You’re all excited because you’re buying a recycled promotional product to promote your new green initiatives. Congratulations on making that first step by deciding on a more ecofriendly item!

But is your choice really any better? Yes and no.

Pros – By buying an item with recycled content, you are helping to reduce the amount of virgin material that must be produced. Using aluminum as an example, producing virgin ore takes 20 times the energy intensity of recycling aluminum according to the environmental economics classic Natural Capitalism by Amory Lovins, et al. For glass, every 28 percent of recycled content saves 500 gallons of water per ton of glass produced and prevents 20 pounds of CO2 emissions as noted in Ecological Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. Even if the item you distribute is not recycled again, you will have at least helped to reduce the amount of material and waste produced, as well as detour or delay the material’s journey to the landfill. So, yes, score one for you and for the environment.

Cons – In many cases, recycling equals downcycling as noted in Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. Plastic types are often mixed in the recycling process, creating a lower quality material. So the recycled plastic in the item that you are buying may not have as much durability or desirability as its pure predecessor. As well, a mixed plastic recycled material is difficult, maybe even impossible, to recycle again and will be headed straight to a landfill since it cannot be used in the recycling process. Additionally, if adhesives are used to hold the product together, this may also make the item ineligible for recycling. This raises a host of questions about how we handle materials, but, more importantly, how we design products for diassembly and repurposing.

So what should you do? Continue to look for recycled items to help close the green loop by preventing unnecessary production of virgin material and to divert materials away from landfills. But if you are concerned about the downside, look for these:

1. 100% Identified Recycled Content – Some item descriptions will tell you what recycled materials were used. For example, one tote bag on the market identified the content as being made from up to 10 plastic yogurt containers and water bottles.

2. Recyclability – Does the item identify its recyclability with the Mobius loop (three chasing arrows symbol) and a number inside it? This will help your item’s recipients and the waste company know how to handle the item.

3. Disassembly-Friendly or No Disassembly Required – Are there several types of materials in the end product such as plastics and metals combined, possibly held together with adhesives? These cannot be recycled without prior disassembly.

4. Biodegradability – If you’re concerned about material quality or future recyclability, or that your item’s recipients will not properly dispose of the item you distribute, you may want to opt for a biodegradable product. There are various types of biodegradable materials, but many are constructed of plant-based materials which will naturally break down in a landfill or if exposed to the elements.

Want to know how “green” your promotional products are? Get the Green Promo Product Score Sheet, available for free download at http://GreenPromoScoreSheet.com.

Then when it’s time to shop for your next ecofriendly giveaway, head over to http://PromoWithPurposeShop.com.