The next time you're trying to WOW your clients consider getting them a promotional product that is environmentally friendly. Whether it's made from recycled material, is bio-degradable or comes from organic produce, choosing products that are Truly Green will make a difference.

Don't' you think it's time people stopped paying Lip Service to green issues when planning marketing and promotional products campaigns and started thinking about selecting truly green products?

The shift in thinking towards the economy and green issues has been growing over the years - people are becoming increasingly more informed when it comes to looking for new green products that will push their sustainability message in the most effective way.

To help you weave the green message throughout your corporate communications here are 5 Simple Tips for being Truly Green:

1. Choose suppliers that are looking to educate you on every element of the product - what claims are the manufacturer's making? Are they certified organic, Fair Trade, biodegradable?

2. Be demanding of your suppliers - let them know that a green message sent from the heart will be felt by all recipients!

3. Spend a little more if you need to - to get Truly Green products and get your message to stand up! Spend $1 on 500 items instead of 0.50 cents on 1000 items - you will get noticed

4. Think about the savings on every aspect of your campaigns - paper, envelopes, products - you'll be surprised the difference you can make overall to the environment by making better choices!

5. Be sure to go for promotional products that have a high visibility factor wherever you can - not only will this give your brand good exposure it will also demonstrate your conviction to support the environment!

In today's economy none of us can afford to really not be mindful of our budget and how much we're spending.

Use your marketing budget wisely and devote at least some of it over the next few months to environmentally sound products that make a difference today.

Sometimes it can be difficult to work out what's what when it comes to promotional products made from sustainable materials, so here's a handy definition guide to help you out:

Recycled Promotional Items - products that are wholely made from recycled materials.

Australian Made Promotional Merchandise - any product where the main components or cost components are made locally - this reduces the carbon required to ship the product making it a more economically friendly.

Waste Reducing Promotional Products - a promotional item that encourages reduction in consumption of other materials - commonly a product that can be used time after time.

Green Educating Promotional Products - a promotional item that is educational about green products.

Green Promotional Product - a promotional gift that has a good impact on the environment.

By using this information next time you go shopping for corporate gifts it will leave a smile on your face and the face of the environmet!.