Badges and Medals runs four sustainability programmes tied to customer orders: Plastic Bank (two plastic bottles removed from ocean-bound waste per medal ordered), One Tree Planted (one tree in the Amazon per 100 medals, when you opt in), carbon offsets on shipping via Explorate, and sustainable packaging (about 80% of packaging materials are reused, sustainable, or recyclable). The company also uses FSC-certified and recycled wood on wooden medals, recycles production waste, and runs twice-yearly sustainability training for staff.
If you order awards and care about environmental impact, this page explains what your purchase supports — programme by programme — and what is still in progress (for example plastic ribbons and phasing out single-use plastic product bags).
At a glance: what your order supports
|
Program |
What happens |
Trigger |
Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Plastic Bank |
Plastic waste collected before it reaches the ocean; collectors paid |
Per medal ordered |
|
|
One Tree Planted |
Tree planted in the Amazon Rainforest |
Per 100 medals (with your go-ahead) |
|
|
Shipping carbon offsets |
Transport emissions tracked and offset with carbon credits |
Per shipment you receive |
Explorate |
|
Reforestation (in-house target) |
Trees planted toward carbon absorption |
Company programme (linked to One Tree Planted) |
One Tree Planted |
|
Sustainable packaging |
Recycled outer boxes, |
Requested by client |
Badges and Medals operations |
Reported impact to date (from Badges and Medals): Plastic Bank collections have supported 208+ people in Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cameroon and removed 31.8 tonnes of plastic from reaching oceans 01/05/2026. Customers receive a sustainability certificate showing how much plastic their order helped remove.
How your purchase supports sustainability
Plastic Bank — two bottles per medal
What it is: Badges and Medals partners with Plastic Bank. For every medal you order, the programme funds removal of two plastic bottles' worth of ocean-bound plastic.
How Plastic Bank works: Collectors in vulnerable coastal communities gather plastic that would otherwise risk entering the ocean. The plastic becomes plastic feedstock for new products. Collectors receive income and social benefits (such as insurance or school supplies) in return.
Reported results: Badges and Medals states that customer orders have helped 208+ people across Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cameroon and removed 31.8 tonnes of plastic from reaching oceans — equivalent to roughly six adult African elephants in weight 01/05/2026.
What you receive: A sustainability certificate showing how much plastic your order helped remove.
One Tree Planted — one tree per 100 medals
What it is: Through One Tree Planted, Badges and Medals plants one tree in the Amazon Rainforest for every 100 medals you order — once you give the go-ahead.
Why trees matter: Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, which supports canopy ecosystems and atmospheric carbon storage.
Reported progress: Badges and Medals targeted 1,500 trees planted in the Amazon by March 2025 [VERIFY: confirm cumulative total as of publish date — article was written ahead of that milestone].
Carbon offsets — shipping emissions
What it is: Badges and Medals states that transporting awards is likely its biggest environmental impact. To counterbalance shipping, the company uses:
- Reforestation — including the One Tree Planted program.
- Carbon credits via Explorate — shipping emissions are tracked; carbon credits are purchased per shipment to fund projects designed to absorb or counteract the emissions from that delivery.
Standalone fact: Badges and Medals partners with Explorate to track and offset shipping emissions with purchased carbon credits per shipment received by the customer.
Sustainable packaging — three layers
Packaging protects awards in transit. Badges and Medals uses three layers: outer box, inner cushioning, and product-level wrap.
Current mix: About 80% of packaging (by weight) is made from reused, sustainable, or recyclable materials — roughly 800 kg per tonne of packaging used 01/05/2026
|
Layer |
What Badges and Medals uses |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Outer |
Boxes from 100% recycled materials |
Reusable or recyclable on arrival |
|
Product |
About half of products wrapped in recyclable, unprinted paper (target: all products); large plastic bundle bag still used on some paper-wrapped bundles for transit safety |
Paper wrap vs individual plastic bags cuts plastic use by an estimated 80–90%; single-use plastic product bags targeted removed by 2027. |
|
Inner |
Recycled or reused cushioning — e.g. repurposed packing peanuts, bubble wrap with partial recycled content |
Chosen to reduce virgin plastic |
For a full breakdown of eco-friendly packaging types (shredded paper, cardboard inserts, fabric bags, etc.), see Sustainable Packaging For Medals: What Are The Options?.
Example: Round The Bays used Badges and Medals custom medals with packaging designed for straightforward unpacking.
Wooden medals — where the wood comes from
Wooden medals and trophies from Badges and Medals draw on two sustainable wood sources:
|
Share of wood |
Source |
|---|---|
|
~50% |
FSC-certified supplier — Forest Stewardship Council certification for sustainably harvested timber |
|
~50% |
Sustainably sourced basswood |
Green production at Badges and Medals
Beyond programmes tied to your order, Badges and Medals describes these in-house practices:
|
Practice |
Detail |
|---|---|
|
Sustainability training |
Staff receive training twice per year — efficient resource use, waste reduction, carbon footprint |
|
Metal recycling |
Leftover metal recycled at a local metal recycling facility |
|
Wood reuse |
Waste wood taken home by employees for reuse |
|
Renewable electricity |
Offices run on 80–85% renewable electricity. |
|
Energy-efficient machines |
Manufacturing equipment chosen for energy efficiency |
|
Local sourcing |
Materials bought locally where possible |
|
Mould retention |
Award moulds kept 3–4 years to avoid disposable mould waste |
|
Medal upgrades |
Ribbon-swap upgrade service — refresh old event medals instead of buying new or landfilling stock |
Audits: Badges and Medals states it has passed two independent audits on environmental responsibility.
FAQ
Is Badges and Medals a sustainable medal supplier?
Badges and Medals positions itself as a sustainable awards supplier through Plastic Bank (per-medal ocean-plastic collection), One Tree Planted (opt-in trees per 100 medals), Explorate shipping offsets, ~80% sustainable/recyclable packaging, FSC and recycled wood on wooden products, and in-house recycling and training. Some gaps remain — ribbons are still plastic, and single-use plastic product bags were targeted for removal by 2025 [VERIFY status].
What does Plastic Bank do on my medal order?
Two plastic bottles' worth of ocean-bound plastic is funded for removal per medal ordered, via Badges and Medals' Plastic Bank partnership. Collectors in Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cameroon are among those supported. You receive a certificate quantifying your order's contribution [VERIFY current programme terms].
How many trees does my order plant?
One tree in the Amazon Rainforest per 100 medals, when you opt in and give the go-ahead. This runs through One Tree Planted. Badges and Medals cited a 1,500-tree milestone by March 2026.
Are metal medals from Badges and Medals recyclable?
Brass and zinc alloy medals, crests, challenge coins, and lapel badges are recyclable after events, per Badges and Medals. Half of metal medals use recycled zinc alloy. Ribbons are recycled plastic.
Are Badges and Medals' suppliers sustainable?
Badges and Medals says ~95% of materials come from two main suppliers, evaluated on fair wages, safe conditions, carbon reduction, and sustainable/recyclable materials. Supplier performance is reconfirmed on each order. For ethics detail, see Is Badges And Medals An Ethical Business?
How does Badges and Medals offset shipping emissions?
Shipping is tracked through Explorate. Badges and Medals purchases carbon credits per shipment to fund projects that absorb or counteract the stated emissions. Reforestation (One Tree Planted) is listed as a complementary step.
Can I get a sustainability certificate for my event?
Yes. Badges and Medals provides a sustainability certificate showing how much plastic your order helped remove through Plastic Bank.
Key takeaways
- Every medal ordered funds removal of two plastic bottles' worth of ocean-bound plastic through Plastic Bank, with a certificate for your event.
- Every 100 medals (with opt-in) plants one tree in the Amazon via One Tree Planted.
- Each shipment is offset using Explorate carbon credits, alongside company reforestation targets.
- ~80% of packaging is reused, sustainable, or recyclable — outer boxes are 100% recycled content; product-level single-use plastic bags were targeted for phase-out by 2027.
- Wooden medals blend FSC-certified, basswood, and recycled Christchurch salvage timber.
- Metal awards are recyclable; ribbons remain plastic — an stated area still in development.
- Two independent environmental audits.