Raising Green In Arizona

Wright Choice Promotions was recently featured in the promotional productsindustry’s premier magazine, PPB!
Raising Green In ArizonaA green-products distributor discusses the motivations behind her transition to eco-friendly promotions.
Green business is big, this much we know. But exactly how big is it? It turns out there’s no existing metric for calculating the number of green businesses, their revenue or growth, according to www.greenbiz.com and its State of Green Business 2008 report. Basically, the report says, there is no definition for a green business. The whole movement amounts to businesses, entrepreneurs and workers deciding every day to do things in a more eco-conscious way.
The promotional products industry is no exception. Julia Wright, founder of Glendale, Arizona-based distributor Wright Choice Promotions (UPIC: wcpaz) and a 15-year industry veteran, created her own eco-friendly distributorship four years ago and even though she can’t always go green, she does what she can with what’s available. We talked to Julia about why she chose to reinvent herself as a green promotional consultant and how she makes it work.
PPB: Why did you change your business focus to green promotions?Wright: Early in my career, I worked for a supplier that offered acid etching as an imprint process. It bothered me that the workers had to wear gloves and masks and that special hazmat trucks had to pick up the used chemicals. It also concerned me that so many items were petroleum-plastic based and brought in from overseas.
About seven years ago, my husband and I moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, the quintessential home of granola-eating, sandal-wearing tree huggers. (I say that with respect, and I consider myself to be one of them.) At the time, I was working for a medium-sized distributor as an independent contractor. They were one of the first distributors in the industry to put a green page on their website. It had about five items on it—pretty much the extent of what was available then. When I formed my own company four years ago, I had in mind that I would offer only eco-friendly products, but the reality is that we’ve only been able to offer a good variety of green items in the last couple of years. Another factor that solidified my commitment to green is my kids. I want to show them that a green company can make a difference in an industry that is still dominated by plastic widgets.
PPB: What do your clients think?Wright: Clients who have been with me since before I went green have been very receptive. When they approach me with a request, I’m usually able to find a green solution. We have so many items to choose from now, and the prices are very similar to their conventional plastic counterparts. Honestly, I still sell conventional plastic when a green option isn’t available, but in those cases we ensure the item is targeted properly for the demographic so that the item is retained and used.
PPB: How is business?Wright: We have been wonderfully successful. Our numbers are up almost 50 percent over last year, and we continue to have new clients seek us out for green products.
PPB: Did health and safety warnings have any bearing on your decision to go green?Wright: The BPA report on the Today show scared me, as well as some of my clients. There is so much information out there being presented from both sides of the argument that it’s hard to know what is true. I’ve decided to err on the side of caution. After BPA became a concern this year, I started a policy of advising my clients if the item they selected contained BPA. Remember that a year ago we were all happy to sell polycarbonate bottles as a green alternative to bottled water. Now we’re being told to do a 180 and switch to aluminum or stainless steel. With the research I’ve done, it looks like glass is the safest choice—but not many people are going to ask for glass travel water bottles.
PPB: What’s your biggest challenge in this new endeavor?Wright: Greenwashing is my biggest challenge. I have to carefully evaluate suppliers’ claims before I can offer their products to my clients. Some factories are advertising their new eco-friendly mug, for example, but it turns out the only thing green about it is that you can reuse it. Some suppliers have done a good job being honest. Often when something claims to be recycled, it’s only 10-percent recycled material. There needs to be an industry standard (or at least a guideline) to calling something eco-friendly.
Also, I’ve had to become an expert in each little detail of the products I sell. No longer is it good enough to know that the key chain is available in red, blue and green—now I have to know the country of origin, the human rights standards of the factory, the material it’s made from, the rate of decomposition, the eco-friendliness of the imprint method and whether it will be shipped in recycled packaging