A 2026 PPAI-ASI study finds promotional products generate up to 8x less carbon per memorized impression than digital advertising. See how branded merchandise compares across channels.
Author: Caleb Gilbertson, CEO and founding partner of Imprint Engine
Most marketers assume digital advertising is the greener choice. No factories, no shipping, no physical waste, just pixels on a screen. However, a brand new 2026 study from PPAI and ASI just found the opposite: promotional products generate up to eight times less carbon per memorized impression than social media and online display ads.
The difference comes down to how we measure impact. Digital ads require continuous energy to serve millions of forgettable impressions, while a quality branded item is produced once and generates brand recall every time someone uses it. Below, we break down the study’s findings, compare promotional products to other advertising channels, and explore what makes some merchandise programs more sustainable than others.
Need to skim? Key takeaways
- Promotional products rank among the advertising channels with the lowest carbon impact, generating up to eight times less carbon per memorized impression than digital advertising.
- A typical promotional campaign produces just 0.39 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent—roughly 20 times more efficient than television advertising.
- The key factor for sustainability in promotional products is their longevity and usefulness; the most sustainable item is one people actually want to keep.
Table of contents
- What the PPAI-ASI study found about promotional products and carbon emissions
- How promotional products compare to other advertising channels
- Why branded merchandise has a lower carbon footprint than digital advertising
- How carbon impact is measured per dollar spent and per impression
- What makes some promotional products more sustainable than others
- How to choose a promo partner that prioritizes sustainability
- FAQs about carbon impact in the promotional products industry
What the PPAI-ASI study found about promotional products and carbon emissions
Promotional products are one of the most carbon-efficient advertising channels available today. A landmark 2026 study commissioned by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), and the European Association of Promotional Products (EAC) found that branded merchandise generates up to eight times less carbon per memorized impression than digital advertising like social media and online display ads.
Research firm 51toCarbonZero conducted the study using life-cycle assessment principles. This approach measures emissions across a product’s full journey, from raw material extraction through production, distribution, use, and disposal. Researchers then compared promotional products against other advertising formats using two metrics: carbon equivalent emissions per dollar spent and carbon per memorized impression.
The findings were surprising. Promotional products tied for second-lowest carbon emissions per dollar spent at 0.2 grams of carbon per U.S. dollar, which is comparable to digital advertising. But when measured by actual brand recall (or the impressions people remember), promo products dramatically outperformed digital channels.
![A high-angle studio shot shows two promotional product boxes. The box on the left is closed and displays the phrase "Great products come and go." in white font on a dark background that transitions from blue to purple to red. The box on the right is open, revealing a black T-shirt wrapped in white tissue paper with small, light purple illustrations. The inside of the box lid reads "Great experiences live on." in a similar white font on a dark purple background. Both boxes feature a small, white logo in the top right corner, which is an "[o]" enclosed in a square bracket.](https://imprintengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Promotional-Products-Campaign.png)
How promotional products compare to other advertising channels
Most marketers assume physical products carry a heavier environmental burden than digital advertising. Digital ads don’t require manufacturing, shipping, or raw materials, so the logic seems sound. Yet the data tells a different story.
The energy demands of digital advertising are largely invisible. Every ad impression requires server processing, data transmission, and energy consumption on the viewer’s device. Multiply that by millions of fleeting impressions, most of which are forgotten within seconds, and the cumulative footprint adds up quickly.
| Advertising Channel | Relative Carbon Impact | Key Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Promotional Products | Among lowest | Long-term use, single production cycle |
| Print Advertising | Low to moderate | Extended exposure time |
| Out-of-Home | Moderate | Shared viewing, durable displays |
| Direct Mail | Moderate to high | Single-use, logistics-intensive |
| Television/Streaming | High | Broadcast infrastructure, data centers |
| Digital/Social Media | Highest per impression | Continuous server load, low recall |
Television and streaming ads
Television and streaming advertising carry substantial carbon costs due to the energy demands of broadcast infrastructure and streaming data centers. A typical TV campaign produces 7.83 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent, roughly 20 times more than a promotional products campaign of comparable reach.
Social media and digital display ads
Here’s where the findings get counterintuitive. Digital ads generate significantly more carbon per memorized impression because they require constant energy to serve repeatedly for minimal recall. Think of it like leaving the lights on in an empty room. That energy keeps flowing whether anyone’s there and paying attention or not.
Print and out-of-home advertising
Print and out-of-home channels fall in the moderate range. Their physical production footprint is somewhat offset by longer exposure times compared to digital ads. A billboard or magazine ad doesn’t require continuous energy to remain visible.
Direct mail campaigns
The single-use nature of direct mail contributes to a higher footprint compared to promotional products. Most direct mail pieces are discarded after a single viewing, while a quality promotional item might stay in use for months or years.
Why branded merchandise has a lower carbon footprint than digital advertising
The key insight here is the concept of a “memorized impression,” or an ad exposure that the recipient actually remembers. Digital ads require constant energy to be served repeatedly for minimal recall, while a quality promotional product is produced once and generates impressions every time it’s used.
Consider a branded water bottle. The environmental cost comes from one production cycle. But that bottle might sit on someone’s desk for two years, generating brand impressions daily without requiring any additional energy input while simultaneously reducing single-use plastic waste. Meanwhile, achieving comparable brand recall through digital advertising would require thousands of individual ad serves, each consuming server resources.
- Longevity: A single, well-made product can generate impressions over months or years from one production event.
- Retention: Recipients keep useful branded items, extending their value without requiring additional energy.
- Efficiency: One production cycle replaces the continuous server load required for millions of digital impressions.
The promotional products industry also has something digital advertising lacks: a controllable supply chain. Brands can make deliberate choices about materials, manufacturing locations, and shipping methods. Digital advertising’s carbon footprint, by contrast, is largely determined by the energy grids powering data centers, which individual advertisers have little influence over.
How carbon impact is measured per dollar spent and per impression
Understanding the study’s methodology helps put the findings in context. Researchers used two primary metrics to compare advertising channels.
Carbon equivalent emissions per dollar spent measures how much CO₂ is generated for every dollar invested in a particular advertising format. This metric is useful for comparing marketing ROI across channels. Promotional products and digital advertising performed similarly here, both generating about 0.2 grams of carbon per dollar.
Carbon per memorized impression measures environmental efficiency relative to actual brand recall. This is where promotional products pull ahead dramatically. Because recipients keep and use branded merchandise, each item generates repeated impressions from a single production event. Digital ads, by contrast, require continuous energy expenditure to achieve comparable recall.
When evaluating the sustainability of your marketing mix, both metrics matter. A channel might look efficient on a per-dollar basis but perform poorly when you factor in actual brand recall and long-term impact.
What makes some promotional products more sustainable than others
Not all promotional merchandise is created equal. The study’s findings apply to the industry as a whole, but individual product choices can dramatically affect your program’s environmental footprint.
Product quality and longevity
The longer a product stays in use, the more impressions it generates from a single production footprint. A cheap pen that breaks after a week offers minimal value. A durable backpack that someone uses for years spreads its environmental cost across thousands of impressions.
This is the core principle: the most sustainable promotional product is one people actually want to keep and use. Disposable trinkets negate the industry’s sustainability advantage entirely.
Materials and sourcing practices
Material choices matter, though perhaps not in the way you’d expect. Recycled content and organic materials can reduce environmental impact, but durability often matters more than material source. A product made from virgin materials that lasts five years may have a lower lifetime footprint than a recycled product that falls apart in six months.
When evaluating materials, consider:
- Recycled or responsibly sourced content
- Durable construction designed for repeated use
- Minimal packaging
- Transparency about supply chain practices
Production location and fulfillment efficiency
Shipping contributes significantly to a product’s carbon footprint. Consolidated production and regional fulfillment can reduce shipping distances and associated emissions. Working with partners who have global infrastructure allows for producing goods closer to their final destination rather than shipping everything from a single central location.
How to choose a promo partner that prioritizes sustainability
For procurement, marketing, and operations leaders evaluating vendors, here are the criteria that matter most.
1. Prioritize quality over quantity
Does the potential partner focus on creating fewer, better items instead of high-volume, low-quality trinkets? Look for evidence of thoughtful product curation and a commitment to durability. A partner who pushes you toward cheap, forgettable items isn’t aligned with sustainability goals (or effective marketing, for that matter).
2. Look for consolidated global operations
Partners with in-house production and regional fulfillment hubs can significantly reduce the carbon cost of shipping. Fragmented vendor networks that require multiple shipments from various locations multiply your logistics footprint unnecessarily.
3. Ask about inventory and fulfillment technology
A unified inventory management system reduces waste from overproduction and minimizes the need for carbon-intensive expedited shipping. Technology platforms that provide visibility into the supply chain help optimize logistics and avoid last-minute scrambles that require air freight.
4. Evaluate their design philosophy
Does the partner create products that people genuinely want and will use, or do they just slap logos on generic, forgettable items? Intentional, user-centric design leads to longer product life and a lower environmental impact per impression.
Ready to build a more sustainable merchandise program? Let’s talk.
The most sustainable promotional product is one people actually want to keep
The 2026 PPAI-ASI study confirms what I’ve long believed: quality beats quantity, and intentional design beats generic trinkets. Sustainability in the promotional industry isn’t just about materials or certifications, it’s about creating value that lasts.
In a world full of disposable branded items, the real opportunity is to make something worth holding onto. That’s better for the environment, better for brand recall, and better for the relationship between your brand and the people who interact with it.
At Imprint Engine, we’ve built our approach around this philosophy since 2012. We help global brands create merchandise programs that prioritize quality over quantity, thoughtful design over generic products, and long-term partnership over transactional vendor relationships.
Chat with our team today. We get it.
We can’t wait to connect with you.
FAQs about carbon impact in the promotional products industry
Does shipping promotional products internationally increase their carbon footprint significantly?
Yes, international shipping adds to the carbon output. However, working with partners who have regional production and fulfillment hubs can minimize this impact. Producing goods closer to the end destination rather than shipping everything from a single central location reduces the logistics footprint considerably.
Are recycled materials always the lowest-carbon option for branded merchandise?
Not necessarily. While recycled materials reduce the need for raw material extraction, they can sometimes require more energy to process. The full lifecycle of the product often matters more than the material source alone.
How can a company estimate the carbon footprint of its promotional product program?
The best approach is to work with partners who track data on production, materials, and logistics. Some providers offer carbon accounting as part of their reporting services, though industry-standard calculators are still emerging.
What certifications indicate a promotional products supplier prioritizes sustainability?
Look for business-level certifications like B Corp and ISO 14001, or product-specific certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) for textiles and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) for paper goods. It’s also worth asking about internal sustainability commitments beyond third-party certifications.
Can branded merchandise programs achieve carbon neutrality?
Yes, programs can achieve carbon neutrality by offsetting emissions through the purchase of carbon credits or by investing in carbon removal projects. However, true neutrality depends on accurate measurement and the use of credible, high-quality offset programs.