No one ever thinks it will happen. Everyone believes the earth has a never ending supply of coal, oil and paper. We hack trees down, mine the earth and pollute a rate far greater than ever before.

For years the promotional products industry was a big contributor to this mess we call the environment. With the big annual catalogs and the monthly flyers, suppliers pump out fresh new literature to help grow their businesses. Random samples, free samples and spec samples litter distributor offices. Who is to blame for all of this? Marketing departments, the customer, the end consumer - after all these are people ordering the goods. Absolutely not!

The solution needs to come from the top down, from the supplier. They need to set the tone. They need to develop ways to produce eco-friendly products and eco-smart marketing methods to translate their latest and greatest. Input from the distributor and the customer and the end user will help shape the direction suppliers and manufacturers take in making this industry more green. The entire food chain needs to get involved for the green movement to work. Hopefully soon going green will be a part of life, not just a fad or phenomenon.

MadeToOrder is proud of it's recycled products and eco-friendly category. Visit us today for the newest in Eco Friendly products.

As if travel wasn't expensive enough these days, United Airlines has found a way to pass along more cost to customers. They will be charging some customers a new fee for checking more than one piece of baggage. 

People who buy nonrefundable domestic economy tickets, and who are not elite members of the airline's frequent flier program, will be charged $25 for a second checked bag beginning May 5 2008. The $25 fee for the second bag charged each time the luggage is checked. Customers were informed of the fee Monday on United Airlines website and on e-tickets sent to passengers.

So far no other carriers are matching the baggage fee. United estimates the new charges will give them more than $100 million in additional revenues. With the airlines industry pressured for profits, watchout for other airlines to follow suit in charging more for checking bags.

Check with your airline prior to flying to make sure they don't have new baggage charges.

The ecobutton™ won the 'Most Innovative Green Product' Award at the 2008 ASI Show. Buzline has partnered with the ecobutton people to launch a unique energy saving USB product. Here are a few facts from ecobutton about the use computers and their impact on the environment.

• "A small to medium sized business running 50 computers could save around 6.80 Tonnes of CO2 and over $1500 per year of electricity by using the ecobutton™ for just 2 hours per day. A larger business operating 1000 PCs or more could save over $30,000 and prevent a staggering 135 Tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere just by using the ecobutton™ for 2 hours each day. Remember, this does not include the times when PCs may be left running all night and over the weekend, if ecobutton™ is used during these times the savings could be much higher.
• A domestic user running a single computer can make an equally valuable contribution to the environment by saving over 650 pounds of CO2 per year and approximately $30-50 in electricity per year just by using the ecobutton™ regularly.
• Indirect savings can be made with air conditioning systems as they do not have to work so hard as less heat is generated from computers that are actively using the ecobutton™. Because the ecobutton™ stays illuminated even during ecomode, this can provide a useful reminder that all unnecessary computers, lighting, heating and air conditioning etc... should be be switched off at the end of the day."

This product could be perfect for your company's eco-movement. Check it out online at ecobutton Home.

Contact your MadeToOrder sales team today for samples!