EcoSwag Blog

New Ecoswag: Anvil Recycled T Shirt

Here at Ecoswag I do my best to stay afloat on the eco-friendly promotional product wave. As more of our suppliers expand their green product offerings, I have my hands full (to say the least).

It is an exciting time in our industry because of the innovation that's going into the development of new, green items. From recycled electronics to recycled elephant poo, I’m having fun keeping you in the know about what’s new on the eco side of the promo industry.

This blog post is to introduce you to our new Recycled Cotton T Shirt made by Anvil, and why this is a terrific, budget-friendly alternative to more expensive organic cotton t-shirts.

If you've been in the market for eco-friendly custom t-shirts over the past few years your selection has been pretty limited. Unless you have the budget for premium priced bamboo or hemp shirts, organic cotton t-shirts have been the only game in town... and let's be honest - they're spendy compared to plain old cotton shirts. There's also some debate about just how planet-friendly organic cotton really is, since it takes more land and resources to grow than non-organic cotton.

T-shirts made from recycled content aren't exactly a new concept. In fact, Playback Clothing has been making recycled t-shirts and selling them to the music industry for years. Limited availability and relatively high prices have kept recycled t-shirts from going mainstream, but I think that's about to change now that Anvil Knitwear has entered the market with the first truly affordable t-shirt made from recycled material.

The Anvil Recycled T Shirt is a great choice for companies that want eco-responsible custom t shirts that won't blow their budget. It comes in your choice of 10 colors, at prices that are right in between traditional cotton t-shirts and the premium-priced organic cotton styles.

 

Anvil's Recycled T Shirts are soft on the skin in a comfortable 5.5oz weight & are made from 69% pre-consumer recycled cotton, 29% acrylic & 2% other fibers. This shirt features a rib knit collar, shoulder-to-shoulder taping & double-needle hem stitching.

Anvil is one of the bigger t-shirt brands around, and they've emerged as a market leader in offering sustainable & organic choices over the past few years. They operate their business with a deep and continued commitment to respecting the planet and all who live on it. Check out TrackMyT.com where Anvil brings to life the journey and the environmental impact of a t shirt, from cotton-seed to consumer.

Cruise on by www.ecoswag.com and check out the new Anvil Recycled T Shirts, which are offered with custom screenprinting to make them uniquely yours. Want to talk about a custom t-shirt project? Feel free to send me an email or give me a call at (503) 281 6420 - I'll be happy to help you with shirts or any other custom swag you're looking for.

Thanks for reading! Stay cool, and have an awesome day!

-Gabriel Minchow (aka: Swag Ninja)

Creative Ecoswag Made from E-Waste

I came across some interesting items today while researching new products to add to www.ecoswag.com. One of our suppliers manufactures promotional products made of plastic recycled from e-waste (discarded electronics).

While innovation in the world of technology has provided us with some pretty amazing products, the rapid pace of technological change has led to serious environmental impacts.

 As computers, monitors, printers and other devices become obsolete, many people simply throw them away. It is estimated that the average cell phone user now upgrades phones every 18 months, and most businesses and individuals upgrade their computers every 3-5 years.  Greenpeace estimates that 20 to 50 million tons of electronics waste (often called e-waste) is discarded globally every year. I see anything we can do to creatively re-purpose and re-use this discarded technology as positive for the planet!

So recycling this waste and turning it into handy little giveaways seems like a step in the right direction. E-waste is the largest component to the municipal waste stream and up until recently has been a mostly untapped resource for manufacturing companies. It just goes to show you how one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure.

This Recycled Piggy Bank is a great example of how our industry can use old electronics and turn them into something useful. This cute little guy is made in the USA from recycled e-waste plastic (harvested from discarded devices like printers, computers & remotes). It is roughly 5 ½” W x 3 ½” H, and features a 1 color custom logo on its side. It makes a great eco-friendly swag idea for banks or other companies that promote the concept of savings.

Our new Recycled Custom Mug (shown below) is another swag item made from recycled e-waste plastic we recently added to our site. The outer shell is recycled e-waste plastic, with a food-grade inner liner that keeps beverages hot. The neutral silver tone looks great with almost any color logo imprint, making this a versatile and eco-responsible swag choice for a wide range of uses.

I will soon add more e-waste recycled plastic items to the site, such as the license plate frame, ruler and photo frame shown below - but these items are available now, just call for more details & pricing (877-432-6792 toll-free).

 


 

I also wanted to inform you about recycling YOUR e-waste. The Consumer Electronics Association, which represents electronics manufacturers, encourages people to recycle their e-waste, and has set up a handy Website to make the process simple. Log on to mygreenelectronics.org, where you can search for local recycling drop-off points by zip code and product category. You'll also find tips and info on electronics recycling, and a cool energy calculator that will show you how much juice each product uses.

Thanks for reading and please help spread the word about Ecoswag’s collection of green promotional products!