Challenging the Industry's Disposable Swag Problem
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vermont Company Challenges the Outdoor Industry's Disposable Swag Problem with TreeSleeve
Better Wheel Workshops' TreeSleeve offers outdoor brands and event organizers a biodegradable, handcrafted alternative to petroleum-based swag
NEWFANE, VT — As outdoor brands face growing pressure to reduce waste and align promotional products with sustainability commitments, Vermont-based Better Wheel Workshops is offering an alternative to one of the industry's most common disposable giveaways: the foam can cooler.
Handed out by the thousands at ski events, music festivals, breweries, and trade shows, the standard can cooler is typically made from petroleum-based foam — a low-cost giveaway with an outsized environmental footprint. Even premium alternatives made from stainless steel carry a carbon-intensive manufacturing process.
Better Wheel Workshops' answer is the TreeSleeve™, a handturned, solid hardwood can insulator made from birch, maple, and cherry sourced from the Northern Forest. Each piece is bored hollow on a lathe, fitted with a cork liner, and laser-engraved with a choice of more than 50 designs — or fully customized with a brand's own artwork.
"We weren't trying to build a sustainability brand," said co-founder Jeff Chevalier. "We were just looking at a pile of wood that was too small for anything else, and a pile of foam coolers that were headed for a landfill, and it didn't take long to see the better option."
Built from what would otherwise be waste
The TreeSleeve is made from material the industry calls "nuisance wood" — pieces too small for traditional lumber use, typically destined for firewood. This means using locally sourced hardwood billets that maximize utilization of the tree and support small-scale forestry operations. Better Wheel Workshops sources this material through a relationship with Timberdoodle Farm & Sawmill, a family-owned operation in New Hampshire that shares the company's commitment to sustainable forestry practices.
The result is a fully biodegradable product — a claim the company says it has not seen matched by any other can insulator on the market, foam or metal.
Built to last — and built to be used
Unlike disposable foam coolers, the TreeSleeve is designed for years of daily use. Over time, the natural oils from a user's hand smooth and polish the wood, developing a unique patina specific to each piece.
"Most products ask you to be careful with them," said co-founder Fiona Chevalier. "This one asks you to use it. The more it's handled, the better it looks. Beautiful things should be used."
A practical option for brands and event organizers
For outdoor brands, breweries, and event organizers looking to reduce reliance on single-use promotional items, the TreeSleeve offers a durable, brandable alternative. Available in 12- and 16-ounce sizes, with a slim-can adapter and a spacer ball that allows a 12-ounce can to fit a 16-ounce TreeSleeve, the product is designed for flexibility across beverage formats — beer, cider, seltzer, sparkling water, and craft non-alcoholic options alike.
Wholesale pricing, custom branding, and bulk options are available for retailers, breweries, and corporate partners.
About Better Wheel Workshops
Better Wheel Workshops is a small, husband-and-wife woodworking business based in Newfane, Vermont. The company designs and hand-produces the TreeSleeve, a solid hardwood can insulator made from sustainably sourced Northern Forest hardwood, alongside a range of custom wood goods for retail, hospitality, and corporate gifting.
Media Contact
Jeff and Fiona Chevalier
Better Wheel Workshops
sales@betterwheelvt.com
betterwheelvt.com