Tchotchke as per www.urbandictionary.com: A small piece of worthless crap, a decorative knick knack with little or no purpose. Side note: Chotchkie can be pretty, sentimental, or even occasionally useful though it usually breaks easily if useful.
SWAG as per www.urbandictionary.com: SWAG stands for Stuff We All Get, typically when attending an expo or trade show. You get SWAG when people at booths hand out free stuff like pens, prizes, etc.
In my experience, this type of swag or Tchotchke is often cheapo junk imported from other countries. It is free and fun to collect, but after the initial charm, what does a person do with it?
Our landfills and oceans are filling up with plastic junk. Why do businesses still spend money on this stuff? Do they really think that it is impressing anyone? It certainly doesn't tell the recipient that they are valued.
Green City Living has seen a significant growth over the last couple of years from companies that wish to buy green gifts to give their employees for special recognition days, showing an investment in their staff and in our planet. What better way to tell people that you are behind them for the long haul?
Green living starts with challenging our day to day purchases--and being thoughtful about their longevity. If a business gift is likely to break when tested by an eight year old, it probably isn't a good buy--it's likely to disappoint--and what does that say about the giver?
Please do your part for our environment and end business distribution of junk. Make business gifting count. Send an email to trybnggreen@gmail.com to learn more about our business partnerships or our fundraising opportunities for schools/non-profits.