Eco News | Eco-friendly Marketing Blog for Reusable Items

How to Make Dorm Recycling Easy for Students

There is a huge problem in our country and Factory Direct Promos has the solution. Our colleges and universities are doing a great job of recycling on campus, but the process gets difficult when it comes to university housing. Dorm rooms are typically very small and recycling typically takes space to store and sort cans, bottles and other items. When space is tight, like in a dorm room, recycling can be a challenge. The easy solution to dorm recycling lies in using reusable recycling bags.

The Features That Make Reusable Recycling Bags Valuable

Convenience is king, especially when it comes to making routine tasks easier for consumers to complete. One such routine task that most consumers take on is recycling. The recycling process isn’t cut and dry and everybody goes about it differently. Sometimes, it’s neglected altogether. In fact, the EPA estimates that 75 percent of the American waste stream is recyclable, with only 30 percent being recycled.
Sustaining and improving the environment for future generations requires an improvement in those numbers. Reusable recycling bags present a potential solution. Simplifying the recycling process from an individual level to the level of multi-family dwellings with reusable recycling bags provides value for consumers and brands alike.
Recycling bins can be underutilized because of the hassle that comes with them and a new option for recycling is long overdue. With this in mind, we recently outlined the benefits of reusable bags for recycling in multi-family dwellings. This time around, we have identified design elements of these reusable bags that will make a difference, as well as different aspects that should be considered when creating your unique bag.

Latest News on Rhode Island Plastic Bag Bans

A couple of the newest plastic bag bans in the U.S. are both in Rhode Island! Neighboring cities Middletown and Newport passed separate bans that both became effective on November 1, 2017. These Ocean State neighbors join the ranks of hundreds of other cities across the U.S. that have decided to invest in a clean future that is free from the litter of plastic bags.

Plastic Bag Bans and Your Business

Disposable plastic bag bans are big news for the environment, but they can also have an impact on your business. Whether your business is in the retail sector or part of another industry, plastic bag bans can have an impact on the way you do business, as well as your marketing.

In The News: Eco-Friendly Bags and Green Initiatives

The sustainability of our planet is reliant on the active participation of its inhabitants. Convenience is king, especially for today’s retail shoppers, and single-use plastic bags fulfill those innate desires with ease. But with single-use bag bans and encouragement of reusable shopping bags, we can all make an important difference.

However, in a March 2017 article posted by Direct Selling News, data shows that modern shoppers lean towards being more community-conscious and are more skeptical of traditional business and life practices than past generations. The rise of social media and search engines and the deterioration of intellectual borders allows information to spread at record speeds. As a result, things don’t remain stagnant without a good reason.

Luckily for the planet and future generations alike, green initiatives appear to be shooting up the list of “things to focus on.” Below, we explore 4 recent examples of reusable bags and single-use plastic bag bans making the news.

3 Ways Trade Show Bags Show Their Value

Trade show bags are a great value and allow your brand to get the most from your marketing budget. Reusable bags deliver such a great value by being effective promotional products and your customers and prospects will be excited to get their hands on yours. The more your custom reusable bags are used, the more exposure and awareness they will create for your brand. Here are three ways trade show bags show their value.

4 Reasons Why Reusable Water Bottles Are a Wise Marketing Investment

According to Kitchn’s “A History of Bottled Water,” single-use plastic bottle started back in 1973, that’s when polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was patented. A cheaper alternative to glass and quickly became the go-to material for bottling beverages. Bottled water has been the preferred method of water consumption for decades, but reusable water bottles have begun to stake their claim.
Marketing with reusable water bottles can be beneficial for brands that hope to build up their green marketing initiatives. With the eco-friendly benefits, reusable bottles are gaining market share. Here we explore 4 different reasons why reusable water bottles are a wise investment for your brand.

How to Increase Brand Favorability

Promotional marketing offers a great opportunity to get your branding information in front of both clients and prospective clients. The most important aspect of a custom promotional item is that it clearly relays your marketing information. There are other traits to consider that bring value to your customized gear when choosing custom promotional items. Eco-friendly promotional products matter, and here’s why.

Will New York Be The Next State to Implement a Plastic Bag Ban?

Plastic bag bans are becoming more common, and New York may be the next state to implement a ban of their own. New York State will likely pass a law regulating single-use plastic bags in the near future. A task force established by Governor Andrew Cuomo, regarding how to handle the influx of disposable plastic bags and the resulting litter, is poised to make a recommendation by the end of the year.

How Recycled Bags Go From Trash to Treasure

Single-use plastic bags serve their purpose in the short term, providing a quick and easy way to transport items from one place to the next. But, what happens next?

Our infographic detailing the life cycle of a plastic bag tells the story of what goes into making them and breaking them down, and everything in-between. And yet, we feel that there is more to explain when exploring the environmental destruction that plastic bags can cause. There is another side to that story, the one involving recycled bags, and it’s important to examine.

While plastic bags are stuck in their tumultuous lifecycle, eco-friendly consumers are enjoying the journey of their recycled bag. We answer a few questions while looking at the differences between each of these journeys.

The World is Drowning in Plastic. What Can Be Done?

Plastic is so commonplace it is hard to imagine life without it. From packaging even to furniture just about everything is made of or comes wrapped in plastic. Plastic is ubiquitous, and it also causes a lot of problems. Plastic has overstayed it’s welcome. This is one reason we have a mission to help businesses market with reusable bags.

10 Inspirational Quotes from The Richest People in Retail

Gain Perspective and Motivation from Retail Success Stories
We have worked with retailers for over 20 years helping them create custom reusable bags that help them successfully market their brands. Today we thought we would offer up a some inspiration for those in retail. Read on for quotes from 10 of the most successful people in retail.

Ditching Grocery Delivery Packaging for Reusable Bags

Grocery shopping reoccurring task that has demanded your physical presence. But with technological advancements, online shopping is starting to gain more traction and leading to more waste as reusable grocery bags aren’t a reasonable option anymore.

Update On Plastic Bag Ban in North Carolina’s Outer Banks

As plastic bag bans gain momentum in the United States, North Carolina lawmakers recently overturned a long standing plastic bag ban in the Outer Banks. Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of an environmental bill was overturned by the General Assembly. After an eight year hiatus, disposable plastic bags will be allowed again in shops throughout the Outer Banks.

Kenya Cracks Down on Plastic Pollution with Extreme Penalties

To address the plastic pollution problem in Kenya, disposable plastic bag bans have been considered twice before. The amount of trash is so significant, that Kenyan officials have tried to pass plastic bag bans and encourage the use of reusable bags for years. Previous Kenya plastic bag ban efforts have not worked and the problem has grown. This past August, Kenya passed what is their third attempt at a disposable plastic bag ban. The latest ban imposes strict penalties upon anyone caught violating the law.

How Do Recycled Grocery Bags Improve the Customer Experience?

A number of variables go into how customers remember their shopping experiences. Exposure to an assortment of brand messaging and marketing tactics can leave customers with a lot to consider. Luckily, there are promotional products for your brand to take advantage of – products that can differentiate and maximize your message.
With recycled grocery bags, customers and brands gain exposure to new and improved aspects of the shopping experience that would otherwise be hard to achieve. Some aspects of this current experience are outdated and in need of refreshing. Take single-use plastic bags for example. For decades they have been ingrained into the retail culture, providing no value outside of their convenience. Customers have more options today, and brands do too.

How to Trash Nothing

For more than 20 years we have been manufacturing reusable bags to help decrease the use of single-use plastic bags. We work hard here at FDP to help keep our landfills free of plastic bags. When I find another organization whose eco-friendly goals align with ours, I always take notice. When I came across a Tweet about an app called Trash Nothing on Twitter last week, I was impressed because it solves a need many of us have – how to get rid of all of the stuff we need to, in a responsible way! The Tweet I read was from an actual user of the Trash Nothing app who was thrilled that they had virtually NO TRASH left over after a move.

Plastic Bag Ban in Chile…What Your Business Needs to Know

In support of reusable bags and in a stand against plastic pollution, Chilean President Michele Bachelet announced big news last week at the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Over the next 12 months, Chile plans to ban disposable plastic bags from all coastal cities in Chile. This is the first country in North or South America to issue such a ban and more are sure to follow.

How to Create a Multifamily Housing Recycling Program in 3 Simple Steps

From multifamily housing managers and recycling coordinators, to the residents themselves, recycling can be a confusing hassle. Although statistics from Cascadia Consulting Group show that approximately 72 percent of multifamily survey respondents reported that recycling was “very important” to them personally, while almost all other respondents reported that it was “somewhat important”. Although multi-family residents’ attitudes about recycling are in line with those who live in single-family dwellings, in 2001 (the last time a multifamily recycling study was done), the EPA reported the recycling rate was only 14.6 percent. Contrast that recycling rate to single-family dwellers living in Denver who recycle at rate of 71 percent and those living in Washington, D.C. who hit the 26 percent mark. Factory Direct Promos is changing the way the multifamily housing industry looks at recycling with3 simple steps ending at reusable recycling bags.

5 Ways to Go Green at Your Next Event

In a post for TSNN, I recently outlined what you can do to go green next time you plan an event. Of course I had to include the great, green idea of using trade show bags, but keep reading to quickly explore all 5 ways to go green at your next event.