Protecting the environment today through sustainability and awareness of social responsibility brought by the circular economy has become a fundamental aspect for most companies to distinguish themselves and make themselves known among their customers. This is why eco-friendly merchandising has become a trend in events and celebrations, from large events such as festivals and fairs to more intimate ones such as weddings, baptisms and communions are adopting greener practices to reduce their environmental footprint. In this article we explore the importance of sustainable merchandising in events and how it can transform the participant experience and the environmental impact.
What is Eco-Merchandising?
Customized eco-products for events must meet certain standards to be considered green merchandising and to be eligible for sustainability and recycling certificates that accredit them as such. Eco-merchandising has in its catalogues corporate promotional products that are manufactured sustainably, recyclable and reusable and often made with natural or recycled materials. In this way, a message of commitment to the environment is added to the practical function. Examples that we see daily in our closest environment, such as reusable cloth bags, plantable pencils, stainless steel water bottles, recycled paper notebooks and organic personal care products.
Green Merchandising: Sustainable Personalization of Successful Events.
1.- Conferences and Seminars
At educational events, eco-friendly training gifts such as recycled paper notebooks and biodegradable pens are corporate gifts for sustainable events that can be used during and after the event. In addition, to facilitate a hydrated conference at these types of events, reusable bottles made of eco-friendly materials are often included, which encourage the reduction of single-use plastics.
Set of Ecological Notebook and Pen made of Cork and Recycled Cardboard to Personalize Special Training and Events Teyaki - A6 with GREEN_Label rating , A
2.- Weddings and Celebrations
Vegan culture is reaching a lot of people these days, and this is a way of life that reusable merchandise also addresses. Sustainable events like green weddings are booming and couples are opting for personalized wedding details like handmade soaps, seed merchandise made in Europe, and personalized cloth bags. These are items that, in addition to including a personalized product design in the reminder of your special day, reflect the couple's values of commitment.
Branded By Earth Unisex Travel Gift Set with 24 Vegan Soaps and a Shampoo with an Organic Cotton Washcloth Made In Europe in a Recycled Paper Box to Personalize Style and GREEN_Label A rating.
3.- Festival and Fairs
Festivals and fairs are attended by fans who want to be close to their idols or share common interests with other participants and therefore, because these are special occasions, they want to keep physical memories of a unique experience. The organizers of these festivals are increasingly aware of the waste produced by their performances, which is why many of them are already reducing their carbon footprint by selling biodegradable, recycled and reusable merchandise such as organic cotton t-shirts and reusable bags that are widely used by attendees. In addition, during the celebration of the event, they use reusable cups and biodegradable utensils to minimize waste.
100% Organic Cotton Eco-Friendly T-Shirt 160 gr/m2 Customizable Round Neck Golden and GREEN_Label A rating.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Merchandising
1.- Reduction of the Environmental Impact: Ecological merchandising is the alternative to traditional single-use promotional items that end up in landfills. Green promotional items are designed to be reused or recycled, thereby reducing the amount of waste and the demand for natural resources. In this sense, companies are investigating how to take advantage of these polluting waste that can be converted into new resources from recycling, such as glass, rpet, aluminum, recycled cardboard, pla, etc. or to produce crops that are respectful of the cultural, social and environmental environment that are natural and biodegradable organic resources free of waste such as bamboo, hemp, wood, organic cotton, etc.
2.- Improves Brand Image: Opting for environmentally friendly merchandising can significantly improve a brand's image. Merchandising with your logo demonstrates your commitment to sustainability, a growing value that attracts consumers who, like them, value corporate responsibility towards the planet.
Furthermore, the constant research into new environmentally friendly materials gives rise to a wide variety of innovative materials that make it easier for quality brands, accompanied by eco-labels, to stand out with innovative designs and colours that change the meaning of cheap corporate gifts and provide the elegance, quality and distinction of premium ecological gifts for companies.
3.- Environmental Education and Awareness: Conscious merchandising features eco-friendly items for events to personalize that encourage ecological practices, such as customizable seed items, personalized plantable pencils, or corporate flower pots.
Optimize Eco-Merchandising
1.- Select sustainable suppliers: Choose suppliers that share the same sustainability values. Firstgreen is an online store for ecological merchandising and sales made in Spain of quality brands that, in addition to selling its sustainable corporate products, uses ecological printing in its customization process, using clean technologies as an energy source, and ecological inks for its logo customizations. In addition, Firstgreen has carried out the GREEN_Label sustainability scale , a study on the sustainability of the products included in its catalogues to facilitate the choice and transparency in the selection of green gifts from highest to lowest environmental impact. This guarantees that the entire process from manufacturing to delivery is as ecological as possible.
2.- Personalization with Purpose: To ensure that you achieve sustainable advertising over time, promotional items must not only be ecological, but also useful and relevant to attendees. Personalize the products with messages that reinforce the mission of the event or brand, and make sure that they are practical for users on a daily basis.
3.- Transparent Communication: Highlight to attendees the ecological value and the reason why you choose quality sustainable promotional items to motivate attendees to practice sustainable habits on a daily basis, as part of the grain of sand that we must all contribute.
In conclusion, eco-friendly merchandising is not only a growing trend but also a necessity in the search for a more sustainable future. Implementing these products in corporate, leisure, training or any other type of events reduces the environmental impact and strengthens the connection between organizers and attendees, improving the brand image.
