Ecopreneurist

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.

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.

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.

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. Read the rest of this entry »

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

In 2010 Sweda will be increasing the number of eco-friendly promotional items in their standard lineup. One of the standouts is their new Super-Size Jute Shopper, a really big bag at 13-3/4”h x 17-3/4”w x 6” with a large 7”h x 8“w imprint area. This is a size we normally just see in polypro and non-woven bags.

For the Ecopreneurist looking for a natural fiber bag to help promote their business the Sweda Super-Size Jute Shopper is certainly a bag to consider. Take a look at the video for a short overview of the bag. Unfortunately the bags in the video are not imprinted, so you really don’t get the full impact of how pretty these bags can be. Bag colors are Black, Blue, Green, Orange, and Merlot. They EQP at $7.99.

If you are a distributor and want more information on Sweda’s 2010 lineup of eco-friendly items – including the Super-Size Jute Shopper – contact Lakisha Higgins, Sweda Strategic Accounts.

If you would like to purchase these items for your own business please contact your local promotional items provider or email info@proformagreen.com.

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.

The green argument for flash drives goes something like this: Flash drives are a great way to get a lot of information to clients without having the need to print and ship thousands of pieces of paper. (And if they are made from eco-friendly materials all the better).

For example, think about a large conference, say with 10,000 attendees over four days. Printing and shipping all the information, schedules, data-sheets, presentations, and white papers for such an event is a huge cost to the budget and the environment. Why not just put it all on a flash drive, in a format that all the attendees can easily store, carry and share?

It is a good argument, however the POKEN allows us to take the idea to the next level. POKEN looks like a flash drives and sort of work the same way, as a tool with which to share data. The difference is that when two POKEN touch each other they copy – for lack of a better word – each other’s information.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Just in time for the holiday season Owl Line has released two eco-friendly covers for the amazingly popular Amazon Kindle. They are the Owl Kindle Book cover – style dimensions 8.375″H x 5.75″W x .75″D -  and Owl Kindle Easel – style dimensions 8.5″H x 5.625″W x .875″D. Both models come with the OWL id patch, explaining that the units are made from eco-friendly materials.

Both the Easel and Book models are offered in 100% post-industrial OWL™ recycled bonded leather model or 100% Post-Consumer recycled PET fabric with leather trim. Owl defines these two materials as follows:

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Ash City USA – one of the leaders in eco-friendly apparel for the promotional items market – is partnering with the American Breast Cancer Foundation through their new “We’re Thinking Pink” campaign.

From the Ash City website, “Ash City USA is proud to announce it has become a supporter in the fight against breast cancer. With the recent launch of our “We’re Thinking Pink” campaign, we are joining in the fight to help fund research for the American Breast Cancer Foundation to help find a cure.

Money raised helps provide individuals, their families and their loved ones in financial need with direct financial assistance, education, support, and access to early detection screenings. ABCF supports research for innovative diagnostic, treatment and patient support methods through leading medical institutions.”

Read the rest of this entry »