Ecopreneurist

Ecopreneur Interview Series: PlentyWays

Krates — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:33:32 +0000

Part 1 in a series where Krates Ng (co-founder of Mokugift environmental rewards) interviews fellow ecopreneurs. Today, Krates interviews Brendan Gill of PlentyWays.

1) Why did you start PlentyWays?

We’ve always wanted to create an environmentally focused organization and its really our first opportunity to do that. At school and college we learned about the climate change issue and it became obvious that this issue is going to form a backdrop to our entire lives. Its already a crucial matter, but it is only going to grow more and more important over the coming decades. We wanted to be involved with this issue and to do our bit to help.

2) Is there a story about the name ‘PlentyWays’?

These days its very hard to come up with a name. Finding something short, simple and with an available web address is difficult so when we finally came up with PlentyWays, we were really satisfied. The idea behind it is that there are plenty of ways to make a difference. That’s really our guiding philosophy: through the products we make available, the tips we provide, the services we review, we are trying to show people all the ways in which they can do their bit.

3) What was the toughest challenge in getting your company started and how you got over that?

There was a combination of challenges at the beginning. It took us a long time to come up with our name, we even tried crowd sourcing it and put up a bounty of $200 we were so stumped, but even that proved fruitless. The second big challenge was picking out the right products to offer our customers. There are a lot of green products out there now and the number is increasing by the day. We had to do a lot of research into what we thought were the most popular ones and would be most useful to our users. Its a lot of work to then build relationships with the companies that make these products as well, which we are still working on.

4) If you had to pick one company in your lineup, which one would you showcase and why?

When people ask me what they can do to go green, the very first thing I ask them is if they have switched from incandescent bulbs to CFLs. This is the most simple straightforward thing someone can do which is guaranteed to save both energy and money. Sometimes it can be a challenge to convince people of a more expensive option that is more ecological, but using CFL bulbs is a complete no brainier. Also people who are waiting for their current incandescent supply to run out before switching to CFLs - a quick calculation will show you that in almost all situations you should switch straight away.

5) How is PlentyWays going to grow in 2010? And how can other ecopreneurs help?

PlentyWays has huge plans!… We are working extremely hard on our blog, which we are going to focus on helping people to go green. We will keep our ears to the ground on all the latest environmental apps, services and products and review them on our blog making it easy for budding ecopreneurs to take advantage of them. We also want to provide some apps of our own. The first we made was a very simple tool to stay on top of the latest green news, which pulls in news from some of the most popular green-focused websites out there e.g. TreeHugger and NY Times Environment. We also want to work on a system that can monitor the energy and monetary savings people can make with various green goods. For example, if someone purchases a few CFL bulbs from us, we would like to use the date they purchased to automatically calculate how much energy savings that has resulted in and the effect on their wallet. It will probably use an average energy cost and an average figure for daily light usage as default, but would allow people to customize the calculation to their situation by entering their cost per KWHr and average light usage. Stay tuned to our blog for details on all new features.

Videos From ASI Dallas

John Simonetta — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:25:24 +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.

ASI is the Advertising Specialty Institute, the trade organization for the promotional products industry. This year at ASI DALLAS (one of several yearly ASI trade shows) I was joined by Brady Anderton of FUELED FILMS (http://fueldfilms.com/). Brady is working on a project related to the greening of the promotional products industry, so similar in topic to my writings here at ecopreneurist.com.

Since Brady is a film guy he didn’t take notes so much as have his team film me while we talked. What we ended up with was a kind of rambling dialogue about industry changes for 2010 and the evolution of green in promo.

I figured we would edit some of these conversations into more manageable bits and post some of the footage here. For more visit http://www.youtube.com/ProformaGreen.

Enjoy.

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

If you are an ASI distributor talk to the vendors directly about these new items. Items seen are from AMERICANNA, ASH CITY, NUMO, LEEDS, QUICKPOINT, SHEPENCO. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items distributor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Total Branding By Express Line

John Simonetta — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:00:45 +0000

Pre-printing for bags is becoming more and more popular in our industry, and I have written about that in the past. Something new gaining speed is pre-printing for drink ware. Established in 1986 and dedicated to only drink ware, The Express Line has a “total branding” program for 2010 that I think is certainly worth a second look by the Ecopreneurist looking for a marketing edge.

Stainless steel and aluminum water bottles are quickly becoming a preferred promotional item for Ecopreneurist because these bottles fit many eco themes such as reduce & reuse and the movement to stop buying plastic water bottles. Also, just like caps and tee shirts, it seems everyone has a favorite water bottle they take everywhere, so bottles give great brand exposure at little cost.

What using a pre-printed program from a company like Express Line provides is more design for the money as it simply adds the client’s art or logo to an already available, and professionally done, stock design. For a full overview of this process take a look at the Express Line Total Branding PDF on their website.

Since Earth Day is right around the corner I want to use as an example the Express Line design #203 which plays to the Earth Day theme.

In this sample we have selected EXPRESS LINE item number #4479, the olive stainless steel 44oz BOLT, with an EQP of $8.99. As seen in the sample image, the pre-print wraps the entire bottle, and would do so on the BOLT 18oz (EQP $7.59) or 24oz (EQP $7.99) as well. In this case the logo being added is ECOLAB.

Color splash motifs, cherry blossoms, flower petals, dots, and pinstripes, are all samples of ideas represented in the 12 pre-designed art overlays in the Express Line Total Branding program, and can be applied to most every item in the Express Line catalog.

Changes in both bottle color and artwork colors are possible. Also most bottles in the Express Line can take a full, multi-color art rap, so if their designs inspire full wrap designs of your own, Express Line bottles can be printed with 100% custom wrap artwork as well.

Again, if you are already spending on stainless steel and aluminum water bottles, and you want the artwork on those bottles to be more impactful, take a look at this line and this program. It is a great way to stretch your marketing budget in 2010.

If you are an ASI distributor Nicki Russo is the contact to talk to at Express Line about this great program. If you are interested in the Express Line to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Recycling Bin Tote Set From Norwood

John Simonetta — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:38:36 +0000

Once again Norwood takes a basic idea and makes it a whole lot better. Laminated woven polypropylene bags are not new to the industry. Nor are pre-printed totes. However Norwood took these two basic ideas, added a bit of Velcro, and presto, a brand new product idea is launched that is going to get your brand noticed in a hurry.

To be honest it took me a moment to get this concept. Really this is just a set of three bags, right?

Wrong. What the Recycling Bin Tote Set really accomplishes is a portable recycling station and a very smart promotional idea for any Ecopreneurist targeting office workers, parks, college dorms, any area where people collect in small groups.

Think about it, what does a dorm or office really need to kick start a recycling program? First step is a place to put the materials to be recycled. The three bags in the Recycling Bin Tote Set come pre-printed with the text PAPER (green tote), METAL (orange tote), PLASTIC (blue tote). Easy to understand.

Then - here is the genius - they attach to each other with Velcro on the top outer edge of each tote. And presto you have an instant recycle station, branded with your logo, for any indoor or outdoor space. The PAPER, METAL, PLASTIC text is even in multiple languages for that whole act local, think global ideal, and each tote is pre-printed with a symbol of the recyclable for that bag.

Each tote is a huge 11-3/8″w x 16-1/4″h x 11-1/4″d in size, with a 8″w x 6-1/2″h imprint area on the orange center tote only. Each set can also connect to another set since the Velcro runs the outside of the totes as well, so setting up multiple sets as needed is possible. And of course the fact they connect makes the totes freestanding as well.

Say you are an eco lodge that does picnics on your property, but away from the main building. Set up the picnic and then set out the Recycling Bin Tote Set. So you collect all the recyclables from the picnic, unlatch the Velcro, pick up the individual totes for easy carriage to your main recycling center. Done.

Repeat this idea at the college dorm-room, office meeting room, home, etc. Genius.

At EQP of $10.89 per set, wherever the Recycling Bin Tote Set is setup, there stands your logo as well, telling the crowds who is providing this great on-the-fly service (and yes they also make very nice shopping totes).

If you are an ASI distributor Mark Goldring is the contact to talk to at Norwood about this great idea. If you are interested in the Recycling Bin Tote Set to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

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.

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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

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.