Sustainability

Our Sustainability Timeline

Running an event shouldn't cost the earth. We're here to help you make yours greener, without compromising on quality, cost or the moment your participants cross the line.

For nearly four decades, event organisers, schools, clubs and councils have trusted Running Imp to supply their medals, awards and event essentials. Today, that means offering you the most sustainable options we can, and being honest about the journey we're still on. We continuously review our products, packaging, supply chain and processes to reduce our environmental impact, and we're proud of what we've achieved so far. But we're committed to doing even more.

In 2026, we added two new recycled products to our range: 100% Recycled Sublimated T-shirts and 100% Recycled Pin Badges. As we head towards 2027, we're still exploring new sustainable alternatives for you to bring to life at your events.

These are some of the measures we have taken:

Sustainable medals for your event

Whatever your event, there's a sustainable medal to suit it. We (Bespoke Medals) were the first supplier to offer 100% recycled zinc medals back in 2024, and we continue to push for recycled materials to become the industry standard rather than the exception.

Our 95% recycled medals have been part of our range since 2000, when we expanded our supply chain. Since then, our sustainable options have grown to include 100% recycled zinc medals, eco-friendly wooden medals and, as of 2025, seed paper medals that can be planted after your event.

Recycled & non-toxic ribbons

In 2023 we updated our ribbons to use non-toxic inks as standard. We also offer recyclable heat transfer ribbons and RPET yarn versions, produced from recycled plastic, so the finishing touch on your medal is as considered as the medal itself.

Our medal take back scheme

Ordered more medals than you needed? We've partnered with a local recycling business so you can send any leftover metal medals back to us after your event, and we'll make sure they're put to sustainable use rather than ending up in a drawer or landfill. It's one less thing for you to worry about once the finish line's packed away.

Plastic free packaging

We've been steadily reducing unnecessary plastic in our packaging. Where medals once came individually wrapped in plastic, we now bulk-pack them in tissue paper instead. Our packaging is sourced, manufactured and recycled using renewable energy, and we reuse the packaging our own suppliers send to us wherever we can.

Lower carbon shipping

To lower our carbon emissions, we encourage  all our customers ordering custom products to opt for sea freight delivery over air freight. By communicating with our customers via our website, phone calls, emails & social media, we can make customers aware of the lead times on sea freight, allowing them plenty of time to order in time for their event.

We have a dedicated member of staff who works hard to ensure we group our sea shipments accordingly to fill full 20ft/40ft containers fortnightly rather than LCL (Less than container) daily.

All our Freight forwarders are a member of the clean cargo strategy – an organisation to reduce unavoidable global goods movements.

Design medals that last

Sustainability doesn't have to mean spending more, often it means wasting less. Using our FREE design service, we'll help you design a medal built to last. Leave the date or year off the medal itself and any unused finisher medals carry straight over to next year's event, no waste, and a lower cost to you. Simply refresh the ribbon design each year to mark the difference.

Closing the loop

Overall, we’re working to achieve a closed-loop process, which minimises waste, reduces emissions caused by transportation, cuts energy usage and maximises recycling, with an aim of ensuring that nothing goes to landfill.

Let's make sustainability an industry standard, leading the transformation towards 100% recycled medals and products worldwide.

Investing in a greener business

In 2024, we installed 220 solar panels to our HQ, which will significantly minimise our power use.

We also upgraded all our Powder Fire extinguishers to New P50 Foam Extinguishers , these are both sustainable & recyclable, and highlights our commitment to eco-conscious solutions throughout our business.

We have recently upgraded from a 2 pillar SMETA Audit to a 4 pillar SMETA Audit which includes (Labour Standards, H & S, Environmental performance and Business Ethics), this underpins our commitment to ensuring our factories have the appropriate policies and procedures in place.

We continue to upgrade our HQ technologies & domestic appliances to be more energy-efficient, including recycling old computers, switching our lights to LED & training our team on recycling practices in the workplace.

There’s more we want to do … but we’re on it. 

We aren't stopping here, our investment into sustainable products & practices continues, and our research into how we can become more eco-conscious never stops.

To learn more about our journey towards sustainability, new eco-friendly products & how you can bring sustainability to the forefront of your events, sign up to our mailing list here.