Terri Martin wants to change the way people think about reusing gift bags. After digging through her used gift bag pile, she discovered they were neither made in USA or of recycled material. That prompted Terri to start a business that made sense for the environment.
Gift ‘n Grow offers Eco-friendly, 100% recycled paper gift bags made in the USA. To encourage people to reuse the bags, inside each one is an I.D. code to help identify that bag’s journey. When someone gives or receives one of these bags, they simply log into the Gift ‘n Grow website to record the code and see where the bag has been.
Purchasing eco-friendly packaging products helps save resources, and passing them on keeps them out of landfills. Printed on the bags is their slogan, “One bag and one tree can make a difference.”
Terri began promoting her business by going to shows. She was asked by one of her area schools to sell the bags at a vendor fair. Since then, Gift `n Grow has taken off through word of mouth.
Since starting her business last fall, one bag has been passed 7 times already. A few bags passed 6 times and dozens have been passed 4 and 5 times. She lists the location, and you can leave a comment, include what was in the bag, and the occasion. Soon Terri plans to let users be notified by e-mail when the bag is passed on. Currently, the bags have been passed on to 26 states.
Terri states, “I mainly wanted people to be able to see what a difference they could make for the environment by saving paper waste and trees.”
Each bag features a tree design. Because the idea is saving trees and planting trees, Terri felt it made sense to have a tree on the bag. It may be branches or leaves in the future. As long as she can remember, she has been passionate about trees even as a little girl taking walks with her father.
She believes most people want to be “green”. People are very receptive to her idea and the bags. It captures people for different reasons. Some like that they are made in the USA, or that they are made of recycled material, that you can log them in and see where they go and of course that they give back and plant a tree. She has been told by so many people that they already re-use gift bags. People like that Gift ‘n Grow bags have a story behind them and a purpose.
She loves Nashville Wraps Green Way® products along with the blogs and commitment to the environment and community. To help with new tree plantings, Gift ‘n Grow gives 10% of its net profits to national forestry organizations.
Gift ‘n Grow also has a wholesale program for retailers to carry the bags for your own green initiative.
Success to Terri means making a difference in life – either for the environment or for other people. We believe she is doing both.
Buffie Baril
Internet Advertising Manager
NashvilleWraps.com
