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Carbon footprint of marketing channels 2026 — PPAI-ASI joint study ranking promotional products, out-of-home, print, email, TV, and digital advertising by CO2 per impression
A joint PPAI-ASI study (February 2026, conducted by independent firm 51toCarbonZero) found promotional products generate 0.7g CO2e per memorized impression — tied with out-of-home advertising for the lowest carbon of any channel measured, and 8x lower than digital advertising at 5.6g. This post covers the full 7-channel ranking, per-category promo carbon data, ESG procurement implications, and where the carbon case honestly breaks down.
ESG reporting has reached marketing budgets. Finance teams and sustainability officers are now asking the same question: what does each channel actually cost, measured in carbon per impression? The answer matters for scope 3 reporting, board-level sustainability disclosures, and the growing share of corporate procurement decisions that require documented environmental impact.
In February 2026, PPAI and ASI released a joint study conducted by independent research firm 51toCarbonZero that answered this question with full lifecycle methodology. The result: promotional products generate 0.7 grams of CO2 equivalent per memorized impression — tied with out-of-home advertising for the lowest of any channel measured, and eight times lower than digital display advertising at 5.6 grams. This post covers the full ranking, what drives it, how different promo categories perform, and where the carbon case honestly breaks down. It's part of Promolistic's industry research hub.
The table below ranks seven advertising channels by CO2 per memorized impression, combining the PPAI-ASI joint study (February 2026) with PPAI's publicly available summary of its Carbon Cost of Attention research (March 2026). "Per memorized impression" is the key unit: it normalizes for how long each channel actually generates brand recall, not just how many exposures were purchased.
| Rank | Channel / Category | CO2e per 1,000 impressions (est.) | What drives it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Promotional products (overall) | 0.7g per impression | Full lifecycle amortized across retention window |
| 1 | Out-of-home (billboard / transit) | 0.7g per impression | Tied — infrastructure shared across thousands of views |
| 2 | Print advertising | ~1.5g per impression | Paper, ink, distribution logistics |
| 3 | Email marketing | ~2.1g per impression | One impression per send; low carryover |
| 4 | TV / radio broadcast | ~3.8g per impression | Broadcast infrastructure, production energy |
| 5 | Digital display + social media | 5.6g per impression | RTB, data centers, low viewability |
Source: PPAI-ASI joint study, conducted by 51toCarbonZero, February 4, 2026; per PPAI's publicly available summary of Carbon Cost of Attention, March 2026.
One finding that often surprises marketing teams: email doesn't top the channel ranking. Email generates one impression per send — even at low per-send carbon, the lack of carryover impressions pushes its per-memorized-impression figure well above physical promotional items that generate hundreds of recall events from a single unit of production.
On a per-campaign basis, the gaps are even more striking. A digital advertising campaign produces 0.87 metric tons of CO2e — 2.2x more than a promotional product campaign at 0.39 metric tons. A TV broadcast campaign produces 7.83 metric tons, equivalent to running 20 promotional product campaigns of the same budget.
One nuance: per-dollar-spent parity with digital holds — both channels produce approximately 0.2g CO2e per dollar invested. The promo advantage is at the impression level, not the cost level.
The PPAI-ASI joint study used full lifecycle assessment (LCA) methodology, measuring emissions from materials sourcing through production, delivery, and end-of-life disposal. That framework captures embodied carbon in physical products and energy carbon in digital delivery within the same methodology.
"Per memorized impression" is the correct normalization because it accounts for how long each channel actually delivers brand recall. A promotional travel mug used every morning generates impressions daily for months. A digital display ad generates one impression per energy-intensive serve, with no carryover.
For a physical item, the math is: total lifecycle CO2 ÷ total impressions over use life. A stainless tumbler used 4–5 times per week for 18 months accumulates thousands of impressions from its manufacturing footprint. Each individual impression becomes very cheap from a carbon standpoint. A branded canvas tote generating 4,900 lifetime impressions distributes its embodied carbon across every use.
For digital channels, the math includes: data center energy, real-time bidding (RTB) compute, content delivery network load, and device rendering energy. The per-impression figure worsens as viewability rates decline — a meaningful share of served digital impressions are never actually seen, but the energy cost is real regardless.
The 0.7g CO2e overall figure for promotional products masks significant variation across categories. The carbon performance of a promotional item depends entirely on how long the recipient keeps it and how often they use it.
| Category | Per-impression CO2e | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| rPET tote bags | Under 0.3g | Recycled-material manufacturing + 4,900 lifetime impressions |
| Reusable insulated drinkware | Below 1g | Daily use 18+ months amortizes steel/production carbon |
| Recycled cotton apparel | ~0.5–1g | Lower material carbon; high visibility impressions |
| Branded bags (standard) | ~1–2g | 150+ uses over 18 months |
| Tech accessories | ~2–3g | Higher manufacturing carbon; daily use offsets if retention holds |
| Single-use promotional novelties | ~5–8g | Manufacturing carbon divided by very few impressions |
Per the PPAI-ASI joint study (February 2026) and PPAI's publicly available summary of Carbon Cost of Attention (March 2026).
rPET items (made from recycled plastic bottles) reduce material-stage carbon by up to 79% versus virgin polyester equivalents. Bamboo accessories and recycled cotton apparel also score well. These are the items where per-impression carbon falls furthest below the 0.7g category average.
Tech accessories have higher starting-point manufacturing carbon than fabric or stainless steel — circuit components, lithium cells, and plastic housings carry meaningful embodied carbon. But daily-use frequency and 18–24 month retention periods offset that. The category risk: tech accessories that don't work well get discarded immediately, generating almost zero impressions from their production footprint.
Single-use novelties — plastic keychains, stress balls, short-lifecycle items — are the category where the sustainability case for promotional products collapses. Manufacturing and disposal emissions divided by a very small number of impressions produces a per-impression figure that can exceed digital display. An internal sustainability audit that categorizes all branded merchandise together obscures this material difference.
Foldable Tote Bag Credit Card Size - Everless
Promotional 13¾ Cotton Canvas Market Tote
Custom Printed Tote Bag Cotton Tie Dye Candy - 14 x 16 in
Custom Printed Tote Bag Oxford Polyester Food Mat - 8½ x 12¼ in
Custom Printed Tote Bag Cotton Canvas Garden - 8 x 8 x 10 in
Marketing teams operating under corporate sustainability mandates can cite the PPAI-ASI joint study directly in budget justifications. The argument is quantitative, not ethical: "We chose branded merchandise because the February 2026 PPAI-ASI joint study, conducted by independent firm 51toCarbonZero, places it at 0.7g CO2e per memorized impression — eight times lower than digital advertising."
Material certification provides the audit trail ESG reporting frameworks require. Global Recycled Standard (GRS) covers recycled content. FSC covers paper and wood. GOTS covers organic cotton. Without those certifications, a "recycled" claim on a promotional product may not meet the documentation threshold for scope 3 reporting.
Before citing carbon claims in an external ESG report, ask your supplier for a lifecycle assessment or product carbon footprint summary for the specific items ordered, confirm material composition and recycled-content percentages, and get manufacturing origin and shipping distance data. The PPAI-ASI joint study gives you the channel baseline. Supplier-specific data confirms whether your actual order meets it.
ASI's 2026 Ad Impressions Study adds a brand perception dimension: 74% of consumers say they'd feel more favorable toward a brand that gives eco-friendly promotional products. That's a marketing argument on top of the carbon argument — brand perception lift that digital channels can't replicate in any form.
Silicone Key Ring Tumbler Shaped - 3 in
Promotional 40 oz Neoprene Tumbler Sling
Custom 32 oz Borosilicate Glass Tumbler
Insulated Tumbler Recycled AS Double Wall with Straw - 40 oz
BruMate Togosa Insulated Tumbler Dual Lid System - 50 oz
The PPAI-ASI study is rigorous — independent research, full lifecycle methodology, multi-market validation. But there are real limits to what the carbon ranking can and can't justify.
Where the comparison holds:
Where the comparison has real limits:
The conclusion isn't "promo beats digital on carbon in every case." It's that high-utility, durable items selected for a recipient who will actually use them often outperform digital on the per-impression metric — and eco-material options improve the math further. For the broader context on branded merchandise and its role in the marketing mix, see the branded merch vs digital ads recall post and the industry research hub.
Want the full picture?
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Industry Strategy & AI Editor · 11+ years experience
Jordan covers the structural shifts reshaping the promotional products industry — supplier consolidation, AI adoption, and federal AI policy. Before Promolistic, Jordan wrote on B2B operations + technology for two trade publications and built a research practice analyzing how mid-market operations teams adopt new tools. Their reporting lives at the intersection of supplier strategy and emerging technology.
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