Sustainability in the Promotional Products Industry
Our Sustainability Mission
It is our mission to share our knowledge of sustainable manufacturing practices in the promotional products industry to guide our customers in their efforts to adopt practices that emphasize sustainability. In addition, we are minimizing any negative impact committed while encouraging environmentally conscious and socially responsible behaviors by our employees.
We actively seek to identify, measure, and understand the direct and indirect impacts of our operations and develop innovative and realistic solutions for mitigating those impacts. We strive for continuous environmental and social performance, and and welcome opportunities to improve in any related category.
What are Sustainable Promotional Products
Sustainable promotional products can be made from all-natural materials, but they also make it easier for recipients to have a positive impact on the environment by reducing waste and recycling. Plus, sustainable items can be branded with your company logo, just like any other promotional product!
What are Sustainable Practices
In our industry, sustainable practices take three forms: Environmental Sustainability, Social Responsibility, and Sustainable Business Practices. Here are some of the ways that we consider our impact in each of these categories:
Product Identification and Sourcing Best Practices
As more and more people choose better products made in a sustainable ways, suppliers have made a concerted effort to back up their promises with measurable results. In an effort to avoid so-called “green-washing” Gorilla Marketing focuses on educating our team about the various ways that products can meet sustainability markers including:
- Identifying organic and true locally-sourced products
- Understanding the nuances of reusable, recyclable, and recycled products
- Working with manufacturers to package products in minimal, re-usable, recyclable, or biodegradable packaging
- Identifying items made with low or non-toxic materials
- Providing information about durability and estimated length of lifecycle
- Including data about energy efficiency (electronics)
- Recommending items procured in bulk/high concentration to reduce transportation emissions and waste
- Identifying manufacturers with policies in place to reduce waste, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions
- Recommending suppliers who have modified their facilities to draw energy from renewable resources
- Implementing fulfillment programs that batch individual shipments bound for the same destination, thereby reducing the number of trucks picking up from the supplier’s distribution centers each day
- Evaluating the KG Factor (keep or give) of products based on usefulness, function, durability, and attractiveness
The intensified energy being devoted to sustainability isn’t just coming from the biggest suppliers. Smaller and mid-sized suppliers are also stitching sustainability into the fabric of their business models.
One reason is consumer demand. In a recent study, 46% of consumers stated they would have a more favorable opinion of a brand if the promo product they received was environmentally friendly.
Today, green-focused product innovation is on display in everything from hard goods to uniforms to outerwear, and more.
GORILLA MARKETING IS COMMITTED TO THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET
While some of our initiatives have been in place for many years, we are committed to evolving and will remain responsive to social, environmental, and economic challenges through sustainability lenses.
We believe that this strategy will make us a better business partner, employer and global citizen.
For more information on any of the topics covered in this report please send email hello@gorillamarketing.net.