One of my favorite environmentally friendly products is the promotional retread recycled jar openers. These cool giveaways are made from recycled tires and can be used as coasters or jar openers all while representing your company, club or event. Because of my love for these items, you can imagine my excitement when I heard about a fantastic new eco-friendly tire on the market.
                          
The tire company, Kumho's has just launched the latest addition to their Solus collection. It's an eco-friendly tire paired with a 100,000 mile warranty. The company's marketing president said, "being eath friendly no longer requires sacrifices in tire performance. Past technology required giving up traction to be less impactful to our environment." 
     
These tires are made for the road, and I'm sure their scrap material would make one durable jelly jar. They've found a new formula that combines high anti-abrasion rubber technology with eco-friendly processing oils. It helps to make these all-seasons eco Solus HM tires cost effective, eco-friendly and safe for the roads.
                                
I'm so happy to see that every industry is working to become more and more sustainable. At this rate, every industry will thrive in sustainability this decade.

The Green Gadget trade show came to New York City on February 25. Along with the best in green technology, the Green Gadget show also happened to bring along a couple feet of snow as well. I love the fluffy whites but today, in the wake of another snow storm, I'm planning for brighter days. Warmer days. Camping days!

      
The major attention getter at the Green Gadgets trade show was the Orange Solar Tent from Kaleidoscope. It's the perfect eco friendly camping gear and is guaranteed to impress your humble tenting and gas guzzling RV neighbors.

The awesome tent includes solar panels that use the absorbed sun light to illuminate the tent at night, creating the perfect glow for navigating around your campsite at night. Inside is a heated groundsheet for comfort and a wireless hub. The coolest feature I've seen? The magnetic induction charging pouch.
       
Have you seen THAT before? Awesome eco friendly camping is in the works for me. Are you looking to join? Here are my picks for the best environmentally friendly camping items.

The custom imprinted eco blanket will keep you warm inside of the tent with its bamboo and cotton components. And this eco-friendly apparel will keep you warm while star gazing outside.
        
Always keep a custom imprinted solar flashlight nearby for night-time adventures. And our eco-friendly health and first aid items will prepare you for any emergencies.
      

Ants in my pants and hornets in my hair. I wished for the snow to melt away, but I wasn't excepting my back yard to turn into a insect sanctuary. What's worse? I know in just a month or so, the sun's going to shine and that sanctuary is going to spread inside of my home as well. So, in lieu of spring cleaning, snap on a pair of gloves and check out my tips on eco-friendly giveaways and products for pest control in your home and garden.
       
Like any great plan of attack, you must prepare to be on the offense and the defense in this battle against the bugs. The best defense? EcoSmart Pesticides.

Your green smile may have turned into a frown once you read the daunting word, "pesticides." But this all natural bug spray posses no threat to your health...unless you've got six legs. Confident that we have no slimy, buzzing creepy crawlers as readers, rest assured you're all in good green hands with EcoSmart.

The eco-friendly company has over 15 years of scientific research, accounting for it's golden ranking as the only 100% safe insecticide in the Unites States. In fact, of their 40 patented formulas in the U.S., half are exempt from the Environmental Protection Agency. The quality of these pesticides is so high, that the EPA recognizes EcoSmart as a leader in its field; placing it above other conventional and synthetic products.
                   
These pesticides can be sprayed around the home and outdoors without harming plant life or any of your home decor. Created from natural non-toxic plant oils, this is one pesticide that you can actually trust. That's why it makes sense it's being carried in stores all over the world including major businesses like Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, Lowes and Pathmark to name a few.

Now that you know the best product to arm yourself with this springtime, we've got to gear you up for any surprise attacks. While EcoSmart natural ant killer will keep the ants out of your home and trouble spots, some insects just fly right in. You may take care of the problem in your own home but that won't stop a mean mosquito from sneaking into your bedroom from an opened window. While a mist of eco-friendly pesticide would do the trick, we'd like you to conserve. With a promotional eco-friendly flyswatter offence, you can dominate, leaving only the remains of the blood-sucker. They're made from recycled materials and check out this custom imprinted foot flyswatter. What better way to ask, "What's your carbon footprint?"
                                 
You've got the know-how, so now you've got to execute before it's too late. Now is the prime time to prepare for an insect problem so go to your nearest EcoSmart retail store and make an order of our fun promotional flyswatters. Better yet, tell us why you need the EcoSmart Value Bundle for a change to win your own. Are there ants crawling around fresh fruit in the kitchen? Is the occasional hornet or two progressing to a real, stinging problem? Tell us why this eco-friendly pesticide is just what you need and come springtime, you'll be living bug-free.

Leave your response to why you want or need these EcoSmart pesticides in our comments below. A winner will be selected Friday, March 5th at noon. Good luck!

In anticipation of the Winter Olympics 2010, I blogged about Eco Friendly Promotional Products at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. I featured the best in environmentally friendly products and we even heard PPAI board member, Sherri Lennarson's opinion of eco-giveaways at the Olympics. With all of the excitement of the upcoming winter events, I failed to feature any of the awesome athletes competing for a place on the podium and piece of history.
                 
Las night, the United States had a golden showing with 3 athletes rising to fame on the highest level of the podium. Women's downhill skier, Lindsey Vonn took home gold after nursing an injury. And Shaun White dominated in snowboarding, leaving a wide gap between him and any of the competition because of his technique including the ridiculous sounding menu item (just kidding) the Double McTwist 1260 on half-pipe.
                       
Tonight, there's another 2010 winter Olympics athlete on a quest for gold. But for Hannah Teter, the reigning women's snowboarding gold medalist, it's all about going green. She competes tonight with her sponsors, Samsung boasting her skills, but regardless of if she gets Gold, Silver or shunned, she'll still be on the quest for Green.
                                         
"Hannah's a real outspoken proponent of organic foods and green living," said Amen Teter, her agent and brother. "We've yet to really bump into any sponsors who can fit that into their platform, but I think down the line that's definitely something she's interested in."

Any takers? If she nabs another gold, Amen Teter believes it will increase his sister's branding by 50%. She's rising to fame and even landed a spot in Sports Illustrated accompanied by only three other 2010 Winter Olympians. She's also released her own line of panties called "Sweet Cheeks" in an effort to raise funds for Haiti. With charitable promotions and sustainability on her mind, I can see a bright future for this snowboarding star.
                         
President and CEO of marketing agency rEvolution, John Rowady added, "Hannah needs to continue to create her own style that will help separate her from the pack. She also needs to surround herself with sponsors and brands that embrace her style, and also those sponsors that are committed to building a snowboarding lifestyle that people are attracted to."

Since it's beginning back in 2008, the Motivators Go Green blog has become what we always hoped it would be; a  community of like minded people dedicated to doing right by the environment. We know that by choosing to implement eco-friendly changes into your lifestyle you are making the conscious effort to do right by the planet. After all, it was Thomas Fuller who stated that "we will never know the worth of water until the well is dry." The news and information that we put out there for the world to see is not simply so that the world can see, but so that the world will change its ways.

And we know, you may be wondering why is a promotional products company so concerned with going green. We know you may be wondering why we're not constantly writing about eco-friendly pens and the newest developments in BPA-free promotional water bottles. The truth of the matter is, we do write about those things on occasion, but there are so many other important environmental topics that need to be addressed that we're glad to share this little green platform with the true eco warriors out there. We're proud to share insights about environmental policy and we're happy to try and provide you with a source for green news. 

But what of the promotional products?

Well, among our many stories and blogs about eco-friendly news and tips, you will see eco-friendly promotional products and it's for this reason. Now, more than ever companies need to take a stand and side with the environment. When a company chooses eco-friendly promotional items, they're making a statement. They're choosing to be green and be proud. They're choosing to buy earth friendly items in bulk, imprint them with their logo and say to their customers and clients, "Yeah, we do support the environment." And we applaud them and stand beside them in their efforts. That's why for every order of eco-friendly promotional products, Motivators will plant a tree through the American Forests Global ReLeaf Fund.

The eco-friendly promotional items offered by Motivators are growing in leaps and bounds and suppliers can't keep up with the demand. Every day we're adding new eco-friendly bags that you can give to people to take shopping with them. We're adding more and more BPA free water bottles because the demand is there.  People all over the country are standing up as individuals to make eco-friendly efforts and choosing eco-friendly promotional products from Motivators will show people that yours is a company that is not going to stand by the wayside while your planet gets "globally warmed." Yours is a company that truly understands the impact that we as individuals and we as a society have on the planet. Yours is a company or an organization that is not going to take this lying down. 

And on behalf of all of us here at Motivators, and on behalf of our ever growing selection of eco-friendly promotional products, we salute you for that.  

"Athens is pretty green and granola, but there isn't really one place where everyone can come together and talk about what they know about the environment," Kristine Kobylus, program/educational specialist for Athen Clarke-County Recycling, said, "The Green Life Expo brings everyone together at one time to showcase their knowledge."
                                   

The ACC Recycling and Classic Center hosted the second ever Green Life Expo last Friday and invited visitors to sit in through various discussions, presentations and seminars on sustainability. This event is the perfect occasion for environmentally friendly products and florescent light bulbs were the giveaway choice for Georgia Power. The company decided to hand out the smart energy-friendly promotional products as alternatives to non recyclable and power-hungry electronics.
                                          

A senior from the University of Georgia and co-chair of the Go-Green Alliance, Mark Milby, will give a presentation to showcase the voices of local students. UGA's sustainable actions and hopes for the future will be discussed and all I'm wondering is, will there be university giveaways? I'm sure Milby would love to have his club's logo imprinted on eco-friendly apparel. It'll make the Go-Green Alliance more prevalent on campus so that further actions can be made for a brighter, green future.

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.

I know that my last product recommendation was a photo bookmark, but what can I say? I like photo frames in all shapes and sizes, but I love photo frames if they're eco-friendly. And these promotional cardboard picture frames definitely fall into that category.

When I first saw that we were carrying imprinted recycled cardboard picture frames, I had my doubts. I mean, cardboard picture frames? How sturdy could they be? The answer is very. These promotional cardboard picture frames are put together quite well and as definitely designed to stand up to the test of time. But, the good test of time, not the test of time that diapers in landfills stand up to. These items will showcase your branding and your cherished memories for years to come, and they will look good while doing so. And speaking of looking good, that was my second doubt. After all, how good could a cardboard picture frame look? Brown and boring right? Think again. These imprinted recycled cardboard picture frames were designed with...design in mind. They're avilable in a variety of colors, any of which will bring out your branding just nicely. Personal favorite? The Terra Recycled 4" x 6" Photo Frame.

 

So if you want an eco-friendly promotion that's affordable and that will send a personal message to clients and employees, definitely consider these promotional cardboard picture frames.

Eco-friendliness was just offered a back stage pass to the Florida Marlin's baseball stadium. As the old construction is ripped away, plans for a new and more sustainable stadium are in the making. But as they prepare with new ideas and innovations for the new stadium, they're making sure to make the demolition of the old stadium sustainable.

90% of the construction that includes cardboard, concrete, metal, wood and others is being recycled. This is a tremendous act on their part and will help to secure eco-friendly solutions for stadium construction in the future. Green building, like all environmentally sound practices have been increasingly popular as people are made more aware of the problems and motivated to do something about it.

Plans for the new stadium will include the use of 20% pre and post consumer recycled content. To help stimulate the local economy and keep their carbon foot print down, the recycled content will all come from within 500 miles of the new site. What a wonderful concept.

Many of our environmentally friendly products are made from the very pre and post consumer recycled content that the new stadium is to be built from. One of the clearest uses of post consumer recycled content is our wide variety of promotional eco-friendly coasters. These fantastic items are made from post consumer recycled tires.

Next time you get a flat on the side of the road, remember to bring it with you. Just imagine the amount of these cool recycled coasters you could've made from your one tire. Likewise, the community surrounding the new Marlins stadium construction site will be challenged to live with the values of sustainability as this project gets on its feet and leads the way towards an even greener world. With such great sustainable goals set for their new stadium, it's likely that they'll use eco-friendly items on giveaway days. With a capacity for 37,000, you can expect a ton of green supporters.

One of the most important things to have when traveling is a toiletry bag. It's the best place to keep essentials like shampoo and body wash safe from spilling onto your clothes. You can house all your necessities, from toothopaste to deodorant and be organized while traveling. There's no doubt that a toitry bag is an absolute must. So why not use this knowledge to brand you business in an eco-friendly manner?

The Leeds Eco 100% Recycled Owl Utility Kit is a great item to give to clients and employees. It's personal enough to be considered a gift, but its not too personal to make the wrong impression. It's made of 100% post consumer recycled material so you can take pride in the fact that your giveaway will not be harming the environment. Recipients will most definitely appreciate this well designed item, too. It's large main pocket boasts a mesh pocket and a velcro strap for hanging. For extra organization purposes, it has a front pocket as well as two side pockets for extra storage. Users will be able to easily organize their items without fear of not being able to find them.

 

The best part of this item, after its functionality and eco-friendly nature is its imprint area. With a 4" x 3" imprint area available on its front pocket, your message will be seen clearly and by everyone who sees this bag.