Corporate gifting brings to mind mass production, packaging and wastage. Showing courtesy at corporate events is all well and good, but it may seem counterintuitive for a company that has pledged to go green and reduce their carbon footprint. After all, most corporate gifts probably barely get used in the first place, while others are simply thrown away. Even if the gifts are used on a daily basis, producing these objects in bulk would undoubtedly contribute to pollution, waste, destruction and more. Whenever corporate gifts are on the menu, the more environmentally conscious may be wondering: is it ever possible to give corporate gifts without negatively impacting the environment?
Avoid Unnecessary Packaging
Plenty of items in the trash can are paper or plastic wrappers for the actual gifts. While packaging can always be recycled, not everyone can afford the trouble of salvaging a wrapping and storing it away for future use. After some time, these materials also accumulate and clog up our storage spaces. As a result, it is common for gift recipients to simply throw them away upon unwrapping their corporate gift. Unfortunately, that’s not all – plastic packaging in particular usually ends up in a landfill, where it can pollute the earth for hundreds of years owing to its non-biodegradable nature.
Eliminating unnecessary packaging can go a long way in reducing waste and saving the environment. For instance, instead of packaging your gifts in disposable plastic wrapping or cardboard boxes, cotton tote bags always make for great gift holders. Recipients will also be much less inclined to throw these cloth bags away, and can even reuse them for their own purposes. Moreover, tote bags can be easily personalised with your company’s logo, allowing for greater awareness of your eco-friendly brand.
Use Recycled and Recyclable Materials for Gifts
Not all gifts have to be made out of new materials. Some gift manufacturers are also environmentally conscious and offer gifts made out of recycled materials, which you can use to emphasise your stand on sustainability. Common options are notebooks, stationery and bags, all of which can be personalised with your company’s name and logo to spread the word. Gifts made out of recycled materials not only reduce the use of non-renewable resources, but also helps to put previously unwanted material to better use. Recycled material does not necessarily have to result in an ugly or disfigured product. On the contrary, items made from recycled materials can and do look better than conventional products!
Even if you are keen on gifting disposable items, such as single-use facial masks or beauty products, you can still make a difference in your choice of material. Wherever possible, go for materials that are biodegradable or otherwise recyclable. Instead of contributing to the tonnes of landfill generated every year, your items can be reused for the sake of the environment when they have reached their end of life.
Give Items that Promote Environmental Awareness
Whether it’s plastic bags, straws or disposable masks, plenty of commodities are thrown away after a single use for convenience’s sake. If your company is focused on promoting environmental concern, what about showing it in your choice of corporate gift? We are often used to throwing away single-use disposables without a second thought as to their environmental impact. It can take people some getting used to, but with the current focus on eliminating disposable straws and food containers, presenting your gift recipients with their own reusable items can go a long way.
One great gift idea would be to provide your clients with reusable stainless steel straws that they can easily carry around. Having such a straw within easy reach would probably reduce the likelihood that they end up going for disposable plastic straws, thus reducing consumption waste. Or what about giving reusable lunch boxes? Whenever your recipients order takeaway, they can skip the plastic or Styrofoam containers and go for the eco-friendlier washable lunch boxes instead, as well as save the disposable container charge in most public eateries!
In short, eco-friendly corporate gifting certainly does exist! It pays to do a bit of research prior to ordering any corporate gifts, in order to ensure that your supplier has a heart for environmental conservation as well. You may have to go the extra mile to source for reliable and environmentally conscious corporate gifts, but the satisfaction that your company has played a part in moving towards a sustainable future will be more than worth the effort.
We are proud to be your corporate gift provider in this aspect. Has your company been looking to reduce its environmental footprint while upholding the tradition of corporate gifting? Fortunately, you do not have to forgo anything to go green. Shop our hand-picked selection of guilt-free, eco-friendly corporate gifts in Singapore and be assured that you are choosing the environmentally responsible option.