Budget Mug is to pick a color band that matches or mixes well with your company or organizational logo. Maybe red accent with a blue logo or gray accent with black logo. With a good mix it is like getting a two color imprint for the price of a one color mug.

Glass America by far has the largest assortment of under $2 mugs, clocking in with 15 models with EQP pricing running from $1.09 for their 11 oz White Budget model to $1.99 for their to 16oz Latte Grande which can double as a small soup bowl.

Two bucks can also get you a bit of style at Glass America in the form of their popular Ribbon, Taza, and Camper Collection (shown at left).

The Hampton mug from Glass America comes in a whopping 11 color choices, which is pretty good for a budget 11oz. mug that has an EQP of $1.45.

Having a discussion about mugs in the promotional products industry is a bit like talking about pens, there are just 100s of ideas out there as these items are so common to the industry. Plus in addition to traditional ceramic mugs, there are whole families of mugs made from corn plastic, glass, and other eco-friendly materials, so it is really one of those items where a buyer needs to consider their audience and budget and their expected ROI when picking a model.

For the switch to reusable mugs in the office really any mug will work. A simple coffee mug is really a great first step in the longer process of going green in the work place.

If you want to splurge and go above $2, take a look at the websites of the manufacturers mentioned to see an even larger selection of items. If you are interested in mugs to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

2010 Resolutions: Bagging Lunch To Work

John Simonetta — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:50:47 +0000

Bringing your lunch to work can save on fuel (no need to leave the building), trash (no pre-packaged containers to throw out) and can lead to a healthier you as you have more control over ingredients and portions.

As a resolution for 2010 Ecopreneurists might want think about supporting their clients and fellow employees in a move to bring their lunch to work, and of course there are a number of brandable, reusable lunch bags on the market to help kick-start any bring your lunch to work program. Here are three favorites.

The E3617N Natural Cotton Lunch Bag from Debco provides a large 4.5″ W x 5″ H (front) and 4.5″ W x 6.5″ H (back) imprint area to advertise your brand or organization. This eco-friendly cotton bag is made from 100% Natural cotton processed AZO-Free, with no hazardous chemicals. There are a few 100% organic cotton bags on the market, but at a price of EQP $2.12, I think the natural cotton solution is the way to go.

For those organizations looking for a bag that is made from recycled materials, might we suggest the Owl 100% Recycled Lunch Tote.

Part of the Owl line of recycled totes from Leeds, the Owl 100% Recycled Lunch Tote is made from 100% post-consumer recycled material, with a product label sewn into the bag that affirms this claim.

The easily collapsible basic design features a roomy main compartment and an integrated carry handle.The imprint area is a nice 5″ W x 4.5 H” with an EQP price of $7.98. As a bonus, like other Owl products, the 100% Recycled Lunch Tote is made by a certified Women’s Business Enterprise.

For the widest range of color choice look to the LB120 Nonwoven Lunch Bag by Jetline Promo. The bags are made from 80 GSM nonwoven material, the same material JetLine uses in their popular line of shopping totes. They are recyclable wherever #5 plastics are collected.

The Nonwoven Lunch Bag sports a 14″ nylon carrying strap, Velcro closure on flap, and a handy 5″ Deep Front Slash Pocket.

At an EQP of $1.69, they are likely the best option for cost focused buyers. Also a minimum run on these bags starts at 250 units as compared to a minimum run of 100 units for the Debco natural cotton lunch bag and 48 units for the Owl 100% Recycled Lunch Tote.

The Nonwoven Lunch Bags are available in Black, Hunter Green, Khaki, Red, White, Navy. The imprint size is a little smaller than the others at 3.75″W x 4″H.

To learn more about any of these products please visit the manufacturers’ websites. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Eco-Friendly Door Hanger With A Purpose

John Simonetta — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:45:57 +0000

Americanna - makers of the wildly popular World Famous Retread™ Magic Grip Jar Openers - have developed a simple door hanger made from the same 100% post consumer recycled tire material.

The reason I thought this simple item deserved a few words is that I really am not a fan of paper door hangers, whether they are placed on my home by marketers or on my hotel room door at conventions. (Yes we do print paper door hangers for clients, but that does not mean I have to like them. Also we use FSC paper).

Let us review the purpose of the door hanger ad. It is a small information sheet placed directly in view to provided a potential or existing client with information about a product, service, sale, etc. Indeed when placed on the door knob they are impossible to escape if you want to open the door in question.

However, what often happens to them? They get a quick glance and get tossed in the recycle bin. Why, because they really serve no purpose; once you have glanced at them, maybe cut out the coupon, what good are they?