Why Eco-Friendly Merchandise Is the Future of Corporate Gifting

Businesses nowadays have to work hard to build brand awareness and maintain

their corporate relationships. While social media posts and in-person events

are helpful, nothing expresses your appreciation quite like a corporate

gift. Whether to thank a customer for their business or a supplier for their

loyal service, to attract new customers or to reward hard-working employees,

corporate gifts are a tried and tested strategy for enhancing your brand's

reputation.

However, care should be taken in selecting corporate gifts as the modern

consumer loathes waste and will always try to partner with brands who share

their ethical values. For this reason, you should explore eco-friendly

merchandise options when planning a corporate gift for someone. 

What makes merchandise eco-friendly?

Eco-friendly merchandise comprises high quality products that are designed

for longevity. The longer that a product lasts, the longer it will remain in

use before disposal becomes appropriate. A long in-service period mitigates

the damage of manufacturing and disposal, so always aim for quality.

Eco-friendly merchandise tends to be free of single use plastic, both in the

product itself and in its packaging. It may well be made from recycled

materials, or be itself recyclable at end of life. Examples of recycled

materials are cotton tote bags and reusable water bottles.

Eco-friendly merchandise is responsibly sourced from manufacturers who

operate in an ethical fashion, avoiding the use of forced or child labour,

who pay their employees a living wage, offer them safe working conditions

and whose products are safety tested. Indeed, once you commit to responsible

sourcing, you should also check the ethical status of the entirety of your

supply chain, ensuring that appropriate decisions are made and actions are

taken at all stages from production to delivery.

What sort of eco-friendly merchandise is suitable for corporate gifting?

Businesses need not be limited by traditional corporate gift options such as

pens and notepads. Though these can indeed be eco-friendly, they lack

imagination, and you will get a far better response from a more innovative

approach. 

Consider gifting products that deliver a benefit to the recipient, that they

will use and enjoy. Choose something that can be personalised with your

brand name and logo so that the recipient remembers where it came from and

thinks kindly of your business while they use it.

Suitable products include solar powered gadgets, plant, fruit and vegetable

growing kits, seed paper stationery which can be planted at end of life,

bamboo tech accessories and even cornstarch kitchen utensils. 

Spoilt for choice?

If you are struggling to select the perfect corporate gift, please speak to

the experienced team at Source Promotional Merchandise today. We can help

you identify products that are not only good for the planet but that will

excite your recipients while maintaining close alignment with your business

values.