EcoSwag Blog

New Ecoswag: Disposable Customized Greenware for Events

If you plan events & entertainment for a company that's committed to sustainability, chances are you occasionally need earth-friendly disposable cups, plates and utensils for venues where washing dishes or glasses just isn't an option.

For home entertaining, plain eco-friendly plates and cups are fine, but for business entertaining you usually require a more polished and professional look. While it's just a small touch, having your company or event logo printed on the paper plates, cups and napkins used by your guests subtly reinforces your brand image and adds a touch of class to your event.

To meet the needs of our clients who plan green corporate events, Ecoswag.com now offers Chinet paper plates with your custom logo imprint. You've probably heard of the Chinet brand before, but you might not realize how eco-friendly their plates actually are. Made in the USA from 100% recycled fiber, they're the greenest AND sturdiest paper plates around. We're currently offering the Dinner Plate size (9" diameter) and the Cocktail Plate size (6" diameter).

 We've got you covered on the eco-friendly drinkware side of things as well. Our eco plastic event cups are made from US corn plastic that's sustainable, recyclable, biodegradable AND compostable. They're crystal clear and just as sturdy as traditional plastic cups, and they look really sharp with your custom logo. We're offering them in two popular sizes on the website, with other sizes available on request.

Last but not least, we also added handy little pre-packaged sets of biodegradable plastic utensils to the site. Even though they're unimprinted, they're a natural choice to go along with the custom printed event items we offer.

If you work for an organization that is large enough to need mass quantities of custom printed eco-friendly plates and cups (10,000 or more per run) we can quote you special pricing on high volume orders. We can also work with you to drop-ship your orders to multiple locations if needed.

If you know people in the event planning or corporate hospitality worlds, please help us spread the word about Ecoswag and our earth-friendly items for events. Thanks for reading & keep coming back for more eco-friendly swag ideas! 

New Ecoswag idea: gelFAST 2GO Hand Sanitizer

Promotional hand sanitizers have been THE hottest swag item of 2009, helped in no small part by the H1N1 flu scare that was all over the world media. Whether packaged in gel or spray pen forms, almost all custom-label promotional hand sanitizers have one thing in common - they are made with ingredients derived from petroleum. That's why I was so excited to find this 100% plant based formula!

I recently discovered gelFAST 2GO's custom label products at a promotional industry tradeshow. This is a line of plant-based sanitizing gels developed and manufactured in Canada. Until recently, this company's products were only sold through hospital and healthcare channels, and are used by doctors and healthcare workers worldwide. Clinical studies are available regarding the effectiveness of this formulation. Now it's available in the US on Ecoswag.com with custom labeling for your company's promotional marketing.

First off, the packaging is unique, functional and 100% recyclable. Having the dispenser at the bottom of the bottle makes it easy to use while it's hanging on a lab coat, purse strap or belt loop. The flexible, patented clip built into the top of the bottle is easy to use and extremely durable. Unlike many hand santizers that are designed to be disposed of after the gel is used up, the gelFAST 2GO bottle can easily be refilled and used over & over again. This, combined with the fact that it's made from 100% natural, North American grown plant sources, makes this our favorite hand sanitizer in the eco-friendly category.

No matter how great the packaging is, especially in a healthcare setting the number one concern is effectiveness. gelFAST 2GO is clinically proven to kill 99.99% of germs and meets all FDA, CFIA and Health Canada antiseptic guidelines. It has a light citrus scent because it's made with all-natural orange flower oil, and it contains multiple moisturizers to keep hands from drying out. For healthcare or daycare professionals who are heavy users of hand sanitizer, this is huge. Many who use this product daily report their hands are softer and more moisturized after using gelFAST 2GO daily.

Another thing I like is the price, which is very reasonable for the 50ml size - under $3 with a low minimum order of 100 bottles... with FREE logo setup! We also offer the gelFAST 500ml refill bottle with pump so you can refill the 2GO bottles as needed.

This is a great swag idea for internal as well as external branding & would make a great tradeshow giveaway idea for healthcare-related marketing events and conferences. Please feel free to contact us if you would like more detailed information about gelFAST 2GO or are curious about placing an order with your custom labeling. Thanks for reading & keep coming back for more great eco-swag ideas!

New Ecoswag: Custom Biodegradable Plastic Bags

While there are all kinds of places you want your logo to show up to promote your brand image, there are definitely places you DON'T want it to show up - especially if your logo happens to be on a plastic bag.

 This is one of those places. Unfortunately, plastic bags are lightweight and easily become caught in trees where they are almost impossible to retrieve. Bags like this are not only an eyesore, they can also be deadly to birds and tree-climbing animals that either try to eat them or become tangled or trapped.

To the right is another place you don't want your logo-printed plastic bag to show up, which is in lakes, streams, rivers or ponds. Even though you may not see them after they sink to the bottom, they're a major cause of pollution in our nation's waterways and can take years or even decades to break down, as well as posing a hazard to creatures who live in the water.

If your company buys custom-printed biodegradable bags that's a step in the right direction. Trouble is, many of the biodegradable plastic bags on the market are designed to degrade at high temperatures in a managed landfill. So what happens if they end up in the tree or the pond instead? They'll act much like a regular plastic bag and take years to break down.

This is why we're excited to add OXO-BIODEGRADABLE custom printed plastic bags to Ecoswag.com. Oxo biodegradable plastic not only biodegrades in a managed landfill, it also breaks down completely in a year or less when it has prolonged exposure to water or UV rays (sunlight). So these bags are essentially an insurance policy against plastic bag pollution. An added bonus is that unlike other biodegradable plastic bags, oxo-biodegradable bags release no methane as they decompose, making them an even better choice for the planet.

We're featuring 3 bag styles on the website to begin with, a big 20"x20" soft loop handle bag and a smaller 11"x15" size, both with eye-popping FULL COLOR custom printing on one side and NO SETUP CHARGE. For the budget-minded, we also have a 9"x12" grab-bag size with a one-color imprint at a bargain price and low minimum order of just 100 bags.

There are many more sizes available, as well as different options such as handle types and 2nd side printing. Just give us a call (1-877-4-ECOSWAG) if you're interested in a size other than what's shown on the website.

If you're considering switching to custom printed biodegradable plastic bags in your earth-friendly company, we'll be more than happy to send out a sample so you can see the quality and durability for yourself. As long as these bags are stored properly they'll last just as long and be just as durable as a traditional plastic bag. These are great advance in eco-friendly custom packaging and personally I hope they become a popular choice for retail stores and those who market at events, tradeshows and conferences.

Thanks for reading & keep coming back for more eco-friendly swag ideas!