Sustainability in the promotional products industry is more than a trend. For many, the focus on environmentally sound and socially responsible products and services has become a necessity. It’s a movement that’s gaining traction in the promo industry as well, with about six in 10 distributors saying they’d prefer to buy items that are environmentally friendly or socially responsible. Smaller distributors were more likely than larger ones to express interest in environmentally friendly promotional products, but overall attention to mindful manufacturing and planet-friendly practices is relatively strong across the board. Indeed, promoting high-quality, long-lasting merch – as well as items that can be easily recycled at the end of their life – is a surefire way to combat negative stereotypes about the industry and keep younger buyers engaged.
Distributors who prefer to purchase products that are environmentally friendly
Distributors who prefer to purchase products that are socially responsible
45%
The percentage of suppliers who say that distributor clients asked for more environmentally friendly and socially responsible products in 2021.
6 Tips to Start Doing Your Part
Ready to get serious about sustainability? Try these tactics to help your company go green.
- Start documenting things like your energy use and how much waste you send to a landfill. If you don’t have a baseline, it will be difficult to determine whether your company’s sustainability efforts are making a difference.
- Make sustainability a part of the sales conversation. Don’t wait for clients to bring it up first.
- Look for ways to cut water waste. Perhaps that means switching to digital prints, rather than more water-intensive screen printing.
- Ask suppliers for hard data on the sustainability impact of their products and operations.
- Explore carbon offset options that suppliers offer and promote them to your clients.
- Think about the end-of-life of the products you sell. How easy is it to recycle the items? Is there a way to encourage donation or reuse?
Introducing Promo for the Planet
This year, coinciding with Earth Day, ASI Media launched Promo for the Planet, a new online resource hub covering all things sustainability. Visit 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.