Ten Eco-Friendly Promotional Gifts

Being an environmentally conscious business is a core Kakadu Creative value. We’re always looking at new ways we can reduce our impact on the environment, both in business and at home.

This is the reason most of our equipment was bought manufacturer refurbished, the reason we moved our business banking from Barclays to Starling, why we run a paperless office and why we invest to ensure we stay not just carbon neutral but also carbon negative (find out how we do that here).

We’re also dedicated to helping our customers reduce their impact too.

No doubt you’ll have been the recipient of a branded gift at some point in the past. But how many times has that gift been a plastic gimmick and something that’s ended up in the bin not long after you’ve received it?

Well, it’s time to stop the flow of tat and time to start the flow of goodies people will want to keep with our compilation of ten environmentally friendly promotional gifts.

What’s Out There?

#1 – Pens & Pencils

Forget the bog-standard recycled plastic pens. You can now get them made from wheat straw, recycled CD cases, bamboo and even recycled coffee grains!

Personally, we love a trusty pencil and you can now get sprouting pencils with embedded seeds. Plant it when you’re finished and get a herb or flower to add to your garden or desk.

#2 – Mints

A metal tin full of mints will always be on hand to make sure there’s no risk of coffee breath at the next meeting. Making it a very handy gift and ensures your brand will always be on hand.

#3 – Notebooks

There’s nothing quite as useful as the trusty notebook. But forget the plastic-coated ones, what you really want to be handing out are ones made from recycled card and paper. You can even get ones covered with sustainable cork covers or cactus leather.

#4 – Aluminium Drinks Bottle

People are becoming more aware of the impacts plastic has on our environment. As well as the impacts on our health through micro-plastic ingestion. Meaning a reusable aluminium drinks bottle is a great promotional gift. It’s the gift that repeatedly does good for both the owner and the planet.

#5 – Reusable Straws

These are available in stainless steel, bamboo, glass, and even copper. All with the option to have your branding added. Suck on that!

#6 – Bamboo Cutlery Set

No more plastic forks, wrapped in plastic film. And the bonus is that you’ll always be front of mind when your customers are having lunch on the go with your branded cutlery set.

#7 – Bamboo Toothbrush

Seriously, how much more useful is a toothbrush? Bonus, they’ll see your branding twice a day every day. Or at least they should!

#8 – Wheat Straw Technology

Now we’re cheating a little with this one, as technically this isn’t one product, it’s several, but we couldn’t choose just one. If you like to gift tech then make sure you check out USB flash drives, octopus power banks, webcam covers, phone stands and even Bluetooth mice and speakers all made from wheat straw. Wheat straw is the stalk left over after wheat grains are harvested. Traditionally, seen treated as waste, these stalks have huge value as they can be used to create durable and sturdy products.

#9 – Grow a Garden From a Matchbook

Each ‘match’ is actually a seed which will sprout when planted.

#10 – Recycling Rubber Drinks Coaster

Rubber coasters are incredibly hard-wearing and are made from old tyres, meaning that they get diverted from landfill and live again on your customer’s desk.

Long Story Short…

This list is only a snapshot of the huge variety of environmentally friendly promotional gifts available. This means there really is no excuse for choosing a load of old plastic crap for your next giveaway or client gift.

As always with anything like this though, think first before you buy. Ask yourself, do you really need to buy more stuff and give it away to people who haven’t actively asked for it/want it? As even an eco-friendly product can quickly become a problem for the environment if it goes straight into the bin.