December 22, 2022
Promo Promises: Sustainability Resolutions for 2023
Members of the Promo for the Planet advisory board share their thoughts about the positive changes they – and the industry as a whole – can make next year.
While it’s often true that New Year’s resolutions are as easy to break as they are to make, there’s something to be said for setting some time aside to reassess, plan and goal-set as the calendar year rolls over. With that in mind, members of the Promo for the Planet advisory board shared their own sustainability-related resolutions for 2023 – as well as a wish list for what the collective industry might accomplish in the near future.
Michelle Sheldon
President, Eco Promotional Products (asi/185797)
Resolve to Learn More About Sustainability in 2023
If you’re attending ASI Orlando, be sure to check out Michelle Sheldon’s sustainability class on Education Day.
What: Sustainability Sells: Products & Practices to Improve Your Company & Our Industry
When: Wednesday, Jan. 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. ET
Where: ASI Orlando, Orange County Convention Center, West Concourse, Halls C-D
Daniel Cardozo
President and CEO, Ethix Merch (asi/189731)
What’s your sustainability-related New Year’s resolution?
“By the end of the year, Ethix Merch resolves to establish a set of benchmarks for phasing out plastics by 2030.”
What about the promotional products industry as a whole?
“I think the promo industry should resolve, by the end of 2023, to generate an agreement among at least 50% of distributors and suppliers, in which signatories would commit to a set of actions to reduce the industry’s carbon emissions. These essential actions are difficult for individual companies to undertake on their own, but become very reasonable and possible when undertaken jointly, with risks spread across the entire industry.”
Kathy Cheng
President, Redwood Classics Apparel (asi/81627)
What’s your sustainability-related New Year’s resolution?
“So often, the sustainability conversation surrounds the final product, but what does it take to make that product? That’s what Redwood Classics Apparel is laser-focused on in 2023. From reducing overall water consumption to finding innovative ways to reuse and upcycle waste, we want to continue to be part of the solution. We’re proud to work with partners outside of our industry, too, like small businesses that use our textile scraps in their products through our textile waste diversion program. Personally, I will continue shopping as locally as I can and making smart choices when I’m out, like bringing reusable shopping bags with me. My favorite, of course, is the Ellie tote that we made with our friends at Preloved using upcycled banners from the Toronto Pan Am Games, which is available on our site.”
Liz Haesler
Chief Merchandising Officer, PCNA (asi/78897)
Kris Robinson
Chief Sustainability Officer, PromoShop (asi/300446)
What’s your sustainability-related New Year’s resolution?
“Our 2023 eco goal is to raise our EcoVadis score from ‘moderate’ to ‘advanced’ and then to ‘outstanding.’ EcoVadis is scored on the following criteria: environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
“Our continuing goals as a company are to produce more and more sustainable and eco-friendly products for our clients by suggestive selling versus traditional products that are not eco-friendly.”
What about the promotional products industry as a whole?
“To keep pushing more and more suppliers/manufacturing toward much-needed sustainable, recycled and eco-friendly products. Clients are pushing for them; therefore, we need more offerings.”
Kate Nash
Director of Promotional Sales & Director of Marketing, Raining Rose (asi/80489)
What’s your sustainability-related New Year’s resolution?
“I hope in 2023 we can identify more sustainable component options for our products and start making larger transitions. The current supply market in that space is fragmented and boutique.”
What about the promotional products industry as a whole?
“Education! There’s so much to learn, but after you do, you realize there are steps you can take in your business, starting right now. Maybe it’s learning about sustainable options you can swap in for a customer’s gifts or programs. Maybe it’s starting a team volunteer day to clean up the community. Maybe it’s starting a monarch butterfly habitat (we have one!). Every step counts.”
Andy Keller
CEO, ChicoBag (asi/44811)
Lou Elliott-Cysewski
Co-Founder and CEO, CoolPerx (asi/556047)
What’s your sustainability-related New Year’s resolution?
“To increase the percentage of our orders that are from local manufacturers and thus decrease transportation needs.”
What about the promotional products industry as a whole?
“To increase the percentage of orders from small businesses (like Day Owl and eqpd) that fulfill our orders.
Even More Resolutions for 2023
We asked several industry professionals, not on the Promo for the Planet advisory board, about their New Year’s resolutions too. Here’s what they had to say:
Danny Sheppard
Co-founder, Better by Bluestar (asi/141977)
What’s your sustainability-related New Year’s resolution?
“Our New Year's resolution is to convert more of the reorders that come from long-standing clients to an eco-friendly alternative. This can only happen if there are affordable eco-friendly alternatives available in the industry.”
What about the promotional products industry as a whole?
“Suppliers should begin replacing products made from virgin, nonorganic materials with eco-friendly alternatives.”
Victor Macchia
Sustainability & Promotional Products Consultant, Aloha Consulting
What’s your sustainability-related New Year’s resolution?
“Personally, and for the industry, my New Year’s resolutions are simply to be more aware of sustainable efforts, and do our part to pitch in for the betterment of people and planet. Every little bit helps. To do that, we just need to do a few things: educate, question and research.
We need to start by educating ourselves on what sustainability truly is, focusing on both environmental impacts, as well as social responsibility, then base our living styles, product purchases, and customer product recommendations on the things that support sustainability.
When in doubt if something is contributing to sustainability, be a skeptic and question whether a product or company is as sustainable as they claim. Nothing can claim to be 100% sustainable, it’s simply impossible, so question why their claims and products are sold as sustainable.
Finally, don’t believe everything you see or read, do some research. Look for things like product and materials labeling, packaging, and how a product contributes to environmental and social impact. Does the product or company have any sustainable certifications?”
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