Geiger Underscores Sustainable Position With Latest Acquisition

Promotional product distributor Geiger has acquired carbon-neutral business Brandelity Ltd, marking another significant milestone in its ongoing global expansion.

Brandelity has been carbon-neutral since 2019, collaborating with CO2Balance to measure and offset its carbon emissions through projects in Africa.

Geiger boasts leadership in sustainability, and this acquisition underscores a shared commitment to environmental responsibility.

Brandelity, headquartered in Windsor, UK, has established a strong presence since its inception in 2004. By joining forces with Geiger, Brandelity’s customers will now enjoy an expanded array of services and creative solutions.

“I’m thrilled to announce the sale of our business to Geiger,” said Chris Love, managing director of Brandelity. “This partnership represents a significant opportunity for growth and innovation, benefiting both our valued customers and dedicated staff members. With the combined strengths and synergies of our two companies, we are poised to deliver enhanced services, greater resources, and exciting new opportunities for everyone involved.”

The Brandelity business will now be known as Brandelity, a Geiger Company, and all employees have been retained by Geiger.

“We are delighted to welcome the Brandelity team and their clients to the Geiger family,” said Vicky Kinasz, vice president/managing director of Geiger International. “This acquisition is another strategic step in our European expansion and we are proud to have them on board.”

The move follows Geiger’s acquisition of German company WER GmbH in July.

Sow Easy Audit Aims to Improve Supply Chain

Seed specialist Sow Easy has undergone a SMETA 4-pillar audit to helps the business understand standards of labour, health and safety, environmental performance, and ethics within its operations.

The SMETA audit is designed to help protect workers from unsafe conditions, overwork, discrimination, low pay, and forced labour.

It is delivered by approved auditor companies and businesses undertaking the audit are provided with a Corrective Action Plan to help improve performance in these areas.

SMETA is one of the most widely adopted social audit standards globally and allows suppliers to share one audit report with multiple customers, reducing the need for time-exhaustive duplication.

Sow Easy has also announced that it is boosting its team with four new appointments covering sales, finance, and client services.

Managing director, Jamie Gray, said: “We are excited to welcome Cameron, Uno, Carol, and Jellian to our team. Their diverse skills and fresh perspectives will be valuable as we continue to innovate and grow. Cameron will be travelling across the country to visit clients. He’s got tons of experience in the industry, so he’s going to bring some serious energy to the team.”

Laltex Launches Sustainable Catalogue

Promotional supplier Laltex has developed what it claims to be the first catalogue of sustainable promotional products.

Named Introducing Sustainable Solutions, Certified Products Collection, each product has been chosen for its verified eco-friendly status, not just its appearance.

The catalogue provides evidence for every item included, showing that the materials used come from various sustainable sources to create the perfect promotional products.

With the growing importance of products accurately representing a brand’s commitments to the environment in areas such as their recyclability and/or composition, having reliable information on the provenance of products has never been more important.

Kingly Aims For Plastic-Free Manufacturing by 2025

Sustainable garment manufacturer Kingly has set a target of eliminating all plastic from its manufacturing process by January 2025 as part of its ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and innovative solutions.

The Bulgarian-based business will discontinue the use of compostable bags, offering them only upon specific customer request.

Kingly will also replace plastic tags with recycled poly-cotton thread for attaching sock tags, ensuring a plastic-free tagging process.

In a move towards innovative packaging solutions, Kingly is introducing large bags made from regenerated plastics, which dissolve completely in hot water.

Furthermore, FSC-certified export boxes will now be secured with recycled reinforced Kraft tape, eliminating the use of traditional plastic packaging.

Robert Armour, CEO of Kingly, said: “Our plastic-free initiative not only reduces our environmental footprint but also sets a new standard for eco-friendly production.”

Kingly uses sustainable machinery, with all manufacturing machinery operating using GOTS-approved sustainable oils.

In a further advancement of its efforts to reuse waste from its plant, Kingly is using sock offcuts to produce practical doorstops and stylish interior decorations.

The idea was developed inhouse by the company’s engineers using the textile compression machine which produces compact t-shirts and towels.

PF Concept Sets 2030 Deadline On Non-Sustainable Merchandise

Supplier PF Concept wants to switch over to completely sustainable merchandise by the end of the decade through a gradual phase out process.

Speaking at the recent Green & Sustainable Promo Show in Leeds, PF Concept regional manager, John Barrett said: “We’re adding a sustainable option to all our best-selling products, and when the sustainable option reaches optimum sales turnover, we’ll be getting rid of the original ones. So, by 2030, our whole collection will have a sustainable message.”

The company’s latest catalogue features 400 products designed with recycled materials and sustainability in mind.

The Leeds show provided suppliers and distributors with a chance to share information about the growing demand for greener products. Jess Potter from Infinity Inc, confirmed a greater interest in sustainable merchandise.

“It’s nice to be able to put forward a product where you’ve got a sustainable option – you can show customers how nice these products really are,” she said.

Carlo Nardini, managing director of distributor Pro-Ad noted that there has seen a big shift towards eco-friendly options.

“It’s been a really rapid change, particularly since Covid, during which suppliers had time to develop more products to fit with the clients we’re after,” he said.

Around 50 suppliers and brands exhibited at the show and also confirmed the growing demand for products with detailed and provable eco credentials.

Alexander Daniels, from midocean, said: “People are asking more about the actual materials in the items, how they’re used and end-of-life story as well.”