Eco-Friendly

Prime Line, Bridgeport, Conn., proudly announced its 30-year anniversary in the promotional products industry. Built in 1980 by current chairman and owner Bob Lederer, the company has grown from a start up to a top  promotional products supplier and employs nearly 200 individuals, many of whom have been with the company since its inception.

The Women's Bamboo 2-color Pique Polo is 50 percent pima cotton, 35 percent bamboo and 15 percent combed cotton. It has a two-color pique body, self goods collar, open V-neckline and hemmed sleeves. It also features a single-needle top-stitching and even hem bottom with tailored side vents.

Dramatic detailing, vibrant colors, rich fabrics, organic?

It's not what you expect from couture, but one local designer is devoted to using sustainable fabrics in fashion.

"This skirt is organic cotton and dyed with natural dyes, " says Lindsay Weatherread.

Click here to read the entire article and watch a video on Organic Fashion.

Amidst the new outfits swishing down runways at this year's London Fashion Week was a different kind of fashion launch: The British nonprofit named Forum for the Future released its sustainability trend report for the industry.

When you buy a PC or some other CE gadget, what kinds of substances are actually inside it ... and what's being used to ship it to your house?

At last week's International Toy Fair in New York City - its 107th, if you're counting - it was the first time there was a "green" pavilion featuring environmentally-friendly toys, dolls, games, and activities for kids of all ages.

The promotional products industry is full of company's that have adopted ecologically friendly practices. From changes in office behavior and recycling practices to full-bore revamps of manufacturing methods and materials used, I think it is safe to say the “green” industry is bigger than U.S. Steel (name that movie reference).

I recently interviewed Mark Trotzuk, president of Boardroom ECO Apparel, for one of the articles I'm currently writing for our upcoming June responsibility supplement, which is a mini-issue about all kinds of great stuff like corporate social accountability and environmental stewardship.

Check out a slideshow of the latest green products the industry has to offer.

With the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, it became clear to the entire world, especially the athletes who were competing in a heavily polluted environment, that China was far from green. In fact, the more environmental measures the country pledged, the more it seemed they were simply papering over their carbon-created cracks. Similarly, the promotional products industry isn’t exactly green, and tentative steps in that direction have been motivated more by consumer demand than by a commitment to change. Companies are succeeding, but for the industry as a whole, getting to a higher level of understanding is a struggle. “There’s been the green