What are the top trending sustainable giveaways for events?

Eco and sustainable promotional merchandise has come such a long way and, as we mentioned in part 1 of our ‘sustainability for events blog collection, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are more expensive. 

Below you will find some of our top trending products for sustainable and eco merchandise for your live events:

Notebooks

In a recent survey 36% of respondents said that they love to see A5 notebooks in their onboarding / new starter gift boxes. This will be a similar (if not higher) figure for event giveaways. In fact, research shows that 89% of attendees would use the notebook they have been given for that specific event/conference, the remaining 11% give them to their family.

Even though the world is turning to technology, the majority of us still favour the reliable, traditional notebook for taking notes. If you are spreading an eco-message, opt for a notebook made from recycled paper or natural materials. 

One option (for even more of a ‘greener’ angle) is the Broadstairs A5 Kraft Paper Notebook.

For every 300 Kraft Notebooks sold a donation will be made to Trees for Cities so they can plant a tree.

You can take a look at our full Eco Notebooks collection here.

Reusable Branded Drinkware

2021 saw a huge surge in the popularity of reusable drinkware (particularly travel mugs, thermal mugs and reusable drinks bottles) with so many of us opting for a lunchtime walk during lockdown to refresh the mind and to help with our general mental health.

If you think about something you have on your desk daily, it is most likely either a drinks bottle or a mug, so for brand longevity, it really is the ideal solution. It even applies to your virtual events – with most people sitting at their desks watching conference sessions online, you can send the giveaways out in advance of the event, knowing your brand is taking pride of place on their desk.

‘Bottle Up’: A reusable Sugar Cane bottle, which is an affordable sustainable solution to single-use plastic. The bottles are BPA-free and easy to clean, so when you’re finished you can refill your bottle with tap water and use it again and again.

Aquamax eco-bottles: These bottles are fully loaded with eco-credentials including the fact that they are 100% UK-made and 100% BPA free. They are available in a range of colour and print options, are fitted with leak-proof flip-top cap and one even features a fruit infuser!

Ocean Bottle: Each bottle funds the collection of 11.4kg of plastic, equivalent to 1000 plastic bottles.

Made from part-recycled plastic and stainless steel, this bottle is vacuum thermos insulated, meaning that it keeps your cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot. It comes with an easy carry silicone loop, double opening for easy drink and a clean drinking cup and is dishwasher safe.

Take a look at our full collection of branded travel mugs or reusable bottles for some inspiration for your next event.

Pens

Pens are another very popular item for the traditional event goodie bag, but many event organisers have traditionally opted for cheap, cheerful and plastic. But what if you could go eco with your pen giveaways? Most are also surprisingly not too different in price compared to the plastic pens, but go a huge way to helping your events be more sustainable.

You can find our eco pen range here.

Lanyards

One option you could choose is a lanyard made from hemp. Natural hemp lanyards are strong, natural and sustainably sourced as hemp is a high-yield crop that is very easy to grow.

Hemp also returns up to 70% of it nutrients back into the soil, therefore actually improving soil quality as it grows.

You could also ‘go green’ with eco-friendly branded lanyards made using recycled drinks bottles.

The Goodie Bag itself

If a sustainable message is your aim, we wouldn’t recommend that your giveaways are then presented in a single-use bag.  Keep the eco-friendly vibe going by using a bag made of natural materials such as a cotton shopper or bamboo fibre shopper, you could even go for an ‘rPET’ bag made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Virtual Event Goodie Bags

If your events are still going to be 'virtual', why not send your attendee and exhibitor goodie bags in the post? You can pick and choose all the items to go in them, including all the sustainable and eco products we mention above. All of which can be branded with yours (or your sponsor's) logos.

There are so many options for branded eco-giveaways and merchandise, some of which you may have not even thought of. If you are overwhelmed by the choice, our expert team are on hand to help. Just give them a call on 01245 382600 or email [email protected]