HOLIDAY CARDS

There are so many traditions, that while sweet and generous, are a big waste of the Earth. Holiday cards are one such thing. People, whom you haven’t talked to in years, feel obligated to send you a card wishing you and your family well over the holiday season.

I guess I have never been one to understand the tradition, although I think the sentiment comes from a heart felt place. However, the waste of trees in order to produce such influx of mail is astonishing.

Americans, on average, purchase 7 billion holiday cards each year. That is an astonishing amount of virgin paper used for a simple greeting. On top of that, there are other environmentally damaging manufacturing practices used to make paper greeting cards, such as toxic printer inks and fixing agents. We must also consider the additional weight of the mail. Yes, your carrier is coming to your house anyway. But the sheer weight of all the greeting cards mailed annually adds to the fuel-consumption requirements associated with shipping them by 18-wheeler, plane, and mail truck. And then there is the fact that sooner or later, our greeting cards end up in a land fill. Even if they go to a recycling bin, there are some costs with transportation and conversion of the old cards into something reusable again.

So… what to do? If you absolutely MUST send something, please choose recycled greeting cards. They can be found in most places. Here are some online resources:

My Good Greetings
kidbean
Cards Direct

What would be my FAVORITE solution? Give an eCard!! You can get these from many greeting card websites… you know the ones… a simple google search will direct you accordingly.

Or, you can make them even more personal, by spending the same, if not less, amount of money having them designed by an artist. My friend Ruth Ann designs amazing web based holiday cards. I am sure she can create them according to whatever theme you would want. Another benefit, is you are not limited with what you want to say. You don’t have to restrict to whom you send based on mail cost or card cost. And, best of all, you are not hurting the environment.

Here is Ruth Ann’s website: http://ruthannanderson.com/

However, I am sure with some simple searches you can find other people, as well.

Consider all the ways you can be green this holiday season… Happy Holidays!