Glass America has launched their new 44oz BPA free stainless steel Geyser collection. These huge stainless steel reusable bottles have an EQP of $6.99 with single color imprint. Although all Geyser bodies are finished stainless steel in color, the top accents are available in Black, Purple, Blue, Orange and Green.

At 44oz these are some of the largest stainless steel bottles on the market and will make excellent holiday gifts for any Ecopreneurist targeting the outdoor or active lifestyle set.

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Research by Sunbeam Hospitality and Andis Corporation shows that about 45% of hotel guests leave the bathroom light on as a night light while they sleep. Indeed night lights are so important to travelers that since 2003 the American Automobile Association TourBook includes the availability of night lights in their reviews of hotels.

Why? Perhaps because the National Safety Council reports that most accidents occur in the bathroom, and that poor lighting is the 6th leading cause pf accidents in the home and a major contributor to hotel room accidents. It seems that people just feel better sleeping with a light on.

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As promised Ash City has really picked up their game for the 2010 season, offering more eco-friendly apparel items than most other manufacturers in the promotional items market.

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Debco has recently released a version of the MoMA I Am Not A Paper Cup which they are calling the DA4299 COFFEE MUG and selling at an EQP of $9.73, which is nearly half the $18.08 cost of the MoMA model. Aside from the fact the DA4299 COFFEE MUG does not come in MoMA packaging and is not printed with the MoMA logo, there is nearly no difference in quality between these two models.

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October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as I wrote before, from a marketing standpoint, the month of October will be filled with awareness raising events in which companies and organizations are often asked to show their support through donations of time, resources, and yes promotional items.

Here are a few more eco-friendly ideas for Ecopreneurists looking to support local Breast Cancer Awareness events and organizations with branded promotional items.

One item that groups always seem to need are gift bags, and the pre-printed non-woven Breast Cancer Awareness bags from Leeds give the Ecopreneurist a chance to donate a stylish “pink” bag at a low cost.

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According to the American Cancer Society, there are now about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Indeed in 2009 the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month will being celebrating its 25th anniversary. I truly hope all readers can play some part in supporting local causes that are fighting this disease.

From a marketing standpoint the month of October will be filled with fundraisers, galas, funwalks and other awareness raising events in which companies and organizations are often asked to show their support through donations of time, resources, and yes promotional items.

Luckily the Ecopreneurist does have green options when it comes to going pink. Here are a few items to think about.

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Some quick facts about Halloween for the Ecopreneurist from American Ad Bags.

Halloween is the 2nd largest retail shopping seasonal event in the United States. Consumers [in the United States] will spend over $6 billion during the Halloween season. Over 31 million kids [in the United States] will go door to door trick-or-treating.

Ok, first I want to say I think kids should take a step back on the amount of candy consumed during this holiday. Also that the consumption level in the US during holidays like Halloween - the food, the candy, the packaging, the party favors, and all the waste produced - is more than a little out of control. And last, yes the pillow sack is the best Halloween bag out there, they are reusable, strong, and readily available in most homes. Plus they hold a lot of candy so that is great for the kids, but does bring me back to the start of this paragraph.

With all that said this is an article about promotional items and ways Ecopreneurists can use promotional items to build their business. So from that angle I want to talk about the 10 x 5 x 13 Natural Kraft Pumpkin Shopper made from 100% recycled Post-Consumer Kraft paper from American Ad Bag.

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Logomark is known in the promotional products industry for their detail towards design. In fact they do not have showrooms at Logomark, they have design centers. This attention to design is carrying over into new eco-friendly items which Logomark has started to release for the 2009/2010 season.

The new eco-friendly Ambrose Pen & Pencil set from Logomark is a great example of this combination of green promo and simple, clean design.

The set includes 2 ballpoint pens, 2 pencils and a wood sharpener in a recycled paper tube. All items in the set are made from 100% recycled paper or wood. When I look at the clean lines of this item as well as the practicality of use I think about architects and other design-based businesses that are working in green planning and construction.

At an EQP of just $1.65 with single color imprint, I think the Ambrose Pen and Pencil set is a great marketing tool for any ecopreneurist working in the field of green consultancy or as a small thank you gift for the employees of those same organizations.

If you would like to learn more about the move into eco-friendly promotional items that Logomark is making contact Dustin Smith. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

A number of manufacturers have started to sell pre-printed shopping bags in their eco-friendly lines. These bags have a pre-printed eco-friendly message to which the Ecopreneurists simply add their own logo.

This is a great way for Ecopreneurists to get more bang for their buck as the full color detail in these bags used to mean that a buyer would need to be doing runs in the 10,000s and pay for full imprint, full bag setups, that could have run as high as $1,000.

As an example let us look at two new bags, the PET pre-printed Jumbo Grocery Tote from Debco and the pre-printed Laminated Non-Woven Large Shopper Tote from Leeds.

The Debco PET preprinted Jumbo Grocery Tote can be ordered at as few as 50 units. Bag size is 4” W x 16” H x 7.75” D,  a size designed to replace up to four standard sized plastic bags. The bag is pre-printed pattern of three environmental messages, like “I USED TO BE A PLASTIC BOTTLE”.

As a bonus, Debco’s PET pre-printed Jumbo Grocery Tote also comes with a hang tag listing the bag’s environmental properties. The bag is SGS China certified. EQP on PET pre-printed Jumbo Grocery Tote is $3.12.

Runs of the pre-printed Laminated Non-Woven Large Shopper Tote from Leeds start higher at 288 unit runs. They feature reinforced handles and binding for added durability, plus a 10 inch drop handle height. Their pre-printed design also supports environmentally friendly themes.

The Laminated Non-Woven Large Shopper Tote is made from 100% recyclable material with an exterior label that affirms this claim.

According to Leeds the bag’s laminated material is water resistant and hand-wipeable, making it ideal for both shopping and beach trips.

The bag size is 14″ H x 6.5″ W x 16″ L and made from 110gm polypropylene (110gLamNWPP). EQP on the Laminated Non-Woven Large Shopper Tote is $2.15.

If you are ASI or PPAI and wish to learn more about the full line of eco-friendly totes at Debco contact Andrew Green. For more on what Leeds is up to contact Mary Beach.

If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Check out this clip from the TV show THE LAZY ENVIRONMENTALIST. In the program - which airs on the Sundance Channel Tuesdays at 9 p.m. - host Josh Dorfman is talking to the Lovin’ Cup in New York about an eco-friendly overhaul to their operations.

From the website  “In the Sundance Channel original series THE LAZY ENVIRONMENTALIST, entrepreneur and author Josh Dorfman meets with environmental skeptics — experts in fields as diverse as food, architecture and business — to prove that there are innovative, cost-effective, ecologically sound alternatives that also meet high professional standards”. I encourage all Ecopreneurists to try and catch this program if they can.

In this clip Tonia Guffey is talking to the owners of the Lovin’ Cup in New York about ways to incorporate local fresh flavors into their drinks menu. Actually it is very interesting. At the very end of this clip Josh has a surprise gift for the bar - Flat Tire™ Recycled Rubber Coasters from Americanna.

Here is a link to the clip (sorry I could not figure out how to embed the clip).

For more information on the green credentials of the Flat Tire™ Recycled Rubber Coasters from Americanna contact Michelle Stiles. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Pacesetter Awards caught our attention at the Proforma 2009 Convention in Denver with their range of award plaques made from eco-friendly materials. Not only is Pacesetter Awards working with some new materials; the actual finishes, plus the multiple sizes and shapes of their products seem to place them ahead of their peers. Unfortunately none of the new line is yet on view at the Pacesetter Awards website or virtual catalog.

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I don’t golf. However selling promotional products, like caps, shirts, golf bags, golf towels and water bottles to those that do is a huge part of the promotional products industry.

Regarding eco-friendly promotional items the industry quickly moved to take care of this space with items like e.c.o apparel, organic cotton golf caps, BPA free water bottles, and even golf bags made from recycled materials.

But I don’t golf. So when I was recently asked which is the better “green” solution regarding golf tees, natural wood (from sustainable sources I would suggest) or biodegradable corn plastic, I simply did not have an answer. It was not something I had thought about and as a non-golfer I don’t know if wood or plastic is better to play off of.

So what are some of the options out there? I took a look at two basic tees.

QuickPoint - the folks with the corn plastic drinkware - also do a nice corn plastic golf tee.  Built from biodegradable corn plastic and made in the USA, these branded corn plastic golf tees run about $85 per 1000 units with a one color imprint.

QuickPoint also does a nice LINKS PAC in their Nature/ad™ line with one imprinted ballmarker and five 2 3/4″ tees for EQP $0.64. Biodegradable corn plastic comes in a number of bright colors as well as the “natural wood” finish (as shown above).

The QuickPoint LINKS PAC is actually $0.18 less per unit than the wooden FAIRWAY PAK product from Norwood that runs EQP $0.82, however the comparison is unfair in that the wooden FAIRWAY PAK is more with a total of six imprinted 2-1/8″ tees, plus two imprinted quarter marks.

Again you have the options for the assorted colors, in this case Black (as shown), Blue, Dark Blue, Natural, Red, White, and Yellow.

For Ecopreneurists working the golf scene or indeed golf events or clubs wishing to be as eco-friendly as possible I am still in the dark as to which item - corn plastic or wood - is the best way to go.

I think the real lesson here is that even at this level, from the promotional products industry, there are green options available. And that is likely a good sign for things to come.

For more on Norwood’s golf line contact Mark Goldring. If you wish to learn more on QuickPoint and their corn plastic products contact Tina VanHoogstraat.

If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into planning for the Fall festival season, Aakron Line has expanded their Mood line of Stadium Cups, Coffee Mugs, Sport Bottles and Beer Steins made from the SAFE Plastic® .

As mentioned before Aakron’s SAFE Plastic® contains an additive that makes their manufactured plastic products biodegradable. For example while petrochemical plastics would normally take from 100 to over 500 years to “biodegrade”, Aarkon SAFE Plastic® can break down in as little as 9 months, with rates of degrading varying based on conditions, thickness of plastic, etc. For more information look to Aakron’s website.

Ok, to start with let me explain what a mood cup is. Think mood ring, think the Mod Squad, think the amazing Isaac Hayes.

The Mood line from Aakron is a number of great products perfect for the party scene. They change colors when introduced to cold or hot liquids, for example changing from basic orange to a fiery tropical red, or from plain frosted to calming blue. I wish I had video of these product as pictures really do not do the transformation justice.

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Here is a short video from the 2009 Proforma Convention in Denver. This is Pro Towels Etc’s new bamboo fiber golf towel, which they say is the first bamboo fiber golf towel introduced to the promotional items market.

Why towels? As a promotional item they have a number of advantages over shirts and caps, the items they seem to compete with the most. According to Pro Towels the advantages are:

• For Recognition - Make a huge impact with a 25″ x 50″ logo on a beach towel.  Largest imprint area amongst most other promotional products.
• For Durability - Machine washable for endless use. When was the last time you threw a towel away?
• For Leisure - Towels are used when doing fun things such as swimming, boating, golfing, etc.
• For Value - Superior value for price.
• For Style - Towels never go out of style.

For the Ecopreneurist organic cotton and bamboo towels are a great match for many summer time marketing activities like boating events, golfing events, spa weekends, etc., and they really do provide a large imprintable message area at a low cost.

If you are in the business the ASI contact to talk is Dana Zezzo at Pro Towels Etc. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

The Aakron Line is now offering 50 products made from Aakron’s SAFE Plastic® including their very popular 12oz and 17oz Stadium Cups.

Aakron’s SAFE Plastic® contains an additive that makes their manufactured plastic products biodegradable, while petrochemical plastics would normally take from 100 to over 500 years to “biodegrade”. Rates of degrading varying based on conditions, thickness of plastic, etc.

Three points from the Aakron SAFE Plastic® flyer;

• Plastics manufactured with these additives will fully biodegrade in home compost heaps, commercial composting operations (both high heat and low heat, vermiculture, process), buried in the ground, buried in landfills, tilled into the soil, having been littered, etc.
• Aakron certifies the biodegradation of polyolefins (any of the polyethylenes and polypropylenes) and EVAs, manufactured with at least a 1% load of these additives. This is based on more than 8 years of testing worldwide by the manufacturer, universities, customers, prospects, and competitors. Independent laboratories and scientists have also performed tests on these additives.
• Plastic products manufactured with these additives will have the same life expectancy as the same plastic products manufactured without these additives under all conditions except under conditions where the product is in constant contact with other material that is biodegrading. For example, a shampoo bottle or motor oil bottle manufactured with these additives will last in the warehouse and on the store shelf as long as it would without these additives.

In addition the cups are top shelf dishwasher safe and have a life expectancy as long as traditional stadium cups. Bottom line is that these cups will go away eventually in landfills, faster in commercial composting operations, while traditional plastic cups will not. Also at an EQP of $0.46 at 5,000 units for a standard 12oz Stadium Mug, items made from Aakron’s SAFE Plastic® are competitively priced to traditional cups.

Any ecopreneurist targeting the summer crowds or sporting events should certainly consider these stadium cups. Any event that currently is using traditional stadium cups should certainly think of switching to Aakron’s SAFE Plastic® units.

If you wish to learn more about the full line of Aakron SAFE Plastic® items visit their website. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

As I wrote about in Just The Facts Please, the use of facts in marketing, especially when talking about green issues, is very powerful. Facts that can be supported by a clear and trusted source are often the best way to educate and win over clients.

This is an idea that Jeff Kiec, LEED-AP, Principal at Urban Sustainable Solutions has seen work time and again in the real world. Urban Sustainable Solutions assists companies in developing processes that help reduce their costs and their impact on the environment. Over the course of his time in this business Jeff noticed he was collecting a lot of facts about how different actions and materials impact the environment and the bottom line.

Well Jeff started to write them down.

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In a huge win for eco-friendly promotional clothing Boardroom Eco Apparel has been selected to supply apparel for The Hudson’s Bay Company for Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Sponsors, Partners, and Suppliers.

The Olympics has been a showcase for green ideas before, and I suspect the 2010 games will not stop at just apparel. Here is a news clip on this amazing development. Please enjoy.

Boardroom ECO Apparel is an apparel design and manufacturing company located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded by CEO Mark Trotzuk in 1996, Boardroom specializes in custom manufacturing and technical, fashionable and environmentally friendly clothing solutions.

If you have questions on the size and significance of this deal please contact Mark Trotzuk directly. Same for media, please contact Mark Trotzuk. If you want to get into the Olympic spirit a bit early and use Boardroom Apparel for your own promotional needs, contact you local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for selections and pricing.

UltraClub is the in house brand of promotional apparel supplier Bodek and Rhodes. Under the UltraClub brand name Bodek and Rhodes has recently launched a line of organic cotton apparel of a slightly higher quality than other organics currently on the market.

The quality of these garments is one thing, but more important seems to be the way this line is being marketed. Indeed Bodek and Rhodes is going out of their way to educate the promotional item industry, and indeed the end users of these items about what - according to Bodek and Rhodes- makes organic cotton organic cotton.

To this end they have developed the website www.ultraclub.com/organics as an educational tool for the buyer. Ecopreneurists that use the sale of shirts in their business can now arm themselves with facts to answer the question, “what makes this organic”.

Also Ecopreneurist businesses that use Bodek and Rhodes UtraClub Organic apparel for staff uniforms can use this information in their own marketing message as additional proof of their business’s commitment to the environment.

The site is divided into six fast sections, Why Buy Organic, Understanding Organic, It’s the Process, 100% Certified Organic, Protecting the Workers, The UltraClub Line.

Marc Seiler is the Bodek and Rhodes’s ASI contact to talk to about Bodek and Rhodes commitment to organic apparel. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

Raining Rose - the first in the promotional items industry to offer a USDA certified organic promotional lip balm - is getting ready for the 4th of July celebrations in the US by releasing three new lip balm wraps ready for the addition of your company’s logo and contact information.

Many lip balms claim to be organic but the USDA certified organic promotional lip balm from Raining Rose is the only promotional lip balm I know of that is certified to put the USDA seal on their high quality product.

Why? Let’s look at the ingredients: organic palm oil, organic beeswax, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic essential oil of peppermint, organic hemp seed oil, organic essential oil of spearmint, vitamin E.  That is it.

Raining Rose also offers a standard SPF 15 and SPF 30 lip balm which are 66% organic and come in a numbers of flavors such as Iced Pear, Cherry, Citrus, Coconut, Grape, and Lemonade. (FYI - Lemonade ingredients would be organic palm oil, beeswax, organic extra virgin olive oil, flavor or essential oil, organic hemp seed oil, vitamin E, rosemary extract.)

All Raining Rose products are made in the USA and made on location in their FDA audited facility. All products have their ingredients listed on the Raining Rose website (try that, Kraft Foods). All casings are made from 30% biodegradable plastic. And if you are ASI, PPAI or SAGE and want to test out their products just ask.

For ecopreneurists wanting a lip smacking summer marketing tool these customizable lip balms are a great idea. Clients really seem to appreciate their quality and Raining Rose can print labels with any artwork that you can design. Plus they offer a number of theme templates, like these 4th of July labels.

Ecopreneurists will find these products are great giveaways at trade shows, festivals, concert events, company picnics, beach events, you name it.

EQP on standard lip balms is $0.90 at 5,000 units. EQP on the USDA certified organic promotional lip balm is $1.90 also at 5,000. Minimum runs for each are as few as 250 units.

If you are in the promotions business contact Lisa Wagner at Raining Rose for more information on their products and special wraps for the 4th of July. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

I get a lot of questions on how old water bottles, etc., make their way into new bags and other items from manufacturers like Leeds.

Well here is a short video from the Leeds website that explains the basic process of turning old water bottles into bags, totes, padfolios and other items in their Owl Line.

Enjoy.

If you are ASI and wish to learn more about the recycled bottle (PET) items from Leeds email Frank Weissert. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.