A sustainable revolution?
There have been some inspiring changes taking place across the branded promotional products industry over the last few years. Sustainability has moved to the heart of the conversation. People are thinking about where the product comes from, what it’s made from, and whether or not it is going to end up in the landfill at the end of its life-cycle.
Eco movement is here to stay. It is not just a short-lived trend, destined to fade into history. Geiger is fully committed to supporting this movement, which is why we will always try to offer you an eco-friendly alternative whenever possible.
We’ve been listening to what our customers want and what their end-users want. We have also been reflecting on our values, those of our employees, and how they motivate us to lead the way in acting on those beliefs.
Our industry is constantly expanding its eco-friendly efforts — and people are responding extremely positively. This recent ASI study demonstrates a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour towards basing their view of a brand on its green credentials and buying more environmentally friendly products.
46% of consumers have a more favourable view of brands that supply them with environmentally-friendly promotional products
(Source: ASI Study).
This isn’t just a shift in our industry, either. It’s an important change across the globe as businesses actively embrace sustainable values and methods, driven by the same reasons as us.
Young and old
One thing’s for sure: This isn’t a trend or a temporary craze based around popular buzzwords, it’s an authentic shift in the way we as humans think about the world around us. It’s occurring across all age groups too.
A recent UNiDAYS survey found that an astonishing 93% of Gen Z’ers (those born in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s) believe that brands have an obligation to take a stand on environmental issues. It’s an impressive position held by a generation with a buying power of $140 billion.
An astonishing 93% of Gen Z’ers believe that brands have an obligation to take a stand on environmental issues.
Furthermore, the above ASI study had also found that nearly a third of people aged 55 and over are buying more environmentally friendly products than ever before. What’s more, more than half of the same group also said that they would have a higher opinion of brands who supplied them with green products.
What’s great about this shift is, first and foremost, it benefits our planet. In its broadest sense, sustainability means that a product has been made in a way that minimises its environmental impact — it may have been made using recyclable materials or be biodegradable.
The wonderful thing about the move to sustainability being society-wide is that it is now easier to embrace and implement. Nowadays, any one of us can and should make a difference! It’s a positive change with a message of hope — who doesn’t want that feel-good factor from knowing that they’re part of hopeful, sustainable change?
There’s always an ECO alternative
From home-based start-ups to multinational corporations, forward-looking entrepreneurs and innovative businesses have always sought out new, improved ways of doing things. It is the same when it comes to sustainable practices. Nowadays people prefer recycled, upcycled, biodegradable and the most ethical solutions possible.
They want items that reflect their beliefs. At the same time, they still want those items to be aesthetically attractive, practical, and durable. This in itself can help to reduce environmental impact. Research shows that when people had a product that ticked all these boxes, the vast majority were highly likely to keep it for longer.
We’re moving beyond the disposable society of recent decades and coming back to the idea of a few high-quality, built-to-last products, but with the new bonus of mindfulness around where they came from and how they were made.
As such, the last few years have seen a definite, and hopefully permanent, shift away from single-use plastic. Even some of the most recognisable brands on the planet are shaking things up, from Coca-Cola testing paper bottles and pledging to recover three-quarters of the plastic from its existing bottles to Starbucks eliminating their straws altogether.
The clear message here is that whatever the item is, there is always an ECO alternative!
Geiger is also embracing this movement – we have already started to offer alternative eco-friendly promotional merchandise options to our clients in every enquiry we get – just look out for our (+e) sign!
Embracing change
We’re living in an exciting time where new, innovative eco-solutions are constantly being developed. As such, we now use words like recycled, reusable, renewable, and biodegradable pretty much every day; we know what the sign for recyclable looks like and that Fairtrade products ensure that the people involved in making them are treated and paid fairly.
We’ve also got new materials to embrace. For example, not all plastic is bad! There’s rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), which is created from plastic bottles and containers that have already been used. There are also bioplastics, obtained from renewable sources like wheat, corn, and potatoes. And some plastics are now labelled BPA-free (BPA being a harmful chemical used in some plastic production in the late 20th century).
Many products that have typically been made from plastic can now be made from bamboo, meaning they not only come from a 100% renewable source, they’re also fully biodegradable. There’s a brilliant material called jute too, a strong vegetable fibre that’s CO2 neutral and also totally biodegradable.
Social Enterprise and Products That Give Back
Change rarely occurs in a vacuum. The fact is that true, lasting change can only come through cooperation. Many brands have been using their status to help give back and facilitate upstream and downstream change through social enterprise initiatives.
Social enterprise means applying commercial strategies to make a positive difference for social benefit. The social impact is partially or fully funded by reinvesting profits made to create social capital. Geiger is committed to improving the environmental and social wellbeing of those around us. It’s something that we feel passionately about and are proud to champion.
In recognition of Social Enterprise Day 2020, we launched our Products That Give Back Series – a selection of promotional products that do a good deed and have a great story behind them!
In addition to having all the promotional power you’d expect from branded merchandise (such as having a great ROI, low CPI and tangibility), these products have a powerful story to tell and potentially life-changing benefits for those who need them the most:
The journey continues
For us, the environment, social enterprise, and Corporate Social Responsibility are all inextricably linked and will continue to be at the heart of our mission statement.
With more and more companies embedding sustainability into their practices and with consumers worldwide becoming increasingly interested when it comes to where products come from (and where they’re going after they’ve been used), continued innovation is as inevitable as it is necessary. Our expert procurement team is always searching the globe for the best sustainable alternatives to give to you.
We pledge to help your brand to endorse the same sustainability values when presenting your clients and potential customers with great promotional merchandise that has the added value of a positive story to tell.
