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.

In a tradition dating back to 1848, the White House will once again open it's iron clad gates to families from around the country so that children can participate in the Annual Easter Egg Roll. This year, on April 5th, the Easter Egg Roll will take over the South Lawn with a fitting theme for the competition fueled day: "Ready, Set, Go." The theme will promote health and wellness in accordance with the First Lady's "Let's Move" Initiave, a campaign which seeks to end childhood obesity. And it seems that the egg roll will be eco-friendly in nature. As tradition stands, every child that participates is given a wooden souvenir egg boasting the logo of the event. This year's eggs are all made in the US from Forest Stewardship Council hardwood and packaging has been designed to minimize waste. They'llbe available in pink, purple, green and yellow.

 

White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

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."

Being eco-friendly can get you pretty far. For one, it's empowering to the individual. Living a sustainable life is something to be proud of. Besides making you feel good about your decisions, living eco-friendly can just make you, "feel good." Eating organic is healthy and walking to work instead of driving will keep you in shape. Lastly, we think you should live an eco-friendly life, not just to stay healthy and be empowered, but to get prime parking on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus.

As incentive for students to drive more fuel efficient vehicles, the university is offering preferred parking at certain buildings. Over 600 vehicles, including models dating back to 1998, qualify students for the sustainable driver's satisfaction. This is a pretty cool perk for individuals but it's got me wondering; What about the eco-friendly carpoolers?

Very quickly, I found that North Carolina State University had the answer to my question. If high gas prices weren't enough, students at NCSU were also feeling the pressure to drive fuel efficient cars. However, college students are often plagued with empty pockets. Instead of rewarding students with fuel efficient cars with prime spots, the university worked to award car pooling students with price breaks. After student government officials met with transportation representatives, they devised a plan that allowed students to exchange their permits for carpool passes.

The program first began as an outlet to the faculty and staff as seen above but quickly the students wanted in on the eco-friendly fun. Parking services manager, David Gregory, said that the Student Government was a major player in making this sustainable incentive come to light. He is proud of the program and said, "Students save gas money, there's less congestion on campus and less wear and tear on vehicles. Every day that one or two [student commuters] don't drive, it saves everybody money. All these things come together to help the University."

Both of these are awesome ways to reduce the carbon foot print of your college of university. NCSU even has an arboretum, adding to their sustainability. Now we've just got to incorporate some environmentally friendly products into these programs to raise awareness and turn more students over to the green side.

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.

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.

The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is offering an exhibit that will absolutely elate every eco-friendly lover. It is by fact, the Greenest House in Chicago and by title the, "Smart Home: Green and Wired." It's been made with a sustainable design and uses recycled materials. Even the technology used is "green smart."

Partnered with Wired magazine, the home has been built in the backyard of the museum and has 3 floors. It offers visitors a tour through an entirely eco-friendly home. All of the products are eco-friendly and all of the technology is cutting edge green. To top it off, the gift store even sells environmentally promotional items. From books on sustainable architecture to recycled items, they're showing every visitor that green promotions are what it's all about.

Take a deep breath of that old country goodness and saddle up for the 2010 Minnesota Organic Conference. Mary Hanks, one of the conference organizers said, "It will be an outstanding educational opportunity for organic farmers and others interested in learning more about organic food and agriculture."
            
This trade show is to offer a look into the wonderful world of living organic. The two day conference will include guest speakers and open up for discussion with round table get-togethers. It takes place in the heartland of family run farms offering products like meat, cheese, eggs, milk and more. They use organic practices to raise crops and animals, making for healthier products and a reduced carbon footprint. What a perfect occasion to browse agricultural giveaways.

This will be an important trade show for businesses moving towards organic initiatives. With farms across the United States offering their services of organic agriculture, they may also want to offer some organic giveaways. By using fun green items to grab the attention of trade show attendees, they'll be likely to remember you.
                                   
While all giveaways will help brand your name, it's important to stick with eco-friendly trade show giveaways. Your business instills itself in sustainable practices and should therefore give the gift of sustainability. For the organic trade show, any of our organic promotions will come in handy. Now, after displaying your dedication to going organic, business opportunities can bloom and we can work towards a green future.

This week, leaders from around the world met at the international summit building for carbon emission discussions in Copenhagen, Denmark. Government leaders are hoping to make agreements that will help us all move towards more sustainable societies.

The United States, who when joined with China account for 50% of the entire earth's emissions, is feeling the pressure. President Barack Obama plans on joining the committee towards the end of the week when more leaders are present and more brainstorming has been done.

It's likely that Australia will have a strong presence in Denmark as well. An environmentally focused group from Australia recently created the first ever world-wide community dedicated to fighting carbon emissions with fun. They provide packages to help you spread eco-friendly practices in your workplace.

Their latest promotion uses the ever popular promotional stickers. Each sticker displays a carbon fighter slaying the "C" shaped carbon. The stickers urge people to recycle and conserve energy. One sticker reads, "Go for the Stairs," and depicts the carbon "C" as an elevator being violently shaken. Another urges you to turn off the lights and one more to promote car pooling. 

                             
Each has a twisted illustration, a clever hook and an awesome message. We're got to make every aspect of our lives more sustainable.To my surprise they even have a promotional sticker about promotional mugs. It reads, "Use a mug, not a plastic cup." It shows swords all piercing through the carbon "C" but only sticking out of the custom mugs. Like our promotional eco-friendly mugs, they're durable and long lasting.

Let's hope the United States has some good green resolutions to make this year. The war against carbon is not yet over.