The StepForward Pledge 2024/2025

What is the StepForward Pledge?

The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA), organise the StepForward Pledge and describe it as a “BPMA-led initiative helping members take proactive steps to improve their sustainability performance, accelerating the pace of change towards a more sustainable future for our industry.”

BusinessGiftUK.com has been encouraging our clients and staff alike to #ThinkGreen and look to more sustainable and eco-friendly products for well over a decade.  One of our main values is our environmental conscientious and drive for change.  We advocate considerably for eco and sustainable promotional products, and have sought to incite a change in thinking with many of our followers viw our website blogs, networking and in-person events, and through our social media campaigns.

We were keen to get on board with the BPMA’s StepForward pledge, further to liaising with Chamber Low Carbon, North & Western Lancashire Chamber and our friends at Crowberry Consulting.

Ad-Options Limited are environmentally responsible business gift and promotional incentive distributors.  Our work is principally office-based, as agents for numerous manufacturers, wholesalers and printers.  Our activities are primarily design and marketing with no manufacturing environmental issues.

In practice, we encourage and train all management and staff to:

Strive to continually improve environmental performance by recycling wastepaper, card, fabrics, metals, plastics and toner cartridges to reduce the tonnage sent to landfill.
 

We prevent pollution of land and water by ensuring that our hazardous (electrical equipment) waste is treated and disposed of by a competent authority.
 

We reduce emissions to air by working from home, coordinating vehicle journals, car-sharing and conducting regular, periodic vehicle efficiency checks.
 

We comply with all environmental legislation affecting our business and aim to meet and exceed any environmental benchmarks as may be demanded by customers or produced by the Environment Agency.
 

Raise staff awareness of their individual and collective environmental responsibilities; with our Managing Director being assigned the role of ‘Environmental Coordinator’. He will be responsible for environmental matters within the business and to facilitate the transfer of best practice to other employees.
 

We support our local community by offering time, expertise and sponsorship to raise awareness and funds for charitable and non-for-profit organisations.
 

We seek to publicise our environmental performance by providing information to employees, stakeholders and the general public. This information shall be provided in the Company’s literature and websites, and be relevant to the target audience.
 

We are working towards a Carbon Net Zero plan in conjunction with the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Chamber Low Carbon team, and the British Promotional Merchandise Association.

 

Stephen W Ward
Managing Director
1st May 2025