BPMA member Arcadia Corporate Merchandise is continuing to demonstrate how surplus promotional products can be repurposed to create meaningful impact, through its ongoing support of the A Good Thing platform.
A long-standing supplier of branded merchandise since 1998, Arcadia combines global distribution expertise with a strong commitment to ethical sourcing and sustainability. As a signatory of the BPMA Step Forward Pledge, the company is actively working to reduce waste and promote responsible practices across its supply chain.
In summer 2025, Arcadia donated a substantial volume of surplus branded merchandise through the platform, including notebooks, desk tidies, Post-it notes and folders. These items, often left over following client rebrands or strategic changes, were redirected to charitable use rather than being stored or discarded.
Jilka Newbury, Merchandising Manager at Arcadia, explained: “These items are high-quality surplus inventory from our amazing clients. Items become available usually after a big change, like when a company finishes a re-brand and has promotional products featuring their old logo. We work hard to minimise this stock, but our clients are always thrilled that anything left over can go directly to a good cause instead of going to waste.”
The donation reflects Arcadia’s proactive approach to sustainability. By encouraging clients to consider donation routes at the outset of rebranding initiatives, the company helps ensure that unused merchandise is handled in a way that aligns with both environmental and social values.
“It really comes down to a commitment to being sustainable,” Jilka added. “Instead of paying to store items or seeing them go to landfill, donating through A Good Thing is the most meaningful and responsible choice our clients can make. Sometimes, we partner with the client to pick a charity that aligns with their corporate social responsibility goals. Other times, the client trusts us to make the choice, and we select the local charity that we feel will get the maximum benefit from the specific items we have.”
On this occasion, the items were matched with The Oasis Partnership, a charity supporting adults and young people into employment and training. The donated stationery is now being used within programmes focused on supporting neurodivergent individuals, providing practical tools to help with organisation, planning and confidence-building.
Colin McGregor-Paterson, CEO of The Oasis Partnership, highlighted the impact: “It may sound odd, but simple items like these can really help with planning, keeping things together, acting as reminders and generally enabling our clients to keep track of things – and manage their difference effectively.”
For Arcadia, the experience of using A Good Thing has been both straightforward and rewarding.
“The process is incredibly smooth and easy,” said Jilka. “For us, it’s just a quick step to upload the details. Then we watch the responses from the charities come in and arrange a collection date. We love the experience of using A Good Thing from beginning to end. We’re already looking forward to our next donation!”
If you’re ready to take a positive step towards being a more sustainable business, Sign Up to A Good Thing today for free!
