CSR at Firebrand
Thinking Globally, Acting Sustainably
The Firebrand Promise
At Firebrand, we know and understand that we are part of a bigger system of people, values, other organisations, and nature, it’s important that we play our part in helping the planet. We are making this set of commitments to our planet and our customers to fulfil our duty in helping our partners to make informed decisions when it comes to sustainable procurement.
What does The Firebrand Promise include?
- To educate and train our staff to continually improve their skills, awareness, and knowledge
- To maintain our trust with our customers and to be an educational guide in the areas of sustainability, materials, end-of-life credentials, water saved, CO2 calculations where possible
- That when we receive an enquiry for branded merchandise, our offer will always include products with sustainable attributes, to help the customer make an informed decision as to how they buy. Ultimately the decision rests with our client base but we promise that we will do our bit in providing choice
- To only promote merchandise on our website and social media if the product holds sustainable attributes
- To continue delivering an excellent customer experience, as reflected in our Feefo score and service reviews
- To get involved with more community initiatives, giving back to the planet and people
- To continue planting 10 trees with every order over £500* which helps to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
- To follow the Ten Principles as a United Nations Global Compact participant along with our parent company, Geiger as well as meeting many of their Sustainable Development Goals in the work that we do and the projects we support
- To continue meeting EcoVadis’ standards and to continuously improve our efforts on sustainability to improve our score
Paris Agreement
At Firebrand, we are playing a part in doing our bit to contribute towards the goal set in the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding, international treaty on climate change. The aim of the Paris Agreement is to limit the global warming well below 2°C. Preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels.
Our partners, Climate Wise, mention on their website that “if the targets established at the Paris Agreement are not achieved, research displays that with our current emission trajectory, the global temperature will increase by 3-4°C in the following 80 years. Such warming will cause irreversible and catastrophic global environmental damage, including floods and famine for billions of people annually. Furthermore, this could cost the global economy over £480 trillion by the end of the century.”
OUR ROADMAP
What we’re doing to meet our reduction targets and support our customers in contributing to their targets
Bio-degradable
Products
Currently Available
Yes we have these! Several of our products are naturally biodegradable or have an additive added to the material so that they biodegrade
Compostable
Products
Currently Available
Imagine how easy life would be if you could eat your sweets and just throw the empty pot in the food waste bin . . .well you can! We have compostable products available.
Reusable
Merchandise
Currently Available
We encourage our clients to shop reusable. When you buy reusable, you’re saving a single-use product from reaching landfill, time and time again! Reusable products also have longevity, meaning your recipient keeps your branded gift for longer and in turn this gives you a return on investment on your branded merchandise.
recycled
materials
Currently Available
Products that use recycled materials help to reduce waste and the use of virgin materials by reusing resources and stopping the previous product from reaching the landfill or ocean.
Lower impact
packaging
Currently Available
Many products are available with better packaging solutions. This includes compostable bags, recyclable paper boxes / pouches and more. We even have branding options available on many of our packaging options. Packaging is a great way to add the finishing touch to your branded product.
We're working on it..It’s a work in progress... we will have more packaging solutions with sustainable attributes available as we continuously add more sustainable products to our range.
Carbon
Neutral
Shipments
Currently Available
We partner with UPS for deliverables from our Leatherhead Warehouse. UPS have a Carbon Neutral Delivery offering that we can use for our clients order.
We're working on it..Ultimately it’s our clients decision on whether they would like to have their merchandise delivered via Carbon neutral shipment. This is due to price being a factor.
Carbon
Offset
Currently Available
Our company and employees have had their carbon footprints calculated. It has then been offset to several of Climate Wise’s projects. You can read more about these projects on our accreditations and achievements pillars. We are also working with Climate Wise to reduce our carbon footprint year on year.
Tree
Planting
Currently Available
We want to help our clients contribute to their own CSR goals. On behalf of your brand, we will plant 10 trees for every branded merchandise order over £500 in partnership with Climate Wise. These trees are planted through the Eden Reforestation Projects.
Over 14,000 individuals in 280 project sites across 10 countries have been employed by the Eden Reforestation Project and are empowered with fair wages. Mangrove trees have an average growth cycle of 25 years. Over the course of the 25-year cycle, they will absorb 308kg of CO₂ per tree or just over 12.32kg of CO₂ per year.
Made in
the UK
Currently Available
From a carbon emissions perspective, buying UK made products often significantly reduces the mileage a product has to travel to reach its destination, and in turn, its emissions. British made merchandise also supports the UK economy and creates jobs.
Carbon Neutral
Branded Merchandise
The Offset Collection is a ring-fenced collection exclusive to Firebrand Promotions. The Offset Collection takes the CO2 count from a Lifetime Cycle Analysis of the products and offsets them via Gold Standard projects to make them Carbon Neutral.
While The Offset Collection is a ring-fenced collection, we would like to add more products to it as an on-going process to help offset the impact of our branded merchandise. This will give our clients more choice of Carbon Neutral Branded Merchandise via Offset which in turn will help them to contribute to their own CSR goals.
Lifetime Cycle
Analysis
A lifetime cycle analysis (LCA) was conducted on a range of our products. This helps us to provide our customers with the CO2 footprint of the merchandise that they’re interested in buying. This gives them the opportunity to make an informed decision to purchase the products with the lower impacts.
A LCA hasn’t been conducted on our entire product offering. It’s available on a ring-fenced collection including stationery, bags, technology, clothing, drinkware and more. Where a LCA isn’t available on an item, we can provide alternative product options which will have a lower impact through the use of materials, it’s end of life credentials, circular economy and / or social contributions.
Social
Contribution
Currently Available
Products that support social causes for every unit sold. This includes schemes such as global reforestation projects, 1% for the planet, water.org or education schemes.
We're working on it..There isn’t a social contribution linked to every product in our range. However, we’re seeking to work with supply partners who support causes. Where this isn’t available, our tree planting initiative helps you to give to global reforestation projects with your branded merchandise orders.
Circular
Economy
The circular economy is a way of creating value and prosperity. This is where a product has been designed to have a longer lifespan or making it easier to repair or remanufacture. When a product does eventually reaches its end of life, it can be recycled or repurposed and made into a new product. This helps to avoid the prospect of the material reaching landfill or ocean so in turn, it helps the environment too.
Many of our key supply partners are looking at ways to produce products that are circular by design. This is a product area that we expect to continuously grow.
Recyclable
Products
Currently Available
If a product cannot be repaired, reused, repurposed, or remanufactured, it may be able to be recycled. Recycling helps to avoid waste materials going to landfill. It instead breaks down the materials and finds a new life for them in a new product.
We're working on it..Unfortunately, not all materials can be recycled. We’re challenging our supply partners to bring products to market which use recyclable materials and therefore can be recycled when they reach their end of life.
Traceability
Using block-chain technology, we can verify the use of recycled materials and all claims made in a select range of our products. Many of our key supply partners also have certifications such as Global Recycling Standard (GRS), Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and more to authenticate the claims they make about their materials.
We’re challenging our key supply partners to provide us with the correct certification to authenticate their claims. Many supply partners are also looking into adding block-chain technology tracers to their products in the future.
Vegan
Products
Currently Available
Products that don’t use any materials of animal origin. Did you know, as cattle digest their food, they produce and emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas? Source: Project Drawdown. Vegan products are also animal cruelty free.
Zero Plastic
Products
Currently Available
Not everyone likes a product with plastic, whether it’s recycled or not. We have Zero Plastic products available which are made by using alternative, durable materials.
Natural
Materials
Currently Available
Using natural, renewable resources helps to avoid the use of virgin materials and the extraction of fossil fuels to create a raw material. An example of this is PLA which is a plastic-like material that is made with plant-based content, such as Sugar Cane. Other natural materials include Bamboo and Cork.
Organic
Materials
Currently Available
Organic materials are grown without the use of artificial pesticides or fertilisers. For a product to be called Organic, it must have been certified by a third party and we work closely with our supply chain to ensure they have certification. Pesticides emit three main greenhouse gases when they are made: Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Nitrous Oxide. Source: Pesticide.org
Premium
Brands
Currently Available
Premium brands that can be co-branded are available through Firebrand. Besides many of their brands being on their own sustainability journey, the products are also known for longevity. This means, your brand will last on a product for a long time, which is great for return on investment.
Dedicated
Account
Management
Currently Available
When you partner with Firebrand for your branded merchandise, you will be assigned a dedicated account team. Your dedicated team are on-hand for meetings, to help source branded merchandise and advise on how merchandise can help contribute to your own CSR journey.
The Offset Collection
CO2 reduction is one of our main ambitions at Firebrand. As seen on our roadmap, we have been working with Climate Wise to offset our corporate and employees Carbon Footprint since 2021. The next step in this process is ring fencing a collection of products and offsetting them through Gold Standard projects to make them Carbon Neutral.
If you would like to understand more about Carbon Offsetting, please visit our education page.
For more information about the Gold Standard projects The Offset Collection supports, please click here.
Tree Planting
We will plant 10 trees on behalf of your brand when you order branded merchandise.
- Working in partnership with Climate Wise, we will plant 10 trees when your order is over £500.
- The trees will be planted with the Eden Reforestation Projects
- This gives your brand the chance to give something back to the planet when ordering your company’s swag
- Mangrove trees have an average growth cycle of 25 years. Over the course of the 25-year cycle, they will absorb 308kg of CO₂ per tree or just over 12.32kg of CO₂ per year
Terms & Conditions apply. 10 trees will be planted for every order over £500 ex VAT (excluding programme orders) each quarter and in line with our agreement with Climate Wise, a certificate detailing the numbers trees planted relating to your orders will be available on request. There is no cash alternative.
Take Back Scheme
At Firebrand, we’re working with our supply chains to source more products that are part of a circular economy rather than linear economy. If you’re going through a re-brand and have merchandise with your old branding on it, please don’t throw it if it’s on the list below or if you know that it has recyclable credentials. If you’re unsure, please contact us and we can look into the end-of-life credentials for you.
The Honest Bottle
The bottle and lid of the Honest Bottle can be recycled in household collections, whilst Honest take responsibility for the strap by paying to get it back, ensuring that it is then sent to an appropriate recycling facility or repurposed into future straps.
When you feel that your strap has reached the end of it’s life, please send it back to Honest so that they can ensure that it is responsibly recycled. Simply send your strap in an envelope to the following address: Freepost – Honest.
Americano Range
Our Americano Coffee Cups have been a best-seller of ours for as long as we can remember! The Americano range has grown overtime. It now includes both single and double wall options, antimicrobial choices, ones with a spill proof lids or with a handle, there is even the option of using recycled or natural materials. The purpose of an Americano cup is to reduce the use of single-use coffee cups, sending less single-use plastic to landfill by using a reusable cup.
However, if you go through a re-brand or no longer require the use of your branded Americano coffee cup, do you know how to dispose of it? You can return your Americano back to the following address: Americano Recycling, Neptune House, Sycamore Trading Estate, Blackpool, FY4 3RL. However, if you want to send back your Americanos in bulk, please contact us and we will work with the supplier to arrange this. Please don’t bin your Americanos and help us to contribute to a circular economy.
Kai Jacket
Working with our supply partners, together we take full responsibility for ensuring the Kai Jacket does not end up in landfill. You can return the Kai Jacket back to our supplier free of charge. After receiving the jacket back, it will be professionally cleaned, repaired if needed, and rebranded for reuse. You can’t change the past, but you can change the future. We want to thank you giving Kai a second chance and extending the useful life of the jacket.
Each Kai Jacket has a QR code printed on the inside of the jacket with free return instructions. This means whoever wears your branded Kai Jacket can return it for free. Please scan the QR code for more information on how to return the Kai Jacket.
Recycling Electrical Items
Please don’t bin your branded electricals! It’s time to stop electronics and their materials reaching landfill. At Firebrand, we’re actively looking at ways to improve the end of life of our products. We reached out to Recycle Your Electricals to find out if our branded electrical products can be recycled through their facilities. Good news, they can!
75% of all materials in electricals can be recycled and turned into anything from children’s playgrounds to lifesaving equipment. Through Recycle Your Electricals, you can find drop off locations to recycle your products or to repair, donate or sell them.
Did you know, if we recycled all our old electricals, it would cut as much CO2 as taking 1.3 million cars off the road?
Source: Recycle Your Electricals.
If you’re going through a re-brand or it’s time to upgrade your branded technology items, please make sure you recycle the old ones and refrain from putting them in the bin. Anything with a plug, battery or cable can be recycled! If you’re giving your branded gadgets away to your own stakeholders, please let them know that they can recycle their gift at the end of its life too.
Find your local recycling point: https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/electrical-recycling-near-me/
Greenwashing
Greenwashing shares a false impression or providing misleading information about how products have sustainable attributes when they potentially don’t. We understand that within the industry that we operate in, many of the products are still made from virgin materials with poor end of life credentials, and this is an area that we are working on and challenging our supply partners about. However, we will no longer actively promote on digital communications a product that we consider to be ‘non-sustainable’. Our website product feed will now only show products with sustainable attributes too and we aim to provide transparency on which attributes a product has. We also appreciate that due to the nature of our business, we must consider shipping and production may have a negative impact on the planet. That’s why we are making changes as stated in the roadmap above and offering our clients the option to choose a carbon neutral shipment.
We are not preaching to be perfect, but we are making positive changes to better ourselves. Our partnership with Climate Wise enables us to analyse the carbon footprint of our company and staff and then offset these onto Gold Standard projects. Climate Wise also facilitate the offsetting of The Offset Collection and our Tree Planting scheme through the Eden Reforestation Projects.
Ultimately buying branded merchandise with sustainable attributes is about informed choice, and we intend to provide this. If you want to discuss your brand’s merchandise options, please talk to our client team today.
