We believe that there are increasingly more eco-friendly options for anything we purchase and use, whether it be at home or at work. However, choosing sustainable products or services can seem more expensive, especially during the current cost of living crisis.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of easy and affordable alternatives you can take into consideration for your office and business events, or even for your personal use. There are simple product swaps that can be implemented across various marketing activities, ranging from pens to the type of materials you choose for your marketing communications, here are just a few:
BIODEGRADABLE BANNERS
When it comes to promoting your business at events, pull-up banners are a really cost-effective visual tool, but they are often made of PVC which is not biodegradable and hard to recycle. Our goal is to remove unnecessary PVC from our products, and now it is easier than ever to use environmentally considered alternatives. Biodegradable banners are PVC-free and made from 100% natural fibres. They can be used for up to 2 years and then discarded via residual waste streams, decomposing within just 9 to 12 months.
SUSTAINABLE BOOK BINDING
A lay flat wire bound book can be ideal to use as training collateral or branded notebook, however, perfect bound books not only look more professional, but they also remove the need for wire which means they are easier to recycle.
PLASTIC FREE PENS
Branded pens are an affordable and practical giveaway for employees and clients, usually handed out at events or in marketing packs. However, when they reach the end of their useful life, they are hard to recycle and take a very long time to break down. Bio pens are a great eco-friendly choice; made of recycled or raw materials like sugar cane or natural, plastic-free biopolymers (PHA), which are recyclable and biologically degradable.
ECO-PACKAGING AND MAILINGS
Plastic packaging can help protect products from being damaged in the delivery process. However, we try to avoid it as much as possible in order to reduce the use of unnecessary plastic. A few solutions include replacing the PVC used to package mailings with compostable Polybags. Alternatively, you could consider a naked mailing, especially when it comes to magazines and other publications that can simply have the name and address printed directly on the back. There are also many options for replacing bubble wrap, such as Green Wrap and Hive paper, air pillows, or even compostable plant-based packing peanuts.
Sustainable alternatives that give back on your behalf
Ecosia is a green search engine that plants trees as you browse the internet by using the generated ad revenue to fund forest restoration projects. When we heard about this initiative, we all added Ecosia to our browsers at Ruddocks (so quick and easy to do). It hasn’t made a noticeable difference to us but using Ecosia certainly makes a positive contribution towards our sustainable goals.
We have also replaced the usual toilet paper in our offices with ‘Who Gives A Crap’. Despite the humorous name, this company is serious about the environment and produces toilet paper made of sustainably sourced materials such as bamboo and recycled paper. It also donates 50% of profits to building toilets and improving the life quality and health of less privileged communities around the world.
In conclusion, sustainable alternatives don’t need to cost more and sometimes they can even help us save money, energy and time, by reusing products and reducing waste. And whether you make these changes at home or as part of the company you work for, each small contribution can make a great difference overall.
Are you interested in how we can support you on your sustainability journey?