All about:
Sustainable promotional products.
Environmental protection has been close to our hearts since bb trading was founded – that’s over 20 years ago. From the very beginning, we knew we had two responsibilities: to keep our company running and to take care of sustainability. In other words, taking ecological, economic, and social responsibility seriously.
When we started in 2001, we firmly anchored the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) concept into our company’s principles. What does that mean in practice? We distribute our promotional products as sustainably as possible. And if you’d like, you can see it for yourself. For us, full transparency is key. That’s why you have access to our sustainability portfolio and our detailed sustainability report, which we’ll happily send to you upon request.
Sustainably
economic.
Our motto: hard facts, demonstrably sustainable business practices – no hot air! bb trading is evaluated by EcoVadis, a globally operating organization. The goal is to make the performance of companies in the areas of environment, social responsibility, and ethics measurable and comparable. We have been awarded the Gold Medal on our EcoVadis Scorecard. This places us among the top 1% of evaluated wholesale companies. Furthermore, each year we create our own sustainability report, which we have prepared as part of the ÖKOPROFIT certification to ensure full transparency in our actions.
Sustainably
fair.
We place great importance on ensuring that your promotional products are manufactured under fair conditions. As the first promotional products provider in Switzerland with amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) membership, we are proud to have played a pioneering role in shaping fair procurement practices in our industry. We maintain a collaborative exchange with our long-standing producers and commit to assessing compliance with ethical and social standards among suppliers from various high-risk countries.
Sustainably
ecological.
We set stringent criteria for the selection of our promotional products to ensure they are environmentally friendly. By ensuring that our products have a low carbon footprint we make a valuable contribution to climate protection projects in Switzerland and Tanzania. In addition, our environmentally-friendly business practices are certified under globally recognized standards.
Our guiding principle:
Sustainability.
All for one:
Our initiatives.
To stand for social, environmentally conscious, and responsible business practices, we take decisive action – and never stand still. That’s why we continuously develop our commitment and processes to meet the highest standards.
Social standard according to amfori BSCI.
As the first promotional products retailer in Switzerland, we joined amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) and have remained actively involved ever since. . By doing so, we commit to verifying suppliers from various risk countries for compliance with ethical and social standards. Over 85 % of our producers from risk countries hold an amfori BSCI audit. In clear terms: No discrimination, child or forced labor, but fair wages and working hours, safety, and environmentally friendly production.
Sustainability rating by EcoVadis.
EcoVadis is a globally active organization dedicated to making companies’ performance in the areas of environment, social responsibility, and ethics measurable, comparable, and ultimately improvable. Over 100’000 companies across 175 countries have already been assessed, including bb trading. In 2024, we achieved a score of 75/100 on our EcoVadis Scorecard and were once again awarded the Gold Medal. This places us among the top 3% of evaluated wholesale companies. We are proud of this achievement and see it as motivation to continue reducing our CO₂ emissions in the future.
| Certified annually since 2015 and once again awarded the outstanding Gold Rating in 2024. |  |
Environmental management according to ISO 14001.
ISO 14001 is a globally recognized environmental management system standard. Certification is an important milestone for us in terms of sustainability. Here’s the focus: In the categories of planning, implementation, control, and improvement, we assess how we can minimize and continuously optimize the impact of our business on the climate and nature through environmentally friendly practices.
| Transparency that convinces. Check out our ISO 14001 certificate now. |
CO2 accounting with Climate Impact.
Since 2017, we’ve been committed to sustainable production. As the first promotional products distributor in Switzerland, we offer climate-conscious manufacturing for our entire range under our label, Climate Impact. In collaboration with Intep and using data from Ecoinvent, we’ve developed a database that calculates the CO₂ emissions of each promotional product throughout its entire lifecycle. The calculated emissions are invested in climate-relevant projects with myclimate, which work to reduce CO₂ emissions on a significant scale.
Our tip, if your order isn’t urgent: Choose alternative transport for your promotional products, such as truck, train, or ship instead of air freight, and help us save CO₂ together.
| In cooperation with the Swiss non-profit organization myclimate. Click here to view our climate certificate. |  |
bb. Eco Rating:
Full shopping transparency.
In the world of branded promotional products, we provide you with guidance through our rating leaves. The long-term goal: 100% transparency in the promotional product market! We evaluate each product individually based on the 6 key sustainability criteria. This gives you an overview and control over the sustainability of your purchase with us. For the rating, we use data from the Ecoinvent life cycle database, which evaluates the environmental impacts of the materials used in our products. Other factors, such as transport methods, reusability, recyclability, and social conditions, are also taken into account. The result is a rating, simplified for you as a «leaf rating».
Visualized:
Sustainability
Are you a sustainability pro and eager to learn more? You’ve come to the right place! First, we gather data from our six sustainability parameters, which we detail below. These data are then combined to generate an overall score. Based on the score, each product is categorized into one of five levels, from A to E. Our goal: a product range full of green and no red!
Calculated sustainably.
No worries, even if math was your second foreign language in school, our approach should be easy to follow. After all, it’s the hard facts that count. We’ve defined and classified these with Intep, an environmental consulting and research company. Each category has three to five weightings based on its environmental impact, which we visualize in a spider chart. Got it?!
Clarity and facts instead of prejudices! We use data from the Ecoinvent life cycle assessment database to evaluate the environmental impacts of materials used.
Rating Scale
| 5 points | Emission factor 0 to 2.99 CO2/kg |
| 4 points | Emission factor 3 to 4.97 CO2/kg |
| 3 points | Emission factor 4.98 to 11 CO2/kg |
| 2 points | Emission factor 11.01 to 19.99 CO2/kg |
| 1 point | Emission factor > 20 CO2/kg |
Dress your promotional items in an environmentally friendly way! Discover printed gifts without unnecessary packaging and be an environmentally-conscious trendsetter in advertising. No packaging ever? Unfortunately, not. Certain products require protection to ensure that the print and the item remain undamaged.
Rating Scale
| 5 points | Loose |
| 4 points | Polybag |
| 3 points | Cardboard |
| 2 points | Polybag/Cardboard |
Ready, steady, save CO2! Choose the green shipping method and reduce the ecological footprint of your promotional gifts.
Rating Scale
| 5 points | Europa by truck |
| 4 points | Far East by sea freight |
| 3 points | Far East by train |
| 2 points | Europe by airfreight |
| 1 point | Far East by sea freight |
We stand for fair working conditions! Discover printed promotional gifts from Switzerland, the EU, and far-off countries that meet our social standards.
Rating Scale
| 5 points | Production in Switzerland |
| 4 points | Production in Europe |
| 3 points | Production in developing country with Amfori BSCI |
| 1 point | Production in developing country without Amfori BSCI |
Durability is the key to sustainability! Printed promotional items that are used for a long time are good for the environment and your advertising budget.
Rating Scale
| 5 points | More than 10 uses or more than one year |
| 4 points | 2 to 10 uses or up to one year |
| 2 points | Single use or up to one month |
We show clearly how a high percentage of the materials used can be recycled to reduce waste and conserve resources.
Rating Scale
| 5 points | 80 – 100% |
| 4 points | 20 – 80% |
| 3 points | 0 – 20% |
Questions? We reply
sustainably.
With our bb. Eco Rating, sustainable promotional shopping becomes easy and trendy. Do you want detailed information or do you have any questions? Our CSR Pro Maja Bürkli is looking forward to explaining everything you want to know.
Be green:
Our labels.
Conserving resources, sustainable value chains, social responsibility – and still staying economically and customer-oriented: not so easy, right? Nevertheless, we have made it our top priority to create transparency on these important topics while keeping a clear view.
As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility agenda, we work in different areas and with various labels, trademarks, and sustainable principles not only to call ourselves green but to be truly green.
As an internationally operating non-profit organization the Forest Stewardship Council® promotes and establishes consistent standards for sustainable forest management. It also helps to make wood and paper products from sustainable sources recognizable to consumers. As one of the few promotional item providers, we are FSC licensed and want to contribute to allowing future generations to benefit from sustainable resources.
SEAQUAL is a global community of NGOs, fishermen, researchers, and advocates working for clean waters and environmental protection. Over 200 tons of waste have already been collected and processed, into yarn and other products in over 60 countries. We use this yarn for sustainably printed bags or towels. As a legitimate licensee, 5% of the sales proceeds are also reinvested in ocean protection.
The Fairtrade seal directly supports fair payment for small-scale farming families and decent working conditions in developing countries. Initially created for coffee farmers, it now extends to various food products as well as printed textiles, shopping bags, footballs, etc., that are labeled with the seal. We offer a wide range of Fairtrade-certified promotional items and giveaways.
Textile production requires many chemicals, from fertilisers and pesticides to dyes and bleaching agents. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certifies materials and products with regard to their safety and checks the production facilities for ecological standards. This ensures that your textiles are free from harmful substances. We offer a selection of workwear and promotional textiles according to this standard.
The organisation campaigns for better working conditions in textile factories. Among other things, this means no discrimination, no child or forced labour, fair wages, limited working hours, freedom of association and healthy working conditions, similar to the amfori BSCI social standard. This label makes your favourite item even more fun to wear.
The Global Organic Textile Standard is a globally applied standard for the processing of textiles made from organically produced natural fibres. From the field to your finished T-shirt, the entire textile chain is tracked and certified. So you can be sure that the promotional textile has been organically grown, processed and finished from A to Z.
The idea is simple: every product is broken down into its individual materials during disposal and returned to the material cycle. This preserves raw materials and conserves resources. In addition, sustainable materials and renewable energies are used, which keeps our environment healthy. Most people may be aware that this is not quite so simple. Nevertheless, we think it is important to support this certification whenever possible and to take it into account in our promotional items and giveaways.
While just a few years ago the range of organic products was very limited, today almost everything is available in organic quality. That’s great! We also prefer organic and locally sourced options for promotional items and giveaways because it’s simply healthier. If you’re looking for a specific promotional product in organic quality but can’t find it on our website, just ask. We always have an open ear for sustainable special requests and green inquiries outside our standard range.
Finite resources and the uncertain future of the planet are unfortunately ongoing concerns. That’s why we prioritize recycled materials in our promotional items and giveaways whenever possible. Whether it’s paper, PET, cotton, or plastic, recycling is fortunately such a trend that (almost) all materials and products are reused. We carefully and continuously expand our range of promotional items in this area.
Have you tried our vegan products yet? You will be pleasantly surprised that they are absolutely delicious. Whether it’s sweet promotional items, savory goodies, or plant-based refreshing beverages for lively customer advertising, you will certainly leave a sustainable impression. With our vegan body care products, you don’t have to compromise either because they guarantee the best indulgence, care, and a clear conscience.
Let’s talk:
Contact.
Want to place an order, get advice, or learn more about our sustainability commitment? No problem – we’re here for you during office hours and happy to help!
