Be Wary of Your Computer Screen

Today we rely on the computer for many things - emails, information, instant communication. We rely on it to give us accurate information - and therein is the downfall.

Technology allows us to make virtual samples of practically anything. I find that suppliers seem to showcase their best pieces on their websites and catalogues, but a lot of these are not realistic representations.

Suppliers can virtually place a logo on a product and then put that image into their catalogue, which can mislead us into thinking that our artwork can be done in certain colours, sizes, or locations that are actually not possible.

So be careful - if you have a vision or image in your head of what you really want, let us know. We will see if it's do-able and whether there are methods or options to recommend. We'll also be sure to supply you with accurate mockups and dimensions. The best way is to make a pre-production sample. This is why it's best to work with a distributor that will look out for your logo.

What's Up With the Bottles?

BPA free mini bottle. $4.99 at 50 pcs min.

A while ago there was a plastic bottle scare. People shied away from bottles with a No. 7 on the recycling symbol and large retailers started programs where people can go trade in their old bottles for brand new ones or for money back.

Why?

The polycarbonate material that went into making a lot of the "indestructable" plastic drinkware on the market was found to leach Bisphenol A (BPA) under certain lab conditions. There is still controversy in the medical world as to whether these results are applicable to humans.

• BPA stands for Bisphenol A and is a key compound used in the production process of certain plastics (like polyester, PVC, polycarbonate and epoxy resins).

• BPA is controversial due to its chemical similarity to the human hormone estrogen.

• BPA is most commonly found to be leached from the epoxy liners in canned foods. To a lesser degree, it is also leached from polycarbonate bottles that have been cleaned with harsh detergents or used to contain acidic or high temperature liquids.

• In 2006 Canadian government listed BPA as under assessment for safety. In April 2008 the Canadian government released its draft report classifying BPA as being risky for infants and proposed it to be “toxic to human health and environment”.

• In other parts of the world, the reaction is opposite. In 2006 the German Institute for Risk Assessment announced polycarbonate baby bottles are safe and stated that published research on the health effects of Bisphenol A is "difficult to interpret and [is] occasionally contradictory”.

• Later that year, the European Union’s Food Safety Authority reached a similar conclusion.

• In 2007 Japan also claimed that current levels of human exposure to BPA does not pose any unacceptable risk to human health.

• Plastics have 7 types of identification. The 7th category is reserved for “others”. Therefore, not all #7 type plastics contain BPA.

Now, with all that said, suppliers are wary that consumers will view all polycarbonate or hard plastics as harmful regardless. After all, science is always telling us one thing and then another. So polycarbs may be acceptable in the UK - but what about North America?

The first reaction was a wave of people switching over to aluminum or stainless steel bottles.


There are pros and cons for each - basically aluminum is light to carry, inexpensive to make, and readily available. Coated with an inner water based liner, aluminum bottles can offer a couple of years of use as a water bottle with no worries.

Stainless steel is the ultimate in terms of food safety and peace of mind. Food grade stainless steel is used to make everything from pots and pans to utensils and will not leach or interact with food elements. When stainless first came out, they had a disadvantage of being limited in terms of shape and aesthetics.

Today, however, stainless steel bottles have come a long way. Thinner walled and larger mouthed, these are a beauty to behold.

Stainless Steel wide mouth bottles - $9.42 including 1 colour print. 24 oz.

For those who want to seek other options, new plastics have since been released onto the market for safe drinkware purposes.

This new item is from Aladdin and made with BPA free plastic. And ladies and gents - this item is DISHWASHER SAFE. I know. It's amazing.

Price around $15 each decorated with 1 colour print. 24 oz.


Another New Item:
Horizon BPA free bottle
Around $9.02 CDN with 1 colour print.

BPA free options are available for as low as $5 and can be as executive as $15 or $20. Whether you are giving these away or wrapping them up as high end gifts, water bottles are practical, environmentally friendly (use these instead of buying bottles of water), and promote wellness.

Call us to ask - we'll find the right match for your needs and you can be sure we've done our homework to find out what's best for you.

- Posted by Jenny

red, orange, yellow....GREEN

When Green became the thing to be, people everywhere had to wonder - is this a fad? Is being green only a policy on paper of some ideal we want to reach? Is it only a selling point?

Obviously, the need to go green is no longer a debate. Our world is facing many challenges and the time of action is now.

The problem is, are we all in? The scary truth is that not everyone is ready or willing. Even so, the forward motion from whatever we do today can only generate a wave of action - a trend that will become the norm for our future.

Even as a child I have been exposed to more education about the need to "Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle" than my parents. And our children will benefit from thinking that these three R's are the ONLY way to do things, for (hopefully in our future) who would do otherwise?

In our industry, more and more suppliers are coming up with ways to show that they are green.

The road may be rocky as people try to find something that fits with what they offer and technologies are being perfected. We have to be careful in remembering our goal of helping the environment and not being caught up in the whirlwind of new terms that are meant to attract us.

For example - there are instances when producing something green actually causes more pollution during the manufacturing process. Perhaps extracting a certain fibre or opening a new facility for the processing of a new material uses more energy and produces more wastes.

Truly responsible suppliers are beginning to incorporate the whole picture - are the organic cotton crops TRULY organic? (Our organic hats come with crop numbers). Are the dyes in an eco-friendly garment "green" as well? Will a bio-degradable product actually work, or will it be thrown away in creating more garbage for the landfill? Of course we look into all of that.

Our organic cotton cap: (KNP)


And truly responsible distributors will look out for you and your goals. Perhaps there are traditional products that would be a better fit, therefore having a higher chance of being retained by your customer. This means it won't end up in the landfill. Certain familiar items may be eco-friendly all along - such as our latex balloons, which are bio-degradable.

Picture of latex balloons: http://michsineath.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/balloons-color.jpg

Being green is more than just a series of actions. Being green is problem solving - and like all problem solving, sometimes on top of hard work you have to add a lot of creativity.

- Posted by Jenny

Welcome to Our Blog

Reading a blog is fun. There is something about it that obviously sets it apart from reading an email or checking out a website, and we find that the difference is the personal touch. We hope that you will enjoy our blog.

People on personal blogs put things that interest them, thereby allowing their personality to show through. As a company, we believe ourselves to be as different and unique as an individual. You may have heard Winston or me or Wylie (or any other member of our team) say it all the time - we're about the people and we build from ideas and our products come in almost as tools. Our personality is diverse here, but it's also fun and productive. That's what we like to showcase through our blog and hopefully, we can inspire some people as well!

For those of you who don't know us, welcome to Boulevard. We're a promotional products distributor located in Richmond, BC. We've been around for more than 10 years, and our pride and joy is in surprising even ourselves and our suppliers on what we can do.

*Wylie and Leaf here in Trimark's Onyx shirt. $46 decorated.

So many of you may be wondering about the upcoming year as times are going to be tough and marketing budgets get slashed.

Suppliers have been wondering about that too, but they've come out prepared. Many suppliers, such as Trimark and Sanmar, have launched lines that provide us with the basic pieces at unbelievably affordable prices.

Think about this: a fully embroidered wicking polo made by the same people who were commissioned by VANOC - in matching men's and ladies and up to 11 colours - for $25 or less.

That's the Trimark Moreno - the hardest decision to make regarding this polo is which colour to pick. Unfortunately, it's so new, it's not even on the website yet. For now, I have this screen shot of a catalogue page:

Another example is the Coal Harbour Pima Cotton polo. Soft, bright, and very affordable, this premium cotton polo shirt comes in decorated at around $30.

Even last year, this pricing would cause some of us to wonder about the product itself. At this price point, one would wonder about the quality of the shirt - the longevity of such an operation. Is it out of desperation ? Definitely not.

For many quality items, you will notice that the economic situation IS reflected in higher pricing. However, what Sanmar, Trimark and some other suppliers have done is to take advantage of their economies of scale and to focus on the basics.

We will continue with various similar themes in our upcoming blog - our shared concerns for the economy, ways we can stay green (it may surprise you), and successful ways you can express your company in a custom fashion.

Thanks for reading!


- Posted by Jenny