Contact: Michelle Gangi
Company: U Brands LLC
Tel: 949.209.1609
Email: mgangi@u-brands.com
U BRANDS™, LLC. ON THE FOREFRONT OF SUSTAINABILITY
U Brands®, LLC excited to share sustainable initiatives including U Eco writing line and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification
NEW YORK, NY – February 2, 2020
As the National Stationery Show gets underway, one trend expected to be front and center this year is sustainability and environmentally friendly product solutions. Today’s market is becoming increasingly aware of the climate and societal challenges surrounding environmental issues. Each day consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the negative environmental effects that different materials emit and the stationery category is no stranger to this scrutiny. U Brands® has taken this change in consumer behavior to heart and developed a brand new Eco-friendly writing line, U-Eco™.
“I have three young kids and I am constantly being reminded by them to recycle, not buy water bottles and buy the “green” version of clothes, toys, etc. I am proud of their commitment to the environment and I understand it is a priority for them, but oftentimes their options are limited. But why should they be?” explained Mike Cerillo, CEO of U Brands.
This mindset led to the foundation of U Brands new writing line strategy, U-Eco™. U-Eco is a line of 3 writing instruments, including a 3ct Gel Ink Pen, a 6ct Hybrid Color Ink Pen and a 3ct Mechanical Pencil, made from reclaimed materials. U Brands is leveraging the plant-based material, wheat straw, which the material left over after wheat grains are harvested. Traditionally, wheat straw has been treated as a waste however, with the proper treatment, it can be reclaimed into a pellet similar to plastic. These pellets reduce the amount of total plastic in a product which in turn reduces the plastic waste. This new U Eco™ line combines the quality and fashion U Brands is known for with an environmentally friendlier material.
“We recognize consumers want to be environmentally conscious without having to sacrifice quality or fashion and that there is a gap in the market for these dual-purpose options” said Director of Product Development, Michelle Gangi. “This is just the beginning; we have been researching additional product categories to leverage with wheat straw and alternative materials that we just are not aware of yet. Expect to see a lot more environmentally friendly solutions from U Brands in the future.”
U Brands® is committed to reducing their carbon footprint. In 2017 U Brands® explored alternatives to traditional materials for their products and packaging. U Brands® launched their first upcycled packaging in 2015, a mason jar storage packaging for their push pins and binder clips. Additionally, they focus on FSC certified materials from their manufacturers and using bamboo paper on their children’s line, U Play, for products like art pads. In 2019 U Brands® became FSC certified for paper and packaging products and since then practices a companywide mandate that all paper items going forward are sourced from FSC certified factories. They continue to invest in alternative resources and opportunities for recycled and upcycled packaging.
Product Availability
The U Eco™ line will be available at select retailers in April of 2020 and is available for order now on ubrands.com. The retails on these items will range from $7.00 to $10.00.
About U Brands
To keep up with the latest U Brands® has to offer, follow @u_brands on Instagram or check out www.ubrands.com.
U Brands® is a registered trademark of U Brands®, LLC. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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