Guide to Eco Gadgets

What are eco gadgets, you say? Are those more useless products pushed by green marketing teams that want you to buy, buy, buy? Are eco gadgets just another promotional tool that green geeks buy because they think they're trendy and "cool"?

Eco gadgets are anything from solar-powered clocks made of recycled products, to wind-powered universal chargers. Eco gadgets make cool "eco gifts" for yourself, your employees and your customers:

1. With the push for green products, giving eco gadgets as a promotional giveaway item is smart green marketing, especially if you're marketing a green product, or marketing yourself as an environmentally conscious company.

2. Some green gadgets are really unique, and will make a lasting impression on your customers.

3. Giving your employees eco gadgets for birthdays or small bonuses will promote your green business policies in your company.

When you're looking for eco gadgets, try to keep in mind something really important — the farther that gadget needs to travel to end up on your desk or Prius, the less "eco" it becomes.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Go retro with your eco gadget for promotions - calculators never go out of style

Solar-powered calculators are maybe the oldest eco gadget around. Oldie but goody, you say? I agree.

I recommend: rushIMPRINT sells a customizable solar calculator that you can imprint with your logo. Get a calculator that doubles as a ruler from Branders.com. Or go crazy and get a water-powered calculator from Empire Promotional Products.

But calculators are boring and you want the good stuff

You want something with a little more pizazz, but you don't want to go bankrupt either. Companies are lining up to find you snazzy eco gadgets that are affordable as well.

I recommend: Get tiny hand-cranked flashlight keychains with your logo imprinted. ePromos sells them in bulk. You turn the crank to charge it, so it never needs batteries. Check out the Hydro Water Powered Alarm Clock. You can use water or get creative and use beer to power it up.

You're looking for an eco gadget that's going to make you look really cool

You got money to spend? You'll need it for some high-end eco gadgets. Go for it.

I recommend: A HYMini from MINIWIZ Sustainable Energy is a handheld, universal charger that uses wind power and solar power to recharge almost all your 5V digital gadgets. The Gidget Gadget is a case for your iPod or cell phone, and is made entirely from recycled billboards. The Power to Go solar backpack won an award in 2005 for Green Gadget of the Year. The backpack includes solar panels to charge your PDAs. Another great gadget for the tech geek is the EarthDrive, a recyclable USB thumb drive made from bio-recycled material. The company also donates part of its revenue to tree-planting. An external hard drive, the Kanguru Eco Drive, reduces energy consumption with a patented power-saving mode.

You want eco gadgets for your office to show your commitment to protecting the environment

Decorate your office with eco gadgets to show employees and customers your dedication to environmental causes.

I recommend: Botanical PaperWorks sells calendars that you can plant. Gimmes.com offers customizable recycled plastic picture frames, made of recycled money, newspaper, denim scraps or yellow pages. Go to Choose Renewables for a Solar Powered Dual Security Light for outside the office.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Green gadgets come and go - stay on top of trends by checking blogs and online reviews for new and upcoming eco gadgets. You don't want to be the only one left out the soon-to-be bamboo cell phone revolution, for example.

The official source of Eco Gadgets is the Eco Gadgets page at Business.com