Disappearing Act
When we bag our trash in plastic, we add an extra layer of toxic waste to our landfills. BagUps, made of 100 percent biodegradable and recyclable material, disintegrate quickly and safely. Three boxes of 23 13-gallon bags costs $17.34 plus shipping. Call for commercial sizes or bulk orders. (516) 521-9301; bagups.net
Wrapper's Delight
In the age of the gift bag, it's rare to find wrapped gifts at events. But a bag, along with all of its attendant tissue paper, adds up to a lot of trash. Consider simply tying a pretty cloth around gifts, such as a silk handkerchief or bandanna; recipients can wear it or reuse it. Shrapps sells specially made cloth gift wrap, starting at $6.95 for individual orders or $4.25 each for wholesale orders. (203) 589-6758; shrapps.com
Soap Patrol
As hotels offer larger bars of soap and bottles of shampoo, the amount of waste also increases. Clean The World collects these throwaways, processes them into new bars and sends them to countries in need of soap to protect residents from communicable diseases. For your next meeting, sign up for a kit from the organization. (407) 574-8353; cleantheworld.org
Carbon Neutralized
Reduce, reuse, recycle might be the best way of making meetings and events more environmentally friendly, but even the greenest of events takes a toll. One Atlantic (oneatlanticevents.com), an event venue in Atlantic City, suggests partnering with Carbonfund.org to offset events. Planners simply estimate how much carbon their event is emitting, and the website determines how much they should contribute to a choice of carbon-offset projects. Even for large events, the cost probably won't exceed a few hundred dollars. (240) 247-0630; carbonfund.org
Broadcast News
New software, developed with input from meeting professionals, lets planners send news, schedules and presentations to attendees' smartphones. It works both ways, too: Through their phones, attendees can sign up for an event, provide feedback, ask questions and participate in contests. As with most custom-designed software, it's not cheap ($5,000 to $40,000 depending on the amount of customization), but it could make life easier for everyone involved. (415) 255-5727; macroviewlabs.com
Sales Tales
The Moth, which started as a gathering of people who liked to tell stories about themselves, has become a nationwide phenomenon. The storytellers offer team-building, corporate shows and training, in which employees learn how to turn pitches and presentations into compelling stories. Half-day programs for small groups cost $7,500 when held in New York City, more if farther afield. (212) 742-0551; themoth.org
Wrist Twist
Once the gyroscope inside this translucent plastic ball starts spinning, it becomes harder and harder to hold the ball, making it great for strengthening the hand and wrist. TBD Promos (yes, that's really the company's name) sells it for $6.50 to $9.50 for a minimum of 1,000 units; add-ons, like a speedometer or a light, are available. (626) 698-1183; tbdpromos.com
Beauty on the Cheap
Some events demand printed invitations, but a small custom (say, 30 or less) order through a stationery company can easily cost hundreds of dollars. Enter 9SpotMonk's beautifully designed, imprintable stationery: Just print the event's details using an inkjet printer. A set of eight invitations, thank-you notes and gift tags costs $38 here. Contact the 9SpotMonk directly for larger, more customized orders. (201) 795-1668; 9spotmonk.com
Doodle Mugs
These mugs, featuring playful designs by artist Alyson Fox, make an ideal gift for design-conscious employees and clients. Cost, $6.25 each for orders of more than $100, or buy individual gift sets of two here, for $25. (619) 467-6517; inkdish.com
Second Skin
TerraSkin is a new kind of paper crafted from mineral powder mixed with a nontoxic resin. It's made without wood and produces no pollutants (a byproduct of traditional paper-making). Custom gift bags cost about a dollar each for a minimum order of 3,000 bags. Smaller quantities of preset designs will be available by summer. (212) 265-8632; terraskin.com
Roving Registers
PAYware Mobile is a card reader that attaches to an iPhone and lets you charge a credit card securely anywhere -- in a trade-show booth, at a silent auction or at the door to a ticketed event. Just swipe the card, have the guest sign using the stylus, and a receipt is e-mailed to the customer. The product is free with a two-year agreement (subscription, processing and merchant fees are separate; contact credit card firms for details; your firm might already have accounts set up with one or more of them). (866) 853-7600; paywaremobile.com
Box Set
In hotel rooms, miscellanea such as spare change, name badges and business cards can get dispersed everywhere. Plenty of portable storage systems exist, but none so lightweight and inexpensive as these drawer organizers, which cost $9.99 for a set of six from IKEA. The containers fold flat while in transit and open up to hold any number of easily misplaced items. Thanks to organizing expert Nancy Nemitz (480-325-0994; createthespace.com) for the suggestion. ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90050590