This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.
Sort of following up on the point Maryanne Conlin Milker made in her article Consumers Want Proof It’s Green But Where Do They Look?, I wanted to touch on the use of facts to help Ecopreneurists reach their intended audiences.
As a practical example let’s talk about one of the 100 extra emails I got today that I did not delete.
It was from the promotional products division of ThermaServ/Betras, one of the manufacturers we work with. All the body of the email said was “Did you know Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour?” and included an image of their 34oz. Classic Insulated Green Line mug and 20oz. Wide Body Green Line mug.
It worked. It got my attention. And trust me I get a lot of emails on green items.
It seems way back on April 1, 2008 Thermo-Serv/Betras launched their green initiative, “Reduce, Refill, Recycle, Rethink”, a campaign focused on “educating their customers to the environmental benefits of utilizing refillable drinking containers”.
In addition to its everyday support of refillable drinking containers, Thermo-Serv/Betras has also introduced new Green Line mugs made from recycled materials, featuring double-wall insulation, ergonomically designed handles for comfort, and one-color printing with high-gloss finish. EQP on the 34oz. Classic Insulated Green Line mug is $2.90 and $3.75 on the 20oz. Wide Body. These items are #5 recyclable material.
The next thing that impressed me was that when I asked Thermo-Serv where that statistic came from, they immediately wrote back and provided what I would consider a reputable source, the website of the Clean Air Council.
Here are a few more gems from www.cleanair.org/Waste/wasteFacts.html.
“In the U.S., an additional 5 million tons of waste is generated during the holidays. Four million tons of this is wrapping paper and shopping bags.”
“In 1979, there were an estimated 18,500 landfills in the nation. In 1990 there were only about 6,300, and by 1995 it was estimated that only about 3,000 would still be open. In just 16 years the number of landfills dropped by 84%. During that same time there was an 80% increase in the amount of trash generated.”
“Recycling Works – In 1986, 48.7% of all aluminum cans were being recycled. In 1990, that percentage increased to 63.6% and, in 1996, 63.5% were being recycled.”
“Recycling Works – The amount of paper recycled annually by the average American in 1995 was 301.8 lbs., increasing in 1996 to 329 lbs.”
Most Ecopreneurists are experts in their respective fields – I do not include myself in that statement as I am still learning – and they know what the facts are in regard to the areas in which their businesses operate.
I think clear communication of those facts will help all of us to better market ourselves. It worked for Thermo-Serv, didn’t it?
If you are an ASI member Joyce Stradford is the contact to talk to at Thermo-Serv. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.
Adventures in Green Marketing 
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