3 Tips for More Sustainable Event Merch

Branded merchandise is a great way to lift brand exposure and give attendees something useful or memorable to take home. But if you are not deliberate about it, the environmental footprint can be significant.

In this post we look at how our team at JTPM approaches sustainable event merch, and share a few practical ways you can make more mindful decisions for your own event.

Three questions we ask before ordering anything

Before we source or approve a single item of merch, we run it through three simple questions:

• Is it necessary? Will this item genuinely enhance the experience, or is there an alternative that achieves the same outcome? A digital note-taking function inside an event app often replaces a printed notebook, for example.
• What is the lifespan? Will the item be useful during the event and beyond it, and if so, for how long? Too much event merch is still single-use and ends up in landfill within a week. As producers, we have a responsibility to reduce that.
• Who will be impacted, and how? What are the short- and long-term impacts on the environment, on people, and on the places tied to the item? Impact can be positive too, which is often a strong reason to choose a specific supplier over a cheaper alternative.

Once those questions are answered honestly, the decisions get much easier. Here are the three tips that guide most of our sustainable merch choices.

1. Choose recycled or repurposed materials

The biggest single lever is avoiding single-use and brand-new virgin materials wherever practical. Opt for recycled, second-hand, or repurposed items every time you can. A few examples we use and recommend regularly:

• Water bottles. Provide guests with a reusable water bottle and access to water stations, rather than pallets of single-use spring water.
• Event programmes. Digital programmes delivered through an event app are much more sustainable than a printed booklet that is discarded on the way out. You also unlock extra engagement features like live polls, chat, and session reminders.
• Notebooks. Notebooks and writing pads are almost expected at conferences. Go paperless where you can, and if you do provide them, make sure they are made from recycled or FSC-certified stock.
• Lanyards. Recycled PET, bamboo, and other sustainable materials are now readily available. Keep the branding simple and generic so attendees can reuse them at other events.
• Goodie bags. Bags made from recycled water bottles, recycled plastics, or recycled paper are widely available. For our recent AP-ACR Conference we sourced repurposed local shopping bags, which added regional character to the delegate experience while sidestepping a bulk order of virgin merch.
• Pens. Pens seem to vanish the moment they leave the box. If you must supply them, choose ones made from recycled material, or provide refillable pens that people will actually keep.

2. Order the right quantity

Whether it is catering or branded merchandise, the goal is to avoid over-ordering and ending up with boxes of unused stock. Exact numbers are never easy, but there are a few reliable ways to land close to the mark:

• Registration. Ask attendees to register or book a ticket in advance, even for a free event. Advance registration gives you a real number to plan against, and it also captures audience demographics and opens up direct-marketing opportunities.
• On demand. Make promotional items an optional extra and put the choice back in the hands of the guest. Explain that you are trying to reduce waste and ask them to consider whether they will genuinely use the item. This approach cuts waste, saves money on unwanted stock, and sometimes even creates a revenue line if you choose to charge for premium items.
• Use your data. Review past event results, both qualitative and quantitative, for a realistic picture of quantities, excess stock, and what was actually popular. Track and record this information after every event so future planning stops relying on guesswork.

3. Think about social impact

A customised gift or keepsake can be a lovely thank-you to your guests and a lasting reminder of the experience. It becomes considerably more memorable when the item carries a story, and even more so when it is contributing to something positive in the community.

We have partnered with the team at SisterWorks on multiple occasions to produce handcrafted gifts and keepsakes for events. Their pieces are made by talented refugee, migrant, and asylum-seeker women, use recycled materials wherever possible, and are often inspired by the makers’ home countries and cultures. All proceeds support the employment and entrepreneurship programmes SisterWorks provides.

Many social enterprises and not-for-profits operate the same way and are open to collaborating with event organisers. There is also a growing list of Indigenous-owned Australian brands (Indigiearth, Kinya Lerrk, and Kakadu Plum Co are three we admire) whose products carry story, place, and craft in every detail. Make conscious choices about your suppliers, support local where you can, and your merch line will make a bigger positive impact than any generic order ever could.