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Everywhere I look, I see advertisements pushing all things “GREEN”.  From conserving energy to recycling, the twenty-first century is chock full of people advocating new plans of action that prevent excess waste.  Of course, like countless other earth-conscious people, I’m pro-green all the way and I try my best to implement every green technique that I can.  That’s why one holiday activity bothers me a bit…holiday greeting cards.  Is it just me, or don’t Christmas cards seem to go against the environmentally-friendly image that our society has been striving toward?

I mean, think about it.  Let’s say that I have 50 friends and families who would receive a paper Christmas card from me this year.  Between the paper cards, the paper envelopes, pictures, and possibly even paper update letters, it amounts to a lot of paper that will end up in a trash bin the second New Year’s is over.  I realize that snail mailed Christmas cards give a personal touch, but why not just send an electronic card through email and save a few trees?  Besides the lack of “greenness”, sending paper Christmas cards can get expensive.  To give a card to each of my 50, not only would I have to buy several packages of cards (which aren’t exactly cheap, in case you haven’t noticed—let’s estimate $12 for a pack of 15, which would end up being about $48 for 4 boxes), but I would also have to buy stamps.  Stamps currently run 44 cents apiece, so that’s another $22.  That’s $70 just to send out cards that will get displayed for a couple of weeks.  To me, that’s not worth it, and with so many people being in financial crises, I don’t think I’m the only one who feels that way.  E-cards are fun, fast, and (most of the time) free—AND you may even have the chance to include that family picture along with them.

I don’t want to completely do away with paper Christmas cards, because I understand that many people are reluctant, unwilling, or unable to get e-mail addresses and computers.  But maybe those savvy people you know wouldn’t mind receiving an e-greeting instead of a physical card, and then your wallet (and the environment) could be spared just that little bit.  Never underestimate the power that you have to make a change!

Here’s another thought: instead of sending paper Christmas cards to your family and friends, why not send them personalized items that they’ll actually keep after the holidays?  Quality Logo Products offers a vast selection of mailable products that you can customize with a Christmas message, like cookie cutters, pot holders, or carabiner keychains!  Consider all of your possibilities before mailing your holiday cards…

We’d love to hear your responses to this post and any of our other posts, so respond to us now!  Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and we’ll see you again very soon for our next blog post!

Article by Jill Tooley

Jill has been obsessed with words since her fingers could turn the pages of a book. She’s a hopeless bibliophile who recently purchased a Kindle after almost 6 years of radical opposition, and she loves stumbling upon new music on Pandora. Random interests include (but are not limited to) bookstores, movie memorabilia, comic book conventions, and adorable rodents. In addition to managing the QLP blog, Jill also manages the content development team, assists with the company’s social media accounts, and writes like a fiend whenever given the chance.