Wow! Factor: The Best Sustainable Conference Swag

Say hello to conference swag that puts the planet first! Say goodbye to plastic—pens, squeeze balls, water bottles—and other cheap, disposable items. We’ve put together a collection of the best sustainable custom swag that is full of purpose, quality and style–perfect for the attendees of your next conference–in person or virtual.

Eco-Friendly Materials

The conference game is changing. Everyone is aware of the harmful effects plastics have on our environment. Plastic items are not built to last, and the disposable nature of plastic branded merch lends to excess waste that ends up in our landfills. Forever.

Today, there’s simply no reason not to give swag made from eco-friendly materials. Sustainable company branded swag is a powerful and growing trend and Swagger is partnering with companies to guide them in making better swag choices that don’t harm our planet.

Some popular eco-friendly materials include bamboo, wood, stainless steel, and of course, recycled paper and recycled plastic.

On top of being sustainable, these eco-friendly materials have a more luxe feel and appearance. This can elevate the perception of your brand, giving your recipients zero reason to treat your branded swag as disposable.

Wearables

Apparel is one of the most popular and common corporate swag items. And for good reason! It's an easy way to get your branding out on the streets where everyone can see it.

Some of the brands that provide eco-friendly conference swag might surprise you. These are highly sought-after brands.

Nike, Allmade, Marine Layer, Carhartt, and The North Face all offer customizable apparel options that will be highly appreciated for their quality and status by conference attendees.

When thinking about corporate branded swag for conferences, there's something classic about a t-shirt. Shirts made from sustainably sourced materials, organic fabrics, and even recycled ones, check all the sustainability boxes and look and feel amazing to wear.

To up your eco-friendly conference swag game even more, Swagger will have your items screen printed with environmentally friendly inks. Embossing and embroidery are also excellent options for personalization.

Hats are another popular wearable and come in many styles. From five-panel camper hats to knit beanies (we especially love the collection from Atlantis), there's a style out there to fit the head of everyone in attendance.

You can even think outside the usual apparel box and gift your conference attendees with eco-friendly swag items such as socks (branded Tribe socks are always a huge hit), scarves, innovative headware from Atlantis, or even shoes, with Nike and Allbirds offering customizable and eco-friendly shoes as swag items.

Drinkware

The plastic water bottle has been a conference staple for many years. But with its popularity comes a perception of it being cheap and disposable.

Insulated stainless steel drinkware is one of the hottest trends today. It's durable, keeps drinks at a stable temperature for hours, and is also very environmentally friendly.

Do you know what’s great about the following brands: MiiR, Ocean Bottle, and S'well? They all make memorable and covetable company branded swag that gives back to the community and environment. In addition, they offer a wide range of reusable stainless-steel drinkware for eco-conference swag. From large-mouth water bottles to travel coffee mugs, Swagger will help you find the perfect product to meet your brand’s needs.

Journals and Writing Instruments

Step up your sustainable conference swag game with journals from brands like Moleskine, Denik, Appeel and more. These journals all offer sustainable materials or properties that your conference attendees will appreciate, and they are full of style.

And instead of giving out plastic pens, consider one of Swagger’s favorites: Sprout pencils. These sustainably harvested wood pencils are embedded with seeds. When they're used up, just stick the stub in the ground and grow some herbs–like basil, rosemary and cilantro. How cool is that?

Tech

While we don't often think of technology as being eco-friendly or sustainable, there are a few standout brands that offer products that fit the bill.

Nimble is a forward-thinking tech brand that offers products such as chargers, cases and cords. These are made from recycled materials and come in sustainable, minimalist packaging.

And if you haven’t heard of Rocketbook, you’re going to want to consider this. This next-gen notebook comes in a range of sizes and has erasable pages. You can take photos of your notes and upload them to the cloud in seconds. What’s not to love?

So this year, consider gifting your conference attendees a branded sustainable tech product that they will use on repeat and think of your brand.

Totes and Backpacks

Totes are another common conference staple. In fact, it's usually the first thing people go for when they walk into the building.

They're a great way to package an entire swag bag, and it seems like we can always use more totes at the grocery store.

However, not all totes are created equal. Some are made of plastic or non-sustainable materials. And some are also just cheap and, yes, ugly.

Bagito is a brand that is leading the charge in eco-conference swag that is both sustainable and full of style. All their products are made from recycled plastic or sustainably farmed organic cotton.

Another great option? Timbuk2. They offer the coolest bags with a lifetime guarantee. And they haven’t kept just one bag out of the landfill, not a single Timbuk2 backpack has ended up in the trash. They’re a sustainable Swagger fave that’s as stylish as it is great for the planet.

The Virtual Conference Experience

Companies are continuing to offer hybrid conference experiences so attendees can participate in person or virtually. That said, companies need to have turn-key solutions for making virtual attendees feel part of the entire experience–including the swag.

One of the best parts of receiving a swag package is the unboxing experience–the big reveal! Make sure that this is just as meaningful as the thoughtful swag inside of it.

Swagger offers a range of customized packaging solutions for your swag that are both sustainable and full of bold style. It’s time to ditch all the plastic and elevate your swag with 100% compostable and 100% recyclable packaging that can be customized to your brand look & feel.

End-to-End & Eco-Friendly Conference Swag Solutions

Swagger can elevate your brand's perception with high-quality, sustainable swag that every attendee—from employees and clients to prospects—are sure to love.

Swagger brings all your swag needs under one roof. We create beautifully branded gifts, build ready-to-shop swag stores, and take care of kitting, warehousing, inventory, and on-demand shipping. We’re here to partner with you on stylish swag that they’ll want to show off and you’ll be proud to give.

Looking for more company swag inspo? Dive into Swagger’s 2024 Trends Lookbook

Ready to treat your employees or clients to products that inspire them to live more sustainability? Just fill out this short form: Let's do this!

We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a note anytime at hello@giveswagger.com