How to make your trade show print eco friendly and sustainable

As a business, trade shows can be amazing. They’re perfect places to make new contacts and learn new insights. But from an environmental point of view, they’re potentially less amazing. Because with so many people traveling far and wide to one destination, creating a net zero event is not easy. But even if you’re there as an attendee, there are small things you can do to make trade shows more eco-friendly and sustainable. And it all starts with your print…

1. Bring the best 

Most people come away from trade shows with a tote bag stuffed full of things they’ll never use. Like ten branded keyfobs or a T-shirt that’s eight sizes too big. If you want your own merchandise to be more eco friendly and sustainable, focus on things people actually want. We’d suggest our own custom Water Bottles and Notebooks, naturally. 

But the most important thing is to think quality not quantity. It’s about getting remembered, after all. And if they take home something that’s genuinely useful and well made, and your logo’s proudly printed on the front, they’ll always be reminded of that moment they dropped by your booth.

2. Start sustainably

Whatever trade show you’re packing for, you’ll want to take a lot of print with you. From Business Cards to Postcards that say what you’re all about. And by making a few small changes, these can be more eco friendly and sustainable, too. Best of all, you can still make a big impact on the people you meet. 
That’s what our Eco and Cotton papers are all about. Eco is 100% recycled and is our most affordable paper, making it a great pick for your Flyers and Postcards. Meanwhile Cotton is a tree-free paper that’s made from, you guessed it, cotton – and it’s a popular choice for Business Cards. Both are fully recyclable, so you can’t go wrong.

3. Think big

It’s a myth that bulk printing is worse for the environment than doing lots of smaller print runs. In fact, stocking up big before an event actually creates less of an impact on the planet. That’s because there’ll be less packing and fewer deliveries – and it allows the machines to run more efficiently. All this means lower emissions versus doing lots of little orders. Which is good news for those massive once-a-year events.

4. Plan ahead

Of course, even if you’ll be handing out hundreds of Business Cards, you’ll still want to make sure you’re ordering just the print you need. So every card counts and nothing gets wasted. Not sure how much print you’ll need? Our team of experts can help. They’ll also create timelines and templates to make sure everything runs super smoothly for the big day. It’s all part of the service when you sign up to a MOO business plan. To get started, just get in touch.