One of points I made in my post last week was that promotional products role in eco-friendly initiatives. One way is to replace the products you currently use with eco-friendly alternatives like the pens in your office or the items that you give away at tradeshows. Over the past couple of years, suppliers have come up with interesting materials to create these eco-friendly alternatives. Many of these materials involve recycling items that are discarded on a daily basis. Let’s take a look at some the unique ones:

Currency – Paper money that has been taken out of circulation is used to make promotional advertising staples like mugs and pens.

Newspaper and Phone Books – These items which are commonly found in household recycling bins are turned into an eco-friendly plastic.

Electronics – Suppliers have turned old circuit boards into a wide variety of common promotional products that have a particular appeal to tech savvy audiences.

Tires – Recycled tires are turned into rubbery products like jar openers, car coasters, and key tags.

PET Plastic Bottles – Plastic soda and water bottles are broken down and converted to fibers that are used to make bags, laptop sleeves, and apparel.

Dung – One company has found a way to extract fiber from the waste of animals, like elephants, and use it to make paper products. Seriously – www.poopoopaper.com

These unique materials turn ordinary eco-friendly products into conversation starters, especially the poo-poo paper. The clients or prospects that you give the item to will most likely talk to others about the product and who they got it from, generating referrals for you.

This isn’t a complete list of interesting eco-friendly materials and products out there, share some others that you have seen.