April is Earth Month — and if your company is looking for a way to show up for the planet beyond a social post, branded merchandise is a surprisingly powerful place to start.
Here's the thing: swag gets used. A water bottle travels to the gym, the office, the airport. A tote bag goes to the farmers market, the grocery store, the beach. When you choose branded merchandise made from recycled, organic, or sustainably sourced materials, your brand doesn't just show up in someone's day — it shows up as a brand that actually cares.
We've rounded up our favorite sustainable picks across every category, including products available right now on the brandbox site, plus a few brands we love and recommend. Your swag says something about your brand. This Earth Month, make sure it's saying the right thing.
Start With a Sustainable brandbox
If you want to make a real statement this Earth Month, a curated brandbox is the move. Here are three we love for the occasion — and yes, every single one is fully customizable.
Green Light is our Vol. 10 Earth Day kit, and it was built to walk the talk. A Karst Stone Soft Bound Notebook made from recyclable stone paper, a MiiR Sipper Straw Bottle from a B Corp-certified brand that donates 1% of sales to environmental nonprofits, and a RuMe Recycled Tote that packs into itself and goes everywhere. For companies that want their branded merchandise to mean something, this is the one.
Green Thumb makes it easy to grow something special, even if you don't exactly have the best track record with plants. With a Modern Sprout Grow Kit and a sleek powder-coated Plant Parent Mister, it's low effort, high reward, and a genuinely feel-good gift for Earth Day, client appreciation, or a spring onboarding moment. There's something different about gifting something that grows.
Spring Into Sustainability is your eco-friendly home reset in a box — Bees Wrap, a Swedish Dishcloth, Wool Dryer Balls, and a Bamboo Scrub Brush. Sustainable swaps that actually look better in your home than the stuff they're replacing. Dare we say it almost makes cleaning enjoyable?
These are starting points, not finish lines. Swap products, add your logo, write a personal note — make it yours.
Sustainable Drinkware
Single-use plastic's days are long gone, and your branded merchandise should reflect that. The good news? Sustainable drinkware has never looked better.
On the brandbox site:
Start with the 100% Bamboo Cap 17oz Shaco Copper Vac Bottle — a sleek, double-walled bottle with a powder-coated finish and bamboo lid that keeps drinks hot for 12 hours and cold for 48. If you want to take it a step further, the MiiR® Vacuum Insulated Camp Cup comes with a Give Code so recipients can track exactly what project their purchase supports. A mission behind every unit sold — that's the kind of detail people remember.
Not yet on the brandbox site, but can be added to any brandbox:
We also love the Sona 22oz RPET Reusable Bottle, made from 100% recycled plastic with a bamboo lid and a 1% For The Planet donation on every sale. For something with a little more of a wow factor, the h2go Reef 24oz Tumbler is crafted from 90% post-consumer recycled stainless steel — right down to the Tritan™ Renew lid and straw, which are made from 50% certified recycled content. Every detail counts.
Totes & Bags
A great tote is one of the most-used pieces of branded merchandise out there — and one of the easiest places to make a sustainable swap that actually gets noticed.
On the brandbox site:
The Recycled Felt Shopper Tote is made from rPET felt, structured enough for daily use, and a proud 1% For The Planet partner product. For something more work-ready, the Goods Recycled Work Anywhere Tote is made entirely from recycled PET plastic bottles — yes, the bag is the bottles — with a padded laptop sleeve and zippered pockets. Practical, polished, and built for wherever the day takes you.
Not yet on the brandbox site, but can be added to any brandbox:
Two brands we're big fans of: Out of the Woods®, who make bags from washable paper (yes, washable) and donate 1% of revenue to environmental organizations, and Out of the Ocean®, whose products remove the equivalent of three plastic bottles from waterways with every purchase. Both brands make products that come with a story built in — and that story becomes part of your gift.
Notebooks & Journals
Some of the most innovative sustainable materials on the market right now are showing up in this category. Notebooks have gotten interesting.
On the brandbox site:
The Earthtones Pocket Notebook keeps it simple — a cover made from 70% recycled paper, intentional design, always on brand. Step it up with the Mix Stone Soft Bound JournalBook®, made from water-resistant, tearproof stone paper with a pen loop and elastic closure — and donating 1% of sales to environmental nonprofits while it's at it.
Not yet on the brandbox site, but can be added to any brandbox:
Karst Notebooks are C2C Silver Certified and made without any trees, water, acids, or bleaches in production — and every order plants a tree through One Tree Planted. Then there's the Moleskine® Precious & Ethical Vegan Notebook, which features a cover made by VEGEA® from organic waste from the Italian wine industry. With 144 pages of acid-free ivory paper, a lay-flat binding, and an elastic closure, it's as functional as it is thoughtful — proof that sustainable choices don't require any compromises. Sustainability with a story.
Tech
Eco-friendly and great tech used to feel like a trade-off. Not anymore.
On the brandbox site:
The Wheat Recycled TWS Wireless Earbuds are made with 35% recycled wheat husk — unexpected material, excellent product. Bluetooth 5.1, up to 4 hours of playback, and a case that recharges three times over. The FoldStand Eco Phone Stand is a fan favorite for a reason: it uses 48% less plastic than the original, blends recycled ABS with biodegradable wheat straw, and even ships in a recyclable gift box. The details matter.
Not yet on the brandbox site, but can be added to any brandbox:
Two of our favorite sustainable tech brands are Native Union and Nimble — and both carry a full range of products worth exploring beyond what we've listed here. The Native Union (RE)Classic Magnetic Power Bank is wrapped in recycled animal-free vegan leather with MagSafe compatibility and 15W wireless charging. Nimble is a B Corp, carbon-neutral brand with free e-waste recycling and a 1% For The Planet partnership — their Nimble Apollo Slim Power Bank charges two devices at once. Ask us about what else they offer.
Apparel
Branded apparel is one of the highest-visibility categories in branded merchandise. People wear great hoodies everywhere — make sure yours is one worth wearing.
On the brandbox site:
The Allmade® Unisex Organic Pullover Hoodie is crafted from organic cotton and recycled polyester, with a carbon footprint that's been measured and reduced through the ClimeCo Certified Product™ Program. For a full-zip option, the District® Re-Fleece™ is made from 100% recycled fabric — reclaimed, never re-dyed — with a C-FREE® certification covering its full cradle-to-grave footprint. Both are the kind of pieces that earn a permanent spot in someone's rotation.
Not yet on the brandbox site, but can be added to any brandbox:
The BELLA+CANVAS Recycled Organic Tee blends organic cotton with recycled polyester for one of the softest, most print-perfect sustainable tees on the market. The kind of branded apparel people actually wear on weekends — which is exactly the point.
Homeware & Outdoor
Branded homeware is one of the most underrated categories in corporate gifting, and spring is the perfect time to lean into it.
On the brandbox site:
The W&P Porter Stand-Up Bag It Bundle features two reusable silicone food storage bags — dishwasher safe, zero chemicals, built to replace single-use plastic for good. Pair it with the Be Home® Brampton Stoneware Container, handmade in Thailand with a sustainably sourced acacia wood lid — genuinely one of a kind, every time. Rounding it out for the season: the Field & Co. Fireside Eco Picnic Blanket and Slowtide® Turkish Cotton Towel, both 1% For The Planet partners and both built for spring adventures.
Not yet on the brandbox site, but can be added to any brandbox:
The Aviana™ Rowan Recycled Wine Chiller is B Corp certified with a fully calculated and reduced carbon footprint — a conversation starter every time it comes out. And the tentree Organic Cotton Throw, made from 100% organic cotton by a carbon neutral brand, tracks every tree it plants via their veritree Impact Wallet. Cozy and accountable. Our kind of combo.
Your Brand. The Planet. Both Matter.
Sustainable branded merchandise isn't a trend — it's a direction. Every product in this guide is something your recipients will actually reach for, and something your brand can feel good about putting its name on.
Ready to build a brandbox that walks the talk?
Want more inspo? Follow us on Instagram at @brandbox.buzz for product ideas, box reveals, and all things branded merchandise.