Eco-friendly Promos

Hand-powered gadgets have been around for a while, but have spiked in popularity due to the green movement. They don’t require batteries and they don’t use electricity. All you need to do is crank the handle and your item is all powered up. Some examples of promotional hand-powered products include flashlights and radios.

I think these items would be perfect to give away at a trade show or a convention, especially if your organization is attempting to promote green initiatives.

According to this press release, buy.com made strides to make online shopping more eco friendly. Being the middleman, online shopping websites order from suppliers who ship to their facilities and then to your house. However, buy.com is shipping directly from one its suppliers (Kingston Technologies) if you purchase a Kingston “Go Green” USB Flash drive or SD cards. The box will be shipped with much less packaging, and eliminates driving the products to the buy.com facilities. And with all the information we store on computer, who doesn’t need a promotional USB drive?

Buying items online is easy from the comfort of your computer chair, but consider ways to reduce your ecological footprint if you do order. Also, check for eco-friendly businesses.

Boy Scout Michael Barron of Georgia completed years of hard work by accomplishing a goal few have attained: Eagle Scout. His final project promoted environmental consciousness in his local community, but sent a message to a national audience. He attached rubber markers to storm drains in every school and park in his county that reminded readers that not every drain leads directly to a treatment system. Many go straight back into natural rivers and streams and pollutes them.

Barron’s valiant effort took a lot of work and determination because he headed, promoted, and organized his campaign. But, it also goes to show that promotional stickers and promomtional posters are still able to make a point in a cost effective way.

Check out this article on eco-friendly fuel alternatives. Someone out there is currently testing a high-speed race car that runs partially on chocolate and is made partially from carrots! Apparently, you can also obtain fuel from used diapers. Anyway, check out the article and let me know what you think.

The promotional bamboo back scratcher is the ultimate eco-friendly itch reliever. From personal experience, I’ve used one and it’s amazing. It reaches spots on your back that you didn’t even know were itchy.

Being eco-friendly doesn’t mean you have to cut back on fun and pleasure. So, picnicking can still be enjoyable while helping out the environment. First of all, you can buy biodegradable or compostable plates and silverware. They’re readily available at many grocery stoes. Sure, you can purchase a picnic basket that you might use once or twice a year, or you pack your picnic in a resuable custom organic tote bag. These eco-friendly bags can be used at a picnic, at the grocery store, or for cruising downtown. Next, opt for a bamboo towel that’s soft but environmentally functional.

The best part about being sustainable is the enjoyment we get from the outdoors. So, consider the eco-friendly alternatives to dining outdoors.

Jenna Allen, a 22-year old graduate of Philadelphia’s Moore College of Art & Design, is on the brink of becoming a fashion success. She produces hand-made bags in her one-bedroom apartment that can sell for up to $130. Best of all, she’s completely independent, and at 22, that’s an accomplishment.

So what does Jenna Allen have to do with eco-friendly promos? It’s her fabric, which is so unique she’s seeking a patent on it. Allen makes her handbags using bamboo, a very eco-friendly material, and recycled plastic bags. She weaves them together to create an “iridescent look, which looks a lot higher-end.” This project, which was her senior thesis, looks to be her career. And with the move toward eco-friendly fashion growing, she’ll have a very lucrative career.

According to this article. PepsiCo is attempting to make a big company very sustainable. The writer had his doubts when entering the Valhalla, NY, factory, expecting a watered down, PR-friendly tour. Instead, he encourtered candid workers who felt genuine and sincere. PepsiCo, which owns FritoLay, is set to debut a 100% compostable potato chip bag in 2010. The bio-degradable material definetely reduces PepsiCo’s ecological footprint. The writer also took a trip to the men’s room to see the sustainable waterless urinals.

Although the health-related risks of drinking too much soda and salty food (PepsiCo owns FritoLay) are there, at least PepsiCo is cutting back on the sugar and salt. They’re set to debut a line of drinks with 50% less sugar.

If only more people used sustainable materials and custom biodegradable products in their promotional campaigns, we’d have a much cleaner world.

According to this article, HP and Intel are on the forefront of producing more efficient computers. Intel is offering four new processors that use much less kilowatt hours than their current modeals. And, HP is upgrading its server platform to make it twice as efficient. According to the above article, HP also launched the Power to Change campaign, “which encourages consumers to download a desktop widget that tracks energy savings from turning off idle PCs.” I applaud HP’s efforts in saving electricity. Leaving on idle PC’s not only ruins the computer, but costs you more on your electricty bill.

There are plenty of ways to be more eco-friendly regarding electricity in your own household or business. Consider using hand-powered products when electricity isn’t absolutely necessary. Or, listen to a solar powered radio instead of wasting batteries.

Summer is here, and I’m just starting to think about my yearly vacation. With just one week a year to relax in a care-free lifestyle, a lot of planning goes into my vacationing. With that in mind, I just found a list of environmetally-friendly resorts that cater to eco-conscious individuals. It includes places that serve organic foods, use eco-friendly products, and are built with natural materials.

The Cedar Creek Treehouse was my personal favorite. This forest escape resort is nestled peacefully in the woods of Washington. However, what makes this woodland retreat stand out is when you look up. Your “hotel room” is a giant treetop cabin, with a Pine tree growing right through the middle! Take your promotional luggage up 50 feet to get an unprecented bird’s eye view of nature.

If you feel silly about vacationing in a treehouse, just think how many adults go to Disney World every year. The point is to feel like a kid again, and there’s no shame in that.