Eco-friendly trends continue to bloom throughout the world. From one person to another, the seeds of sustainability are being planted each day. Likewise, each month our supply of environmentally-friendly products grows. It's clear that people are eager to incorporate eco-friendly items into their lives and into upcoming promotions.

However, many of the materials used in environmentally-friendly products, and even more of the terms used to explain them are not yet common knowledge. When you choose a biodegradable item we want you to know that it's got the ability to safely and quickly break down into the raw materials that nature embraces. Similarly, we want you to know the difference between organic giveaways and recycled giveaways.

To help every customer to understand the perks to any given environmentally-friendly product, we present this list of eco-friendly terms originally from Halo/Lee Wayne Green Promotions, 2010.

Bamboo – Bamboo is 100% naturally grown and sustainable, it is also naturally antibacterial & Bamboo fiber is 100% biodegradable. As the fastest growing plant in the world, bamboo grows to its maximum height in about 3 months and reaches maturity in 3-4 years. Bamboo is known to improve soil quality in degraded and eroded areas of land.

Biodegradable – The ability to break down, safely and relatively quickly, by biological means into the raw materials of nature and disappear back into the environment.

Bonded Leather – A recycled synthetic material containing elements of recycled leathers, leather scrap & tannery leather fibers, which otherwise would go to a landfill.

Compostable – A product made of materials that will break down over time in a landfill.

Corn Plastic – Derived from corn & 100% biodegradable

Cotton-Organic – Organic cotton is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators, chemical pesticides, irrigation or genetic engineering.

Green – The movement that incorporates environmental awareness, social responsibility, bioregionalism, and nonviolence.

Organic – Products created through a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers.

Organic Leather – Made from skins that are tanned using only vegetable extracts and chemicals approved by TUV. All possible by-products are also re-used. Non allergenic.

PET – Polyethylene terephthalate is the most popular thermo-plastic packaging material used for drinks and food. It is lightweight, transparent, and has a good moisture barrier.

Polypropylene & Non-Woven Polypropylene – Made from carbon and hydrogen, and manufactured without any dangerous emissions. Can be recycled, incinerated, or land filled without any harm to the environment. When burned, polypropylene will give off only water vapor and carbon dioxide, which is converted by photosynthesis. Sometimes known as “pp”.

Post-Consumer Material/Waste – Term used to describe material that is being reused/recycled after it has been in the consumer’s hand (i.e. soda bottles, yogurt containers).

Post-Industrial Material – Term used to described scrap or excess material that a manufacturer reuses or recycles throughout the manufacturing process.

Recyclable – Materials that can be reused. Includes glass, paper, aluminum, asphalt, iron, textiles, plastics and biodegradable waste.

Recycled – Term used to describe material that has been separated from the waste stream, reprocessed into a new product and then brought back to the consumer as a new item.

Recycled Cardboard – The material is made from cardboard that has been discarded or once used by a consumer.

Recycled Content – The amount of pre- and post-consumer recovered material introduced in a material production process, usually expressed as a percentage.

Recycled Leather – Material is untreated and is made with leather scraps – recycled to save waste. (As opposed to scraps going into a landfill, they are recovered and reprocessed to make leather material.)

SAFE Plastic – Truly biodegradable in landfills & composting, environmentally safe, no toxic effects, can be recycled.

Today's product of the week is inspired by something that litterally just made me sick. Carolina, in our office purchased lunch at a local establishment that shall remain nameless. She returned with hot chocolate in a take out cup and proclaimed, "Look at the lid on this thing! Isn't that crazy?" Just so you all understand what I'm talking about, here's the video of the lid.

The sheer amount of shock and awe on my face was obvious to all in the room, when I proclaimed, "Are you SERIOUS?" How much extra plastic, how many extra man hours, how much useless waste needs to be created before people will realize that conveniences like this are what is bringing us down? You really need a disposable plastic version of a resealable lid. A one time use item. Really? Think about how many times this item will come in handy when driving? It'll probably serve as an annoyance because people will have to close and re-open every time they want to take a sip.

It's great for keeping beverages hot, right? No. Chances are this extra piece of plastic will do nothing to retain the heat of your beverage.

Well, at least I won't spill on myself when walking! Or you could walk a little bit more carefully and avoid spillage.

There's not many times I'm ever as passionate as I am about an eco-friendly promotional product than I am about the promotional I'm Not A Paper Cup Travel Mug. It's items like this that remind me there's hope. Hope to stop the useless production of needless plastic items like the lid seen above. Considering the fact that nearly 10 years ago, Starbucks was responsible for using 1.9 billion paper cups (with plastic lids) things definitely need to change. And the I'm Not a Paper Cup Travel mug is an excellent start.

This item, which is popular in retail stores can now be imprinted with your logo and message to show everyone that you truly believe in the environment. It's 10oz, so it's perfect for a normal sized cup of coffee and it's made of completely biogradeable plastic. so it won't harm the environment.

Oh and as far as spillage is concerned, it boasts a sliding, spill proof lid too. Coincidence? I think not.

 

Tis the season to pack on the pounds. With our Thanksgiving potluck looming just days away, I couldn't help but recommend something food related for this week's product recommendation. And that's why I chose the some of our best eco-friendly kitchen items. These biodegradable cookie cutters are great giveaways that can be used for school fundraisers. They can be imprinted with company information and handed out at tradeshows. They can even be re-sold in stores as part of a marketing plan or for charity. Those are just a few of their marketing uses, but why biodegradable cookie cutters? They're so much fun!

You can give out Promotional Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter to people looking to get in the holiday spirit.

Teachers would be thrilled to receive the Promotional Apple Cookie Cutter from their administrations.

You can sell Promotional Heart Cookie Cutters as a way of fundraising for the American Heart Society or on as a Valentine's Day.

There are even more options to choose from, but I'm fairly certain that being biodegradable never tasted so good!

Just a few weeks ago, I blogged about the benefits of using Fair Trade Coffee as one of your promotions and while I will stand by that blog, I will not hesitate to say that it needs a little help. After all, what's coffee without a coffee mug? That's why i'm happily recommending the Bio-Thumbolo 11oz Mug. There are a great many reasons why I think this mug is so deserving of placement in one of our product recommendation blogs, and the one that tops the list is that: I use it. We have a few product samples in our office, and I'm nothing if not one for shamelessly testing out all of our items. This one seems to have nothing but pros.

The Eco-Friendly Pro's 
The mug is made of biodegradable polypropylene plastic, which is often chosen for mugs because it has a high melting point and can safely accept hot liquids. It's recyclable, and several curbside programs accept #5 plastics (polypropylene). These plastics are often made into signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, bicycle racks, bins, pallets, and trays.

The General Pro's
This 11oz mug is very light and easy to carry. The Bio-Thumbolo mug gets it's unique name from the ridged thumb grip that sits atop the handle. No longer do you need to worry about awkward uncomfortable thumb maneuvering when holding your coffee. It's quite comfortable. Did I mention that it's the perfect size for a morning cup of coffee or for an afternoon cup of tea? It's both microwave AND dishwasher safe, so it's a double whammy. It comes in three colors and my favorite is definitely the Leaf Green. It makes it even more eco-friendly. It's also affordable, coming in at at $2.10 for all quantities at the time of this blog.

Recap: lightweight, recyclable, biodegradable, affordable and comfortable to hold because of a unique thumb grip.

Definitely my pick for eco item of the week.

An article in Time Magazine once said, "Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find." With our planet earth piling up with trash and our atmosphere subject to increased global warming, it's pretty fair to say that we're blowing our chances as earth's residents. Though astronauts are seeking out other life sustaining planets it's important to make our planet more sustainable. With the use of environmentally friendly promotional items, we've made that very possible.
                                    
People are making great efforts to slow global warming while some are realizing that climate change is not our only environmental problem. Animals across the world are also in danger of loosing their own lives due to our invasion of their habitats. Underwater eco-systems are under increased strain because it is there that the most diverse species exist. When one organism is eliminated, it could ultimately change the course of the lives of every other species in the eco-system.

The leatherback turtles, found in both the Atlantic and Pacific, are one of the 1000+ endangered species on the earth. These beautiful creatures that reach sizes up to six and seven feet, are under risk because of egg harvesting, food availability and most commonly, fishery bycatch. Fishermen use gigantic nets made from rope or wires to catch edible fish for our consumption. They drag these heavy nets across the oceans floor and grab any living creature in its path. Once the nets are raised, the attractive fish life are scooped out and preserved, but the majority of other animals and plant life are left for dead.
                  
To raise awareness of these endangered leatherback turtles, the Canadian Sea Turtle Network joined with National Geographic magazine for a great promotion. Green nets bound each magazine enclosed with personalized cards marking the page of the article. The cards explained the cause and functioned as awesome awareness event giveaways.

To read the magazine, recipients had to cut through the net, and in essence, free the leatherback turtles. I urge everyone to spread the word that we need to cherish this earth - because it's all we got. With beautiful custom turtle shaped ornaments, you too can spread leatherback turtle endangerment awareness. With knowledge, comes action.  Let's spread what we know with the use of promotional eco-friendly products and help restore the earth to the way it's meant to be.
                                   

As the temperature drops each day, we are slowly being reminded that the holiday season is on its way. "Global Warming?" some doubters may say, "It's freezing out here!" Of course these people aren't looking at the big picture. They aren't considering the massive amounts of cars emiting harmful gases or the tons of trash piling up in land fills. However, you do understand the risks global warming poses on us, so this holiday season, give the Earth the gift of sustainability with these eco-friendly holiday cards.
                   
During the holiday season everyone will be rushing around to find the best gifts for their loved ones. With all the hustle and bustle, everyone looks forward to returning home to a warm and cozy home to spend time with their loved ones. To make these relaxing moments at home even more picture perfect, send recycled paper holiday cards to the people who helped your business flourish all year long. 
                 
While eco-friendly holiday gifts may be just what you need to show respect to employees and appreciation to clients, budgets may prevent just as luxurious corporate gifts. Thankfully, these eco-friendly holiday cards can send just as much joy this holiday season. There are even awesome plantable holiday cards to choose from. That means you'll send a wish for, "Happy Holidays" now and flowers will be blooming in your name some spring time.

As though the paper-or-plastic question weren't vexing enough, now some retailers are finding that the "biodegradable" plastic bags they'd hoped would please green shoppers might not be so Earth-friendly after all.

Lunds and Byerly's recently replaced its plastic bags with a biodegradable bag made of low-density polyethylene that purportedly breaks down when exposed to sunlight, oxygen, soil, moisture and microbes.

But biodegradable bags are still petroleum-based, and while they do break down into smaller particles, chemicals eventually show up in the food chain and our bodies, according to Susan Hubbard, CEO of Eureka Recycling in Minneapolis. And it's unclear whether biodegradable bags can be recycled.

What's a shopper to do?

"I don't like plastic bags, so [the grocery store] is in a sense forcing me to bring a reusable bag," said Gail Hanson of Minneapolis, who was shopping at the northeast Minneapolis Lunds that only offers plastic bags, not paper. She keeps reusable bags in the front seat of her car so she remembers to take them into the store.

Although a recent attempt to mandate plastic bag recycling in Minnesota did not survive a legislative committee, pressure to cut back or eliminate the use of plastic bags has been building in the United States and around the world.

In 2007, San Francisco became the first city in the country to ban plastic shopping bags, and similar measures have been adopted or enacted in cities as diverse as Phoenix, Portland, Ore., and Boston. Seattle is debating a fee on plastic bags in hopes of encouraging shoppers to carry reusable bags, and several large stores including Ikea have either banned or begun charging for plastic bags.

Other countries, including China, have banned the distribution of free bags.

1 percent of bags are recycled

Biodegradable bags from Lunds and Byerly's are currently being recycled, but if that changes, Lunds and Byerly's will consider, well, bagging them.

"Our goal is still to be a more eco-friendly retailer," said Aaron Sorenson, spokesman for Lund Food Holdings Inc. The manufacturer of the stores' bags says they break down in two years in a landfill, and are 100 percent recyclable.

Americans use more than 90 billion plastic bags per year, but only about 1 percent of polyethylene plastic bags are recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Minnesotans recycle about 5 percent, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) said. The rest wind up in landfills or on the landscape, where each may take hundreds of years to degrade, although estimates vary depending on the plastic.

So retailers like Lunds and Byerly's and consumers try to do the right thing -- though it can be frustrating figuring out what that is.

Roundy's, owner of Rainbow stores, chose not to use biodegradeable bags because store officials were told the bags cannot be mixed with other plastic bags for recycling, said Vivian King, director of public affairs at Roundy's.

(The Star Tribune is considering using biodegradable plastic bags for newspaper home delivery.)

Virginia-based manufacturer Trex Industries, which makes the Twin Cities' recycled plastic bags into plastic decking and lawn furniture, is doing a study to see if the biodegradable material compromises the product. If biodegradable material disintegrates when exposed to air and light, it might not make durable patio furniture, said Ginny Black, organics recycling coordinator at the MPCA.

The greenest bag

For all the hubbub over bags, there are shoppers who don't want plastic to go away, according to spokespeople at Cub, Rainbow, Target and Lunds/Byerly's. Consumers like the bags for frozen and deli items, and they use them for pet waste and garbage.

So while some supermarkets grapple with a so-called "greener" plastic bag, other retailers are charging for them or banning them to encourage use of reusable bags, which environmental experts say are the best choice.

When Ikea started charging a nickel for its plastic bags a year ago, the Swedish retailer expected bag use to drop 50 percent. Actual bag use plunged a surprising 92 percent, from 70 million to 6 million. In October the company will eliminate plastic and paper bags entirely.

Aldi supermarkets charge a nickel for paper and a dime for sturdy plastic bags that can be reused. The German company has charged for bags since it opened U.S. stores in 1976.

But mainstream grocery stores aren't likely to follow the lead of Mississippi Market Co-op in St. Paul, which eliminated plastic bags completely last month. Supermarkets don't want to alienate their customers, said supermarket analyst David Livingston.

"If you're buying a lot of groceries, reusable bags are cumbersome," Livingston said. "Stores should give away reusable bags if they want people to use them."

Many stores have done just that, or at least offered them at a discount. Stores that continue to offer plastic can look greener by highlighting their low-cost reusable bags. Cub Foods will offer a reusable bag free with a $25 purchase this week . Trader Joe's discourages use of paper or plastic by letting customers who bring their own reusable bags put their names in a drawing for prizes.

Target offers three sizes of reusable bags for 99 cents to $1.49. It does not currently collect plastic bags for recycling in its Minnesota stores but does so in California, Rhode Island and Maine to comply with state laws, said Target spokeswoman Amy VanWalter.

What about paper bags? Unlike plastic bags, paper is a renewable, compostable resource. Another alternative is a compostable bag made from corn starch, but those are about four times more expensive than plastic. Unfortunately, we can't plant forests fast enough to replace paper bags that are used only once, so put reusable bags in the car, Hubbard advised.

"Paper bags have always been a better choice than plastic," Hubbard said. "But reusable bags are the best choice."

Via: http://www.startribune.com/local/17582144.html

 Promotional Biodegradable Pen

Promotional Pens are always a great choice for promotional purposes, due to their price and effectiveness. With this custom imprinted biodegradable Pen, you not only get those features, but you get an eco-friendly product as well. What could be better? Whether you need an easy giveaway at a tradeshow, want to promote your personal business, or want to raise awareness, by choosing this personalized biodegradable pen you will be choosing an effective product that shows recipients you care about the environment.  Made from 100% biodegradable and compostable material. Every order placed for eco-friendly promotional products with Motivators from
now through December 31, 2008 will result in a tree being planted.

 A study by The Freedonia Group Inc. projects the U.S. demand for biodegradable plastic will rise more than 15 percent annually to 720 million pounds in 2012, valued at $845 million, according to TransWorld News.

The rising cost of crude oil is making biodegradable plastics, which are made from renewable resources such as corn,  more cost competitive.

Starch-based plastics are becoming more popular thanks to technology advances which have improved the resin blends.  These plastics are used in compostable yard and kitchen bags, and food service items such as plates, bowls and cutlery. Freedonia predicts an increase in demand of 16.8 percent per year to 293 million pounds in 2012.

Polyester-based biodegradables will also experience rapid annual growth, as will biodegradable packaging, according to the study.

Although biodegradables are on the rise, there are still a lot of conventional plastics hanging around. Use Earth911 to find a location to recycle your plastic bags and other plastic items.

via Earth911.org

Definition:  

Main Entry:

bio·de·grad·able : capable of being broken down especially into innocuous products by the action of living things (as microorganisms) <biodegradable trash bags>

The above definition, provided by the good folks at Merriam Websters, is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to biodegradable products and their importance to the earth as a whole.

From Wikipedia's page on Biodegradation, here's a list of how long certain products take to decompose in landfills.

http://behealthyandrelax.com/2007/11/how-long-does-it-take-to-decompose/

It's a little bit mind-blowing to think that those plastic grocery bags that you seem to come home with at least 5 of when you go to the supermarket will stay around for 20 years. Or that the plastic 6 pack holder that was on your sodas will be around for 450. And lest we not forget diapers, because they can stay around for almost 500 years. 

This is why it's absolutely necessary to use products that will not end up in landfills and stay around for hundreds of years, polluting our earth. We understand that there's plenty of choices when it comes to promotional products, but we also understand the importance of being kind to the earth. That's why we're proud to offer a wide selection of biodegradable promotional products. Products such as bamboo games and picture frames will break down naturally, without taking up much space in landfills. Giving out biodregadable bags will give individuals something they can use frequently and it can offset the use of typical plastic bags. So make the smart choice and choose biodegradable promotional products.