As the trade body representing the promotional merchandise sector, it is our responsibility to drive a more sustainable, ethical and responsible future within our industry.
This is a core part of the BPMA’s mission, to ensure best practices for people and the Planet are a priority for businesses in our sector, by improving the sourcing, manufacture and distribution of promotional goods.
We believe by supporting our members in their own journeys, we can continue to collectively form part of the solution, whilst continuing to drive business security and longevity.
To achieve our mission, the BPMA has committed to the following actions:
- To measure and reduce our own carbon emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3. We have attained Planet Mark certification for the years 2022-23, by measuring our emissions within this period and committing to an annual 5% reduction. We are currently working towards our 2023-24 measurement.
- To reduce the carbon emissions of our industry events year-on-year, by using an events industry carbon calculator, TRACE by isla, to measure and reduce the emissions created by our events.
- Support members on their own ESG journeys through our ongoing sustainability initiative launched in 2023, the StepForward Pledge. The Pledge aims to encourage and guide members in launching and improving the environmental and social programmes within their own organisations. Members are held accountable to their commitments and targets, as they will be asked to review their Pledge and update us on their progress annually.
- Engaging and educating our members, and the wider industry, by hosting conferences, webinars, working groups and networking events, at which we host discussions and educate attendees on important topics.
- Ensuring the BPMA team are aligned with the organisation’s objectives and values, and are aware of their part in meeting them.
- Engaging with third parties, to represent our sector and ensure members have access to experts in social and environmental topics that impact their businesses. These include organisations such as Ad Net Zero, ESSA, FSC and GOTS.
- Incorporating both social and environmental factors into the internal procurement process to ensure goods are responsibly sourced.
- Embracing a hybrid remote working policy, reducing emissions from commuting, as well as allowing flexibility for our team and supporting their well-being.
- Investing in training and development programmes to support progression of the BPMA team.
- Developing a new partnership with The Printing Charity, an organisation dedicated to supporting people working in the print industry with practical, emotional and financial help.
- Donating any unneeded goods to local charities in need instead of sending them to landfill, via our partners A Good Thing.
The BPMA represents businesses that lead the industry with the highest standards of service, compliance and ethical values. We therefore believe sustainability forms a core value of our membership, enabling the BPMA to continue to be a stamp of trust and confidence.
We will continuously review our progress, and update this statement annually.
January 2025
Phil Goodman, CEO
British Promotional Merchandise Association