Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Say no to paper Christmas cards

You can save time, money, and the planet by saying no to paper Christmas cards. Each year, 2.65 Billion holiday cards are sold in the United States.** The majority of these cards quickly find their way to our landfill. In addition to the waste involved in manufacturing these cards, there's also the added resource costs of delivering them all over the world.

You can still send holiday wishes to your friends and loved ones and be environmentally conscientious. I recommend sending e-cards. E-cards are often less expensive than paper cards (some are free!), and you can incorporate pictures and music if you want to. Plus, they're fast. No stamps, no addressing envelopes. Just select a design, paste in your pictures, enter your email addresses and you're done!! They're also perfect for procrastinators as they're next to instantaneous.

Here are some services to try out: Smilebox, Hallmark, Blue Mountain, and eGreetings. Compare prices.

Be aware that if you send the free cards, they usually appear with advertisements next to them. You might want to try sending a free card to your self from each of the services to see if you like what you see.

Creating your family's holiday ecard is even a fun activity to do with your children.

Show your creativity. Avoid waste. Wish your friends and family well. You can have it all!

~Dawn

** Medical University of South Carolina’s Green Holiday Tips and Recycling
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