During my four semesters at UTC, I have been offered (and sometimes accepted) a wide array of promotional products. These items, colloquially referred to as swag, are often innocuous-seeming keychains, ink pens, Tt-shirts, and the like, are handed out to students without a second thought.
Many students are happy to accept a branded water bottle or UTC pen, but how many are using these items before being unceremoniously tossed into the garbage?
There are a host of sustainable options for promoting the brand of the school, such as post-consumer recycled key fobs, writing instruments, and shirts printed on recycled fabrics. Promotional products (even when purchased through a local company), are sourced from overseas, do little for the local economy, and have a higher environmental impact than that of a smaller maker. The budget for such items could be reallocated to local businesses, like bakeries, print shops, or other makers to help build up Chattanooga’s diverse community of designers and creators.
I would love to see a Bread & Butter cookie giveaway branded with UTC’s logo or having Neat Pony design and print our next T-shirt or tote bag next semester.
Justin Spencer