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Monday, October 26, 2009
Skype us!
In order to better serve our international clients we are now on Skype. Our SkypeIn is “ecopromos”. You can use Skype to talk with any other Skype user for free! We welcome our domestic clients to try it out as well. Let’s have a video call!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
We’re now part of Green America!
The process took months, but we were finally approved for membership in Green America! Green America is the leading non-profit organization which certifies businesses as being “Approved for people and planet”. We are very proud that we have been accepted as a Business Member.
I can honestly tell you, they do an excellent job of verifying business’s commitment to being green. They asked me questions about our business that even we hadn’t thought of before. Some of their questions led us to make some great changes.
Please check out the site - www.greenamericatoday.org.
I can honestly tell you, they do an excellent job of verifying business’s commitment to being green. They asked me questions about our business that even we hadn’t thought of before. Some of their questions led us to make some great changes.
Please check out the site - www.greenamericatoday.org.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Zero Landfill Event
by wrightch
Zero Landfill Event an Eco-Success! – Global Green Integrators (GGI), a division of AZ Docushred, LLC, Wright Choice Promotions and Gold Canyon Bank joined forces to bring the Glendale Chamber of Commerce it’s first Zero Landfill Event. On March 19th the Chamber’s monthly mixer went Green! Chamber members mixed and mingled while eating food off of plates made from sugar cane, using bamboo sporks, drinking from corn plastic cups and cleaned up with recycled paper napkins.
At the end of the evening we managed to divert more than 98% of the trash from the landfill! We composted the contents of a 32 gallon bag at local composting facility, we recycled plastic, glass and aluminum bottles, and some pigs at a rescue center out in Buckeye ate well on the leftovers and food scraps! We did have 4 items of trash that we were not able to recycle – one serving tray (too dirty to recycle) and 3 empty potato chip bags (brought in by guests).
For more information or to find out how your group or organization can have a zero landfill event please contact Julia Wright of Wright Choice Promotions at 602-795-7300.
Zero Landfill Event an Eco-Success! – Global Green Integrators (GGI), a division of AZ Docushred, LLC, Wright Choice Promotions and Gold Canyon Bank joined forces to bring the Glendale Chamber of Commerce it’s first Zero Landfill Event. On March 19th the Chamber’s monthly mixer went Green! Chamber members mixed and mingled while eating food off of plates made from sugar cane, using bamboo sporks, drinking from corn plastic cups and cleaned up with recycled paper napkins.
At the end of the evening we managed to divert more than 98% of the trash from the landfill! We composted the contents of a 32 gallon bag at local composting facility, we recycled plastic, glass and aluminum bottles, and some pigs at a rescue center out in Buckeye ate well on the leftovers and food scraps! We did have 4 items of trash that we were not able to recycle – one serving tray (too dirty to recycle) and 3 empty potato chip bags (brought in by guests).
For more information or to find out how your group or organization can have a zero landfill event please contact Julia Wright of Wright Choice Promotions at 602-795-7300.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
AMA - custom awards
Custom Wood Awards – Wright Choice Promotions is very proud to be the award sponsor for the Phoenix Chapter of the American Marketing Association. One of our responsibilities as the sponsor is to provide the awards for their annual Spectrum Awards. We wanted the awards to be special and eco-friendly of course, so we set about looking for the perfect item. We found an art glass award made from recycled glass, however all the bases available were made from non-green materials like marble or non-recyclable metals. So, when something you need doesn’t exist – you make it! The bases are being manufactured by a local artist out of Bamboo. As soon as they are complete I’ll get a photo up on our website.
Sugar Cane Plates
Press Release – March 16, 2009New to industry – Imprintable Sugarcane Based Plates
Glendale, AZ –Wright Choice Promotions announces the introduction of sugar cane based plates, bowls & cups to the promotional products industry. These fully compostable and imprintable dinnerware items are the first of their kind in the marketplace.
In the past, disposable dinnerware was made from paper, plastic or Styrofoam. Events like parties, picnics and other events used these disposable items for the convenience of their guests, but at the expense of the environment. Recently we have seen a shift to using corn plastic to make plates and cups. Corn plastic, or PLA, is certainly better than conventional plastic, but there is still some concern about the harvesting of corn for its production. Also, corn plastics are not recyclable and are not accepted by organic composting facilities. Sugarcane based products have been around for awhile but are only recently gaining in popularity.
A new trend in corporate and private event planning is the concept of a “zero landfill event”. This is where all or nearly all of the waste generated from an event is diverted from a landfill. Plastic and paper are recycled and food scraps are used for animal feed or composting. In the past recycling plastic was logistically challenging because the plates or bowls would need to be cleaned off of food before they could be recycled. With sugarcane based plates this is no longer an issue because the plates can be composted with the food residue still remaining.
The key to running a zero landfill event is making sure all the vendors are involved in the planning stage. If a vendor serves their product in cup that can’t be recycled or composted it will negatively impact the zero landfill rating. The sugar cane based plates, bowls and cups provided by Wright Choice Promotions are a great solution. These items can even be printed with your event, company or sponsor logos with a food safe soy ink.
For more info about sugar cane products or running a zero landfill event please contact Wright Choice Promotions at 603-795-7300 or 928-525-9012 or visit our website at www.wrightchoicepromotions.com
Glendale, AZ –Wright Choice Promotions announces the introduction of sugar cane based plates, bowls & cups to the promotional products industry. These fully compostable and imprintable dinnerware items are the first of their kind in the marketplace.
In the past, disposable dinnerware was made from paper, plastic or Styrofoam. Events like parties, picnics and other events used these disposable items for the convenience of their guests, but at the expense of the environment. Recently we have seen a shift to using corn plastic to make plates and cups. Corn plastic, or PLA, is certainly better than conventional plastic, but there is still some concern about the harvesting of corn for its production. Also, corn plastics are not recyclable and are not accepted by organic composting facilities. Sugarcane based products have been around for awhile but are only recently gaining in popularity.
A new trend in corporate and private event planning is the concept of a “zero landfill event”. This is where all or nearly all of the waste generated from an event is diverted from a landfill. Plastic and paper are recycled and food scraps are used for animal feed or composting. In the past recycling plastic was logistically challenging because the plates or bowls would need to be cleaned off of food before they could be recycled. With sugarcane based plates this is no longer an issue because the plates can be composted with the food residue still remaining.
The key to running a zero landfill event is making sure all the vendors are involved in the planning stage. If a vendor serves their product in cup that can’t be recycled or composted it will negatively impact the zero landfill rating. The sugar cane based plates, bowls and cups provided by Wright Choice Promotions are a great solution. These items can even be printed with your event, company or sponsor logos with a food safe soy ink.
For more info about sugar cane products or running a zero landfill event please contact Wright Choice Promotions at 603-795-7300 or 928-525-9012 or visit our website at www.wrightchoicepromotions.com
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Green in 2008
In 2008, sixty-eight percent of Wright Choice Promotion’s sales were “green” orders. A great accomplishment for only our second year as a green company.
The remaining orders were primarily from existing customers. We are in the process of converting all of there orders to eco-friendly alternatives as they become available.
Has your company made the switch?
The remaining orders were primarily from existing customers. We are in the process of converting all of there orders to eco-friendly alternatives as they become available.
Has your company made the switch?
Monday, December 15, 2008
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
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
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