PPB November 2017

If you wonder what happens to all the extra products that end up in the hands of your clients, you’re not alone. Sara Webb, owner of distributor InTandem Promotions in Kennesaw, Georgia, wondered the same thing. So, she developed her own way of reducing the footprint that surplus promotional products have on the environment, while also helping to supply organizations in need. Webb spoke with PPB about her inspiration for the company’s Go Green! Get Green! recycling program and the multiple benefits it offers. PPB What prompted you to begin a program to recycle unused promotional items? Are the items only from your company, or are you collecting/receiving items from other industry members or clients? Webb I met a woman at a conference who was selling women’s bras. She told me she watched as thousands of these bras were being sold, and thought to herself, “What happens to all of the old bras that are being replaced by the newly purchased ones? Are they just tossed in a landfill?” So she started exploring how bras could be recycled. She created a patented process where bras could be recycled and turned into carpet padding, and she is now working with retailers to create a drop point for women to turn in their old bras and receive a discount or credit with the store. That genius idea got me thinking about opportunities that we should be taking in our own industry. And so, Go Green! Get Green! was born. The concept behind the program is that we take back any products from our clients that are stuck in their marketing closets—unused items, misprinted items, old branded giveaways, etc. We then distribute them to needy organizations throughout the United States. Currently we are only accepting products from our clients and prospects, but we are hoping to expand the program next year. PPB What normally happens with extra product? What is the associated cost, if any, to recycling products as opposed to simply throwing them away or donating them? Webb Usually our clients are so busy that the extra product just sits in warehouses, store rooms and closets. InTandem Promotions runs and maintains online stores for our clients, so many times we’ll go into an organization and hear, “We’ve over-ordered. Can you add this or that to the store and try to get rid of it?” Many times we do, and we’ll host fire sales at our clients’ locations to help them with the liquidation. Other times products get tossed or donated. There are usually no costs for our clients to manage their extra or unused promotional products in this manner, and in many instances they do receive a tax benefit. But with everyone so extremely busy, most of the products continue to sit for months or years. This is where our Go Green! Get Green! Initiative comes into play. We first hosted this initiative in April, when Earth Day is celebrated, and it prompted organizations to clean out their offices and, in return, receive a discount on their next order with InTandem Promotions as well as a custom, limited- edition water bottle. As a result of us simply sending them a shipping label, they were getting rid of the product, felt good about it and received an immediate gift for doing so. PPB What’s the final outcome for recycled products? Are there items that can’t or shouldn’t be recycled? Webb The products that we have received are all recyclable products: notebooks, bags, children’s toys and pens. This year we donated those items to local schools. Now there is such a need for hurricane victims that I am sure we’ll be evaluating the status of Puerto Rico and the island territories to see where we can help. Additionally, we also have a number of clients in Mexico that can use assistance. InTandem Promotions will start evaluating the locations that are in the most need and, depending on the products that we receive for the donations, determine our next steps. PPB How can other companies implement a similar project? The Kids In Need product collection event is held at Expo every year, but in what other ways can companies recycle extra products? Webb InTandem Promotions isn’t doing anything that other distributors or suppliers can’t do. It’s a simple concept—create a campaign, send out shipping labels or create a drop site, and offer a benefit to the customer for donating the products. We felt good that our clients’ offices weren’t loaded down with imprinted products that they can’t use, the products were donated to organizations in need, and we received the benefit of future and additional orders. FIVE MINUTES WITH Sara Webb InTandem Promotions Green Genius 64 | NOVEMBER 2017 | THINK