Custom lanyards might seem like a small detail, but when you’re ordering hundreds or thousands made from new materials, the environmental impact can rack up quickly. More businesses are looking for ways to reduce their footprint, and that includes the products they use every day such as eco-friendly lanyards made from sustainable materials like rPET and bamboo.
If your organisation has sustainability targets to meet and wants to make more environmentally responsible choices, switching to eco-friendly lanyards is an easy win.
What Are Eco-Friendly Lanyards?
Eco-friendly lanyards are made from sustainable or recycled materials rather than virgin plastics. One of the most popular options is rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) which is made from recycled plastic! It offers the same benefits as traditional lanyard materials and is just as durable and vibrant whilst being better for the environment. We also offer bamboo lanyards made from quick-growing, low-resource crops that replenish rapidly. Bamboo lanyards have a distinct off-white colour for a more natural appearance.
rPET Lanyards: Giving Plastic Bottles a Second Life
rPET lanyards are manufactured from recycled bottles, creating a use for plastic waste and reducing the demand for new plastic production. The material is made by collecting used PET bottles, breaking them down into fibres, and weaving those fibres into a durable but soft fabric that has a similar texture to traditional polyester. It has a smooth, satin-like feel
From a practical standpoint, rPET lanyards are just as good as traditional lanyard fabrics. They’re durable, comfortable to wear, and can be printed with either dye sublimation or screen printing techniques. Your logo and branding will look just as vibrant on recycled materials. If you’re working towards carbon reduction targets, B Corp certification, or industry-specific environmental standards, switching to recycled materials will help you take a clear step towards your environmental goals.
Bamboo Lanyards: Fast-Growing and Biodegradable
Bamboo is one of nature’s most sustainable resources; it’s quick-growing and requires little water compared to other crops. Unlike trees that take decades to mature, bamboo
reaches harvestable size in just three to five years, and certain species can grow as much as a metre per day.
Because bamboo grows so rapidly, bamboo fabrics have been adopted across the textile industry to make everything from socks to activewear. Bamboo fabric is made by breaking down the bamboo into its natural cellulose fibres which are then spun into fabric.
At the end of their useful life, bamboo lanyards break down without releasing microplastics like their synthetic alternatives made from petroleum-based chemicals. This addresses one of the biggest concerns in textile manufacturing – what happens to products after we dispose of them.
Bamboo lanyards have a distinctive, off-white colour rather than a bleached, bright white that gives the material a more natural appearance that helps build a strong brand association with eco-friendliness.
Meeting Sustainability Targets
Many organisations now have sustainability reporting requirements either from regulatory bodies or as a voluntary commitment. Choosing eco-friendly lanyards gives you a measurable way to monitor your environmental impact, allowing you to include these figures in your reporting and statistics.
For organisations pursuing certifications like ISO 14001 or industry-specific environmental standards, every sustainable purchasing decision you make counts towards your goal. Eco-friendly lanyards offer an easy switch that supports your broader sustainability targets.
Ideal for Eco-Conscious Sectors
For certain sectors and businesses, your environmental impact is central to your mission. Just some of the industries and sectors that can benefit from eco-friendly lanyards include:
- National parks and environmental organisations
- Educational institutions
- Charities and NGOs
- Corporate businesses
- Hotels and the leisure industry
- Healthcare organisations
- Local councils and government bodies
Custom Printed Eco-Friendly Lanyards
Choosing sustainable materials doesn’t mean losing out on quality and customisation options. rPET material behaves just like traditional polyester, meaning it accepts both dye sublimation and screen printing techniques.
Full-colour printing works excellently on rPET lanyards, producing vibrant results for complex logos and multi-colour designs. Screen printing offers precise Pantone matching for bold, simple designs requiring exact brand colours.
At JustLanyards, we can advise on which printing method works best for your design to help you make sure your branding looks incredible on your chosen material.
Making the Switch
Transitioning to eco-friendly lanyards is straightforward. Whether you’re ordering for the first time or replacing existing conventional lanyards, the ordering process is exactly the same – just choose rPET or bamboo when selecting your lanyard material, then follow through our personalised lanyard design tool step by step.
Pricing for sustainable lanyards is comparable to the pricing for traditional lanyards, making eco-friendly materials accessible. Minimum order quantities start from just 50 pieces, perfect for smaller businesses as well as bigger corporations.
How to Order Eco-Friendly Lanyards
Eco-friendly lanyards are a small and simple change that plays a part of a broader sustainability journey. They showcase that your business takes their environmental obligations seriously, even for items that might seem small. These minor changes on smaller items add up to a big commitment when implemented across a whole company and makes a real, genuine impact.
Eco-friendly lanyards made from rPET recycled materials or sustainable bamboo offer professional, durable identification solutions that align with environmental values. They help meet sustainability targets, reduce environmental impact, and demonstrate genuine commitment to responsible business practices—all whilst serving the same essential functions as conventional lanyards.
If your organisation cares about environmental impact, switching to sustainable custom lanyards is an easy, practical step that makes a real difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eco-friendly lanyards are typically made from either rPET (recycled plastic bottles) or bamboo fibre. rPET lanyards use recycled material made from plastic bottles, reducing new plastic consumption. Bamboo lanyards are made from fast-growing, biodegradable bamboo plant fibres that breakdown neutrally at the end of their lifespan.
Yes, eco-friendly lanyards made from rPET or bamboo are just as durable as conventional lanyards. Both materials accept printing with dye sublimation or screen printing techniques making sustainable lanyards a practical choice for every business even with complex logos.
Eco-friendly lanyards contribute to sustainability targets in clear, measurable ways, representing your company commitment to reducing your environmental impact. rPET lanyards reduce plastic waste by using recycled materials and lowering CO2 emissions compared to virgin plastic production. Bamboo lanyards use renewable, fast-growing resources that are biodegradable at end of life. These environmental benefits are key for sustainability reporting and can be factored in as part of your environmental obligations for companies who are trying to meet the standards set by a governing body, ISO 14001, or attain B-Corp status.
Minimum order quantities for our custom eco-friendly lanyards starts from 50 pieces, making sustainable options accessible for organisations of all sizes. Whether you need a small batch for your team or thousands for a large organisation, we keep our eco-friendly lanyard prices competitive and comparable to traditional lanyards.