A marketer’s guide to sustainable promotional merchandise
June 23, 2026 | 
Gemma
Promotional merchandise has long been a staple of business marketing – pens, mugs, tote bags, lanyards and stress balls have become familiar sights at conferences, exhibitions and networking events across the UK.
When it’s useful, well-made and thoughtfully chosen, it can be a powerful way to keep your brand front of mind.
But not all merchandise has the same impact. How many times have you been forced to take something you know you don’t want or need, and it ends up in the back of the cupboard or worse, straight in the bin? As a consumer, it doesn’t feel good. As a business it doesn’t look good. And it’s a waste of money too.
At Mosaic, as a B Corp certified agency and creators of the Conscience Marketing® framework, we believe businesses should be empowered to make more informed decisions about the environmental impact of their marketing activity.
So for our latest feature about sustainable marketing practices, we speak to Toni Irwin from branded merchandise company Impamark and Catherine Benwell, co-founder of charity donation platform A Good Thing about what to consider when ordering branded products, and how to ensure they don’t end up in landfill.
The problem with ‘merchandise landfill’
The reality is that much promotional merchandise is underused, unwanted or quickly discarded.
In its August 2025 Insights summary, the British Promotional Merchandise Association found only 20% of promotional items were kept for good.
“There’s an awful term in our industry called merchandise landfill,” Toni says. “Nicky, our Managing Director, said to me it actually made her feel quite awful when she thought about our contribution to that, so made an active choice to move away from single-use plastics and throwaway items.”
Impamark was one of the first merchandise distributors to sign up for the BPMA ‘StepForward Pledge’ to commit to sustainability practices and was awarded the Ecovadis Bronze rating in 2026 to further its commitment to sustainable merchandise choices.
Sustainable marketing does not mean a blanket ban on branded goods, Toni says. Instead, it means thinking more carefully about usefulness, longevity, supply chains and what happens to products at the end of their life.
The best merchandise is genuinely useful – and not always related to your business
The first step for Impamark is to understand the end user to produce something they want.
“The purpose of promotional merchandise is to ensure your target audience sees, remembers and engages with your brand. If an item is quickly discarded, it not only misses that opportunity but also represents a poor return on investment.
“At an education show, we gave away branded nail files produced and printed in the UK. Although not directly related to the education sector, their practical, everyday usefulness resonated with attendees, many of whom put them straight into their bags. By choosing an item people are likely to keep and use regularly, the brand remains visible long after the event has ended.
Instead of ordering large volumes of low-value giveaways, businesses should think more strategically about what their audience would genuinely use on a day-to-day basis.
“Everyone gives out a pen at shows,” Toni says. “But rather than a pen, that you may have 20 of, could you give out something meaningful that someone will use day-to-day?”
That could mean reusable stationery, seeded bookmarks, practical desk items or products with a longer lifespan. The key is to focus on quality, practicality and relevance rather than sheer quantity.
Businesses need to start asking more detailed questions about the products they buy, Toni says. What materials are being used? Can the item be recycled again? Will it biodegrade? How far has it travelled? Who manufactured it?
Toni believes there should be greater focus on the full lifecycle of promotional products, rather than simply the materials they are made from.
“Just because something contains recycled content doesn’t mean it can be recycled at the end of its life,” she says.
By understanding how products are manufactured, used and ultimately disposed of, businesses can make more informed choices that genuinely reduce environmental impact rather than simply shifting it elsewhere.
One example is the growing use of plant-based materials in commonly used promotional products.
“One of our most popular coffee cups at the moment is one called the FOAMO coffee cup,” Toni says. “It’s made of 70% plant-based material, it’s 100% curbside recyclable, and it’s also produced in the UK from a carbon negative company.”
Impamark prioritises UK manufacturing where possible, followed by European suppliers, only using Far Eastern manufacturing as a last resort. The company also vets suppliers on their environmental credentials, including carbon reduction measures and renewable energy use.
Are sustainable products more expensive?
Historically, sustainable products often came with a much higher price tag, making them difficult for businesses to justify. However, Toni explained this gap has narrowed significantly in recent years.
This shift means businesses can increasingly make better environmental choices without significantly increasing budgets.
What happens after the event?
Even with careful planning, many businesses still end up with surplus merchandise, exhibition materials or leftover stock.
Rather than sending those items to landfill, A Good Thing, a not-for-profit platform, connects businesses with local charities that can reuse unwanted items.
The platform accepts virtually anything legal, from furniture and office supplies to branded stress balls, lanyards and stationery, and has charities across the majority of the UK who set the distance they’re willing to travel to collect the items.
“We have a lot of donations from construction, hotel and hospitality sectors and event venues, as well as branded merchandise, from across the board,” Catherine says.
Items are often claimed by charities within hours of being listed, with collection the same day or week.
“Charities are very good with tight deadlines. And if it’s something that they want and need, they’re very creative and resourceful with what they accept.”
Catherine added: “When we first started, one of the biggest donations we had was about 12,000 stress balls.
“I didn’t know which way that was going to go and they were super popular with charities working with older people, people with autism and ADHD, and with disabled people.”
Another charity transformed unwanted lanyards into yoga mats as part of a fabric reuse project, while a business exhibiting at a running event donated a large number of new trainers.
“When we first started this, it was interesting to understand whether branding on the items was going to be an issue, but on the whole it’s not,” Catherine says.
“And it’s great for both sides – businesses are delighted to be having something rehomed and it’s a source of positive publicity to be helping a local charity. And on the other side, the charities are happy to accept the donations and aren’t interested in the brand name.”
These examples highlight an important point for marketers: products that may seem worthless to one organisation can still hold genuine value elsewhere.
A more thoughtful approach to merchandise
As businesses face growing scrutiny around sustainability and environmental responsibility, these decisions increasingly influence brand perception too.
The most effective merchandise is the item that reflects a company’s values, serves a genuine purpose and avoids unnecessary waste.
Quick considerations when choosing your branded merchandise:
- Whether the item is genuinely useful
- The materials used and end-of-life impact
- Quality over quantity
- Avoid date-specific branding
- Local or UK-based production
- Responsible sourcing and manufacturing
- Whether suppliers can evidence sustainability claims
- If products can be reused, recycled or repurposed
- What will happen to surplus stock after an event
- Whether there is a more sustainable alternative available
At Mosaic, we believe marketers have a responsibility to influence positive change through making better-informed decisions that benefit both businesses and the planet.
Are you ready to move to more sustainable marketing? Contact us to find out more.