Eco News | Eco-friendly Marketing Blog for Reusable Items

Where We Stand: Plastic Bag Bans in 2017 and Beyond

In 2007, San Francisco became the first American city to implement a plastic bag ban. Nine years later, California took the next step when a statewide bag ban was approved, the first of its kind in America. Similarly, on a global scale, Italy became the first European country with a nationwide single-use plastic bag ban back in 2011.

Each of these locations is implementing bans to take the necessary steps towards limiting, and eventually ending, the production of single-use plastic bags. As a result of these bans, plastic litter will be reduced, natural habitats will be preserved, and the environment will have the opportunity to flourish without single-use plastic bags holding it back.

Are Grocery Tote Bags Dangerous to Your Health?

Custom reusable bags are a win for the environment, consumers and your business. But for a few years, there has been a lot of talk in the media about just how unhealthy grocery tote bags are to use. Using scare tactics, some members of the media, backed by the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade organization that supports disposable plastic bag manufacturers, has propagated this myth. But a myth it is, as confirmed by Politifact Texas.

How Lila The Dog Is Cleaning Up Our Oceans

Just as we are preparing for a possible hit of Hurricane Irma, we find out that one of our South Florida furry, four-legged neighbors is helping us in our quest to rid the oceans of plastic trash and help people use eco-friendly tote bags.

Lila, previously known as the Lobster Diving Dog, has taken on a new challenge and is now diving for plastic. It is all part of her owner, Alex Schulze’s 4 Ocean project, and we could not be more excited to share efforts that bring awareness to plastic and in turn, promote the use of eco-friendly tote bags.

7 Stats That Show the Value of Trade Show Bags

The value of having a presence at trade shows and meeting with both existing and potential customers face-to-face, can help take your brand to the next level. You can gain insights on potential customers and spread your brand’s message with one-on-one interactions and the use of promotional products.

Continuing to build these relationships by maintaining a presence at trade shows is simplified when you put trade show bags to work. They will draw prospects into your booth during the event and continue to provide value for your brand long after the consumer has left the trade show floor.

Below, we explore 7 statistics that exhibit the effectiveness of trade show bags.

What Are Recyclable Bags?

It can be tough to find an answer when you Google “what are recyclable bags,” but when creating custom reusable shopping bags for marketing and retail use, it is an important question to answer. Reusable bags are a great promotional marketing tool because they are eco-friendly and will last for many years of marketing. Still, once the bag has lived its usefulness, you want to be sure that the bag you created can be easily tossed into the recycling bin and not the landfill. Here are easy to remember tips when choosing your promotional bags.

6 Tips to Increase Sales with Customer Service

For over 20 years we have been selling custom reusable bags for retail and marketing use. Not once in all those years have we ever stopped believing in the value of customer service. Just like you, we know how important it is to keep our current customers happy and impress our newest clients. Our Operations Manager, Beth, is one of the best in the business because she knows what customers want and she delivers.

Her motto that has spread throughout our company is, “Under promise, over deliver,” and we live it each day. Many times Beth will be on the phone to our manufacturing facility in China at 3 am just to ensure we deliver on our promises. I asked Beth to offer up her best tips to increase sales with customer service.

3 Trade Show Marketing Ideas to Reduce Plastic

It can be hard to go green at a trade show, but reducing plastic is certainly worth the effort. Plastic is overflowing in our landfills and never really breaks down, often ending up in our water and food supply. If you are interested in reducing plastic to help our planet and her people, we have three trade show marketing ideas that can make your experience more eco-friendly.

Giving away promotional products is common practice at trade shows, but many times they are made of plastic. Eco-friendly takeaways are a great trade show marketing opportunity for customers, potential customers and members of the media. Your eco-momento will serve as a constant reminder of your brand. Your display is another way to make your exhibition experience more green. Read on for three ways to reduce plastic.

Latest News on Minneapolis Plastic Bag Ordinance

Multiple efforts to legally reduce the use of disposable plastic bags in Minneapolis have fallen short. This past week the City Council declined to vote on a proposal that would have levied a 5-cent fee on bags handed out at the checkout. This comes after an approved plastic bag ban was overturned by the governor. For now there are no laws regulating disposable plastic bags in Minneapolis. Our hope remains that Minneapolis retailers and businesses will still offer custom reusable shopping bags.

The Benefits of Reusable Recycling Bags for Multi-Family Dwellings

To make our planet a more sustainable, eco-friendly place, making things easier can go a long way. That’s what brought us to develop a new alternative for storing recyclables.

Reusable recycling bags have emerged as an option, especially in multi-family dwellings, because they simplify the recycling process for tenants. These bags provide value in ways that bins can’t. Recycling bins create clutter, and in many multi-family dwellings, there is no extra space for clutter.

Here’s How to Save BIG On Your Promotional Marketing!

Make a lasting impression and save on promotional marketing with our latest eco special. You can enjoy next column pricing on our new Eco-Life insulated totes when you order 250 or more bags. Get your quote by August 30 and submit your order by September 15 to take advantage of this great deal.

Will Minneapolis Plastic Bag Fee Become Reality?

On August 18 the Minneapolis City Council will vote on whether stores should impose a 5-cent fee on single-use bags handed out at stores. A council committee unanimously approved an ordinance on Monday, August 7 that would levy a fee on all bags handed out a local retailers. The ordinance specifically lists plastic, paper, compostable and reusable bags. This is not the first time the city has attempted to reduce waste and litter with a law regulating shopping bags.

3 Core Benefits of Using Reusable Grocery Tote Bags

What sets reusable grocery tote bags apart is that they are always capable of bringing more value to those who have invested in them. Promoting your brand with these products allows users to get their hands on a sustainable shopping option that simultaneously carries your branded message, but there are benefits that go even deeper than that.

How to Position Your Trade Show Marketing with Your B2B Buyer

Trade show marketing is an opportunity to connect with buyers and build relationships. Time at a trade show is limited, so you need to make the best use of that time to create a memorable experience for buyers. Takeaways, or branded gifts you give buyers who drop by your booth, are an excellent marketing tool that will ensure a memorable experience for buyers. Custom reusable products that display your branding information are a great way to keep your brand relevant with buyers during and even after the trade show ends.

Plastic Bag Bans Are Sweeping Through Florida. Is Miami Beach Next?

Miami Beach is poised to be the next Florida city to implement their own plastic bag ban. Officials in the City of Miami Beach unanimously passed an ordinance that would prohibit sidewalk cafes from handing out single-use disposable bags. Officials decided to move forward with a ban to reduce the litter that builds up on streets, and in parks, storm drains and waterways.

3 Crucial Steps to Create a Strong Green Marketing Campaign

Any company can claim to maintain a focus on being eco-friendly, but those claims must be backed up by actions because only 33 percent of North American consumers trust brands. That is a startling number, and it comes in well below the world average of 57 percent. How do you increase that number? A well-planned green marketing campaign is one way to take your company to new heights. Here are three steps to consider when kick-starting a green marketing campaign.

Create Trade Show Marketing Buzz with Our Newest Eco-Life Insulated Tote

Trade show marketing can increase the reach of your brand and reinforce your marketing message with customers and prospects. Consumer research shows that people love promotional products and reusable bags. This is partly because reusable bags are useful during a trade show but tote bags will continue to be useful and effective marketing tools long after the trade show is over.

Our brand new Eco-Life insulated tote bags fill a consumer need and will effectively spread your branding message. Reusable cooler bags make excellent trade show promotional products. These bags are not your run of the mill trade show bag and people will be drawn to your booth to get one. In fact, we are using the exact bag to hand out at The PMA Fresh Summit for our trade show marketing.

What Are Recycled Bags Made Of?

From promoting your brand to helping the planet, there are a lot of benefits of recycled bags. A common question is just what are these reusable bags from? We decided to take a closer look at recycled bags to get to the bottom of things and help you better understand how custom reusable bags can work for your brand.

St. Petersburg, Florida Plastic Bag Ban Faces Opposition from Retailers

Plastic bag bans may be spreading throughout Florida as St. Petersburg officials decide to move forward with a ban. In a 3-1 vote St. Pete’s environmental committee voted in favor of drafting a ban. Many supporters cite environmental concern as reason enough to ban disposable plastic bags in favor of custom reusable bags. Others, including the Florida Retail Federation, are not sure a ban is the best course of action.

Honolulu Plastic Bag Ban Finally Gets Real

Plastic bag bans are common in Hawaii. All of the counties that make up the archipelago have passed their own plastic bag bans, so the entire state is covered by a series of similar bans. Locals got behind the measure to ban bags in the city and county of Honolulu because they saw plastic bags as marring the natural beauty of their home. Tourism is also such a big part of the local economy that many residents felt there was value to preserving the beauty and pristine conditions of the area. With plastic bag bans in place, the idea was that everyone would switch to reusable grocery bags. That’s not exactly how things happened.

4 Ways Custom Promotional Products Bring Value to Your Company

On the surface, custom promotional products might appear to lack the “wow” factor that your brand is searching for. As a result, you might be wondering what value they could bring to your business.

To start, they keep customers in your pocket by keeping your brand in theirs. Each time your branded product is used, whether it is an eco-friendly reusable bag, pen, or water bottle, exposure is gained. Items made from eco-friendly material introduce another angle for brands to consider.

Brands are making an effort to promote green marketing initiatives because of the numerous benefits that they bring. Eco-friendly products give consumers a durable option with the potential to show its value on a daily basis. On the flip-side, they also give businesses an opportunity to promote their brand in an environmentally-responsible way.

Below, we will take a look at four of the ways custom promotional products bring value to your company.