designing and crafting eco-friendly awards for the United Nations

At Eco Awards and Gifts we specialize in a sustainable approach to the custom design and creation of unique, handcrafted awards, trophies, and plaques. 

So, when we received the brief to develop awards for the United Nations (UN), there was one main focus: to create an award that was as eco-friendly as possible. 

Before initiating the design phase, we first considered the UN’s 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goals lay out the path to a better world for all people and the planet and what we need to do collectively to get there.

With this in mind, we took special consideration of goals 13 and 15: Climate Action and Life on Land.

We used two primary materials. The first, maple wood from a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) supplier. We felt that this would help work towards the Life on Land SDG which aims to protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and sustainably manage forests.

As a small awards business based in scenic British Columbia, we recognize the beauty and importance of our incredible forests and the need for them to be sustainably managed and preserved.

Not only did the maple wood help to work towards this goal and ensure the awards were eco-friendly, it also provided the perfect material for sculpting into an exquisite design with a modern clean finish. 

To compliment the wood, we 3D printed the body of the eco awards from a PLA material. PLA is made from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugar cane. It’s recyclable, biodegradable and compostable — helping us work towards the Climate Action SDG to urgently combat climate change. 

Combining sustainable maple wood with 3D printed PLA allowed us to craft an award that was contemporary and striking, yet sustainable and environmentally friendly. 

A trophy design studio with extensive experience in the creation of unique, handcrafted, eco awards, we are always excited to take on new projects and bring client ideas to life using sustainable, recovered and recycled materials. 

why your business should focus on sustainability in 2024

Climate change has become a major issue within the public domain. As global temperatures continue to rise, so does the topic of conversation, with the threat of global warming increasingly becoming reality. Extreme temperatures, flooding and droughts, landslides, wildfires and large storms — it’s becoming harder to ignore the impact humans are having on the planet. The result? Attitudes are changing and consumers are seeking out greener alternatives.

A study by Business Wire suggests that in the last five years, 85% of people globally have changed their purchasing habits to become more sustainable. It’s no surprise that businesses are responding by considering their processes and stance on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The outcome has been positive. In 2022, a survey found that 80% of retailers who embarked on altering their business to reduce their environmental impact have resulted in increased customer loyalty. 

Surrounded by towering mountains, as we design and craft our awards from the picturesque town of Squamish, British Columbia, we’re reminded daily of the beautiful natural world we have a responsibility to protect. If your business is adapting to a greener approach this year, then we can help provide environmentally friendly awards for your corporate event or employee recognition gifts. 

We specialize in a sustainable approach to the custom design and creation of unique, handcrafted awards, trophies, and plaques using locally sourced materials. Having worked with clients such as the United Nations and BluEarth Renewables, we understand the importance of manufacturing awards using eco-friendly materials - and considering the environmental impact of our processes - while still achieving high-level corporate branding and contemporary designs. 

With the global opinion likely to continue to sway further in favor of the positive preservation of the planet, now is as good a time as any to employ greener business practices for a healthier natural world and future business prospects. 

chfa - unique eco award collection

We completed a series of custom designs specifically for the 2015 CHFA awards ceremony. We customized some of our pre-designed awards and created a few new designs too. Together they are a unique collection that represent a tiered awards system. Incorporating the clients corporate color palette, we created a colorful sub-graphic for the awards. Then we used a variety of recovered and FSC Maple, as well as caramel bamboo for the top tier award. No new 'off-the-shelf' Maple was purchased for these awards.  

bcit space / technology awards

We finished these fantastic space/technology themed awards. A custom award created specifically for BCIT (British Columbia Intestate of Technology). We have worked with BCIT for several years now, providing them with unique, creative and meaningful trophies and awards. 

tech awards....

We worked closely with out client to create something very exciting. Effective collaboration will always yield a great result!

custom paperweights

We don't just make custom trophies and awards, we also make custom and creative gifts! These custom paperweights look fantastic. Printed in full colour with our digital flatbed UV printer. 

eco paperweights - new modern design!

Introducing our new bamboo paperweights. These are handcrafted from eco friendly bamboo and come in two-tone (as pictured), solid caramel or solid natural. They are the prefect corporate gifts or just a small thank you for someone special. We can print in full colour on these as well with our UV flatbed printer. So you can be assured we can match your corporate colour palette (PMS or CMYK). White and gloss inks too. 

Corporate gifts do not need to be boring like the old fashioned glass or crystal 'doorstops'. Give a unique and modern gift instead. Or contact us about creating something custom. As well as awards and trophies, we specialise in corporate gifts. 

unique gifts

We made these modern gifts for Cadillac Fairview to give away to show thanks and appreciation. 

new eco awards: two-tone bamboo

We have just finished designing a new award for our 'eco' range; the two-tone eco bamboo award! We can make these with a full colour plaque (as pictured) or with the front laser engraved directly into the bamboo. These awards are quick to produce making them ideal for last minute events. 

custom aluminium award - pyramid

Our modern interpretation of the classic pyramid style award. We used a modern aluminium instead of the usual glass or crystal that most awards are made out of. 

custom perpetual trophy - eco materials

We just finished this fantastic custom perpetual football trophy for our client. We specialise in custom corporate recognition products but, we can also design for sporting events.

This custom perpetual football trophy has been handcrafted from locally sourced Douglas Fir wood, anodised aluminium and finished with screen printed text and graphics. We believe that creating modern and unique sporting trophies is important as most sporting trophies are boring and mostly look the same (cup style). 

Andrew Watson Design specialises in custom handcrafted corporate recognition awards trophies and plaques. We work globally providing high quality custom handcrafted corporate recognition awards trophies and plaques to our clients in Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand. We ship to all major cities and regional destinations.