Your guide to sustainable swag

Printfection is committed to helping you find swag that will be enjoyed for the long haul. It should be a strategic decision that delights recipients, serves your brand, and is landfill-proof. Enter: sustainable swag.

Consumers are increasingly conscious of the impact that their product choices can have on the planet. And just as merchandising brands have responded creatively to this shift in consumer interest, so should your swag strategy.

Words like “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” and “recycled” are popping up more and more, but what do these buzz words actually mean for swag? To understand these terms and swag’s environmental impact, we should consider both how a product is made and how a product is used. Swag that is thoughtfully produced and made with longevity in mind reduces waste and may have other positive effects on the environment.

Here we’ll be recommending a variety of great options that fall into the sustainable swag category, which encompasses attributes like:

• The product is made from sustainable or recycled materials
• The company’s manufacturing is environmentally friendly or socially conscious
• The company is certified by or partnered with sustainability organizations
• The company offers a product or monetary give-back component
• The product is reusable and reduces waste

With so many swag options, it may feel a bit overwhelming to know what to choose and to invest in. Below we’ve rounded up popular items across major product categories like apparel, drinkware, bags, tech, and home goods to help jumpstart your sustainable swag selections.

For more ideas, you can also filter the Printfection swag catalog to find our curated eco-friendly promotional products. Printfection customers can get in touch with their dedicated Customer Success Manager to request specific recommendations or receive our sustainability focused swag lookbook.

APPAREL

Conscious Steps Crew Socks | Wear what you believe in by choosing from 17 different environmental or social causes to support. Each sock design represents a different cause – from donating books to children across the globe, providing access to safe drinking water and meals, protecting endangered wildlife, and more. Conscious Step works to promote fair and transparent working conditions, no child labor, minimum wage compliance, and the use of sustainable materials. They are Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified and partner with 1% For the Planet.

ONNO Bamboo T-shirts | These organic bamboo shirts feel buttery soft and silky. ONNO offsets their carbon dioxide emissions through www.carbonfund.org, is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, and manufactures their shirts in small, family owned partner factories.

tentree Sweatpants | These tailored sweatpants are both breathable and insulating, making them perfect for anywhere and anything. Every piece of apparel comes with a unique tag, each with its own tree code specific to the ten trees that were planted in honor of its purchase.

DRINKWARE

KeepCup Brew Cork Edition | KeepCup’s mission is to encourage the use of reusable cups by diverting the waste of disposable plastic cups or breakable ceramic mugs – plus, they’re the world’s first barista standard reusable cup. This edition features cork which is natural, renewable, and biodegradable. They are B-Corporation certified and partner with 1% For the Planet.

Perka Altair Stainless Steel Water Bottle | The Perka Altair has a modern look with a bamboo base and lid and keeps drinks hot for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. A portion of all proceeds are donated to Shelter to Soldier, a non-profit organization that rescues dogs to train as service animals for veterans in need.

MiiR Vacuum Insulated Camp Cup | Make your campfire memories a little warmer with a modern take on Grandpa’s old camp cup. MiiR donates 3% of revenue to trackable giving projects, is Climate Neutral certified, B-Corporation certified, and partners with 1% For the Planet.

BAGS

Santorini Wipeable Interior Tote Bag | A classic and functional tote for a trip to the farmers market and everyday activities. It offers a fully lined interior with PEVA wipeable material to keep the bag clean and provide a longer life – say goodbye to single-use plastic bags for good.

Parkland Westport 15″ Computer Backpack | Designed with style and sustainability in mind, the exterior of Parkland bags is made with 100% recycled water bottles. This pack’s top loading main compartment makes it easy to pack and it easily fits a laptop, gym gear, and basically anything else life throws at you. Through a partnership with 1% For The Planet, one percent of sales from this backpack will be donated to nonprofits dedicated to protecting the planet.

RuMe Recycled Pouch | This lightweight pouch, made from recycled materials, is perfect for keeping your items organized on the go. It’s machine washable so it can be used more than once.

OFFICE AND TECH

Nimble Champ Lite Portable Charger | Nimble uses certified recycled plastic, recycled paper packaging, and provides a recycled plastic bag so you can responsibly recycle your old tech for free. They are B-Corporation certified and partner with 1% For the Planet.

Scout Books Mega Book | All Scout Books are printed using vegetable-based inks, and 100% recycled papers sourced from American mills. Scout Book covers are made with 18pt Chipboard that contains 85% post-consumer recycled content and 15% pre-consumer recycled content.

Wheat Straw Wireless Charger | The Wheat Straw Wireless Charger is the best solution for those looking for an eco-friendly tech product at a budget-friendly price point. It’s made of wheat straw, which is an eco-friendly byproduct of wheat production.

HOME GOODS

BEE’S WRAP 3-Pack Food Wraps | These washable, reusable, and fully biodegradable food wraps are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, sustainably harvested beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. BEE’S WRAP actively works with 1% for the Planet, The Bee Cause, The Rozalia Project, and National Geographic, pledging their support to ocean conservancy, beach cleanups, and environmental stewardship.

Renew rPET Lunch Cooler | A modern and sustainable update to a classic lunch cooler using recycled fabric and webbing made from plastic bottles.

MPOWERD Luci Lux Solar Powered Lantern | A compact, portable, and inflatable solar-powered lantern that’s perfect for camping, backyard evenings, power outages, and more. 10% of all lantern purchases are matched with a lantern donation to people in need through MPOWERD’s Give Program.