"Eco-friendly" is printed on plenty of products these days, often without much explanation. With fridge magnets, the term means something when you can point to each part of the magnet and say what changed. Here's how we think about it, layer by layer, along with the questions worth asking any supplier before you order.
Think in layers, not labels
A promotional fridge magnet has a printed face, a protective finish, the magnet itself and the adhesive between them. Then there's the energy used to make it and the packaging it travels in. Each of those is a chance to use less virgin material, less plastic or cleaner power. An environmentally friendly magnet is one where several of those choices have been made deliberately, and the supplier can tell you exactly which ones.
Layer 1: the paper
The printed face is the part everyone sees. On Green Magnets it's printed on 100% recycled paper, so the print layer is made from paper that has already had one life, rather than freshly made stock.
Paper is also the layer that's easiest to verify. If a supplier calls their magnets "recycled", ask whether that refers to the paper, the magnet or both, and what proportion is recycled.
Layer 2: the laminate
A fridge magnet lives a hard life. It's handled with wet hands, splashed, rubbed and moved around. A protective laminate keeps the print looking good through all of that, which is part of why magnets last.
On many standard magnets, that protection is a plastic film. Green Magnets use a plastic-free, biodegradable laminate instead. It does the same protective job without adding a plastic layer to the face of the magnet. If you're comparing environmentally friendly magnets, the laminate is one of the clearest differences to ask about.
Layer 3: the magnet
The magnetic backing, often called rubber magnet, is the bulk of the product. In a Green Magnet it contains at least 30% recycled material. That's a meaningful step: it reduces the amount of new magnetic material that has to be produced for every order.
It's worth being precise here. Recycled content in the magnet doesn't make the finished product recyclable, and we don't claim it does. It means less virgin material goes in at the start. Our guide are fridge magnets recyclable? covers the end-of-life side honestly.
Layer 4: the energy
Materials are half the picture. The other half is how the magnet is made. Green Magnets are produced in our own factory in Prestons, Sydney, using 90% renewable energy from solar power on the factory.
Making magnets in our own factory also means the process is in our hands, from printing and laminating to cutting and packing. Green Magnets are the sustainable range from Clever Fridge Magnets, which has made promotional fridge magnets in Australia since 1994, and they were Australia's first sustainable fridge magnets.
Layer 5: the packaging
It's easy to overlook, but packaging is often the first thing a customer throws away. Green Magnets are packed in 100% recyclable packaging with no plastic, so there's no bag or bubble wrap headed for landfill when your order is unpacked.
What doesn't make a magnet eco-friendly
Some things look green without changing much:
- A leafy logo or green colour scheme with no detail behind it.
- A general "eco" claim that doesn't say which part of the product is different.
- Claims about what happens to the finished magnet at the end of its life that aren't explained. Most fridge magnets combine materials, so ask how that would actually work.
Specific, checkable statements are a better sign than broad ones.
Questions to ask any supplier
Whoever you buy from, these questions will tell you a lot:
- What is the printed face made of, and how much of it is recycled?
- Is the protective laminate plastic? If not, what happens to it over time?
- Does the magnet itself contain recycled material, and how much?
- Where are the magnets made, and what powers the factory?
- How are they packed? Is there any plastic?
- Can the finished magnet be recycled, and what's the honest answer?
- How does the price compare with a standard magnet?
A supplier with real changes behind their claims should be able to answer every one of these plainly.
Long life is part of the picture
Even a carefully made magnet has an impact. The way to make that impact count is to design something people want to keep. A magnet that holds a calendar, a notepad or the numbers a household reaches for will stay on the fridge far longer than one that's purely an advertisement. Our guide to designing a fridge magnet people keep has practical ideas.
Eco-friendly without the premium
Choosing eco-friendly fridge magnets doesn't have to stretch your budget. Green Magnets are priced competitively with standard fridge magnets, and the same sustainable materials run across the range, from business card magnets to calendars. Browse the full range, choose a quantity on any product page and get your price by SMS in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
Is the whole magnet plastic-free?
We describe the parts accurately rather than the whole. The laminate is plastic-free and biodegradable, and the packaging contains no plastic. The magnet backing is rubber magnet with at least 30% recycled content, so we don't describe the finished magnet as plastic-free.
Do eco-friendly fridge magnets cost more?
Green Magnets are priced competitively with standard fridge magnets. Choose a quantity on any product page and your price arrives by SMS in seconds.
Where are Green Magnets made?
In our own factory in Prestons, Sydney, using 90% renewable energy from solar power on the factory.
What is recycled paper used for in a magnet?
It forms the printed face, the layer that carries your design. On Green Magnets that paper is 100% recycled.