Electronic Christmas Cards

Hi Darlene,

This isn't an entirely unfounded claim, but there are so many variables that you really have to do some leg work to identify the more environmentally preferable approach. Your typical server farms are certainly energy hogs. But so are your typical printers?who also have to contend with high VOC emission, potentially toxic materials use/disposal, shipping impact of pre- and post-printed materials, etc. The only real way to reduce the impact of the e-card would be to find a company that:

- Uses energy-efficient equipment
- Uses lower-toxic equipment (good luck with that)
- Recycles/donates used equipment - Implements other environmentally-conscious operational practices (recycling/composting, purchasing, commuting, etc)
- Provides living wages/benefits to employees (people forget that this is a major piece of the sustainability puzzle)
- Equipment life-cycle extension
- Offsets energy use with credits
- Etc

It is much more common to find "green printers" who do the above, though still difficult. But you can do plenty of other stuff to reduce your printed card's imprint:

- Print on used substrate (not just recycled)
- Print with veggie-based inks
- Use a certified printer who implements eco-conscious operational practices
- Print waterless
- Design a card with extended life (a 12-month-on-1-page calendar, for example, won't end up in the trash as often or as quickly)
- Use a printer who uses chemical-free plates, and recycles their plates
- Target and cull your mailing list to reduce waste
- Etc

So it's not cut-and-dried: I'm always suspect of people who make blanket statements about one approach or another. At the end of the day, these decisions require looking at the whole system, not just the point where a card moves from one hand to another.

Best,
Jess

Jess Sand
Principal, Roughstock Studios
http://www.roughstockstudios.com
PO Box 460010 ? San Francisco, CA 94146
P: (415) 643-0121 ? F: (415) 643-4896

Hi Darlene,

I don't know for sure but I can't imagine that developing the web services and sending electrons around has near the impact of cutting down trees, processing them, bleaching the paper, printing, and then delivering to stores and then to the recipients. One thing to keep in mind is the e-card method you use. Most people will not open e-cards that have a program or even a link in the email. Many firewalls will block them. They could easily transport a virus. The approach I have taken is to simply create a Christmas Card in HTML and send it as an email. No links and no .exe files.

Merry Christmas!
Ken Donnelly

Ken Donnelly
Vice President,
Eastern Canada LURA Consulting
lura.ca [email protected]
t:902.422.8088 | f:902.422.6788 | c:902.223.6123 3650
Hammonds Plains Road, Unit 14, Suite 350
Upper Tantallon, NS B3Z 4R3

I'm afraid I haven't had alot of experience with listserv notifications so I didn't know otherwise how to respond.  I would like to make comment on the issue of those 'in the know' about electronic Christmas cards....good grief.  No one buys and sets up a system just to send cards.  They send e-cards as a function of electronic life.  If we spent as much time worrying about the amount of gas or electricity it takes to get to the store to buy the card or the electricity and other energy it take to make the traditional cards in the first place, we might never see Christmas come.   I for one will be sending e-cards.  No trucks or airplanes required to deliver them and no paper mills to make them.  Just the use of already requested services to send it.  

Have a great Christmas...happy emailing!
[email protected]

Hi ­

we¹ve sent electronic greeting cards now for a few years ? clients and supporters love it! We have staff nominate recipient groups and then we vote. The top three, out of 15 or so nominated, are then contacted and researched. We design a flash-movie card and send it to clients/supporters through an email. A few years back, we worked out the cost to our company of sending a post card and it was about $3 each (not including the energy it takes to deliver a snail mail card). We now donate that money directly to whichever recipient group our clients choose. With 1,500+ people on our listserv, that turns into needed cash for groups doing good in our community. Here is a link to the flash movie. Feel free to take a look and get inspired for 2009 holidays: http://www.junxionstrategy.com/ecard/index.php?email=travis@junxionstrategy.. com&firstname=Travis&lastname=Junck

This is our way of giving back, involving our clients and supporters in the process, and hopefully connecting some of them to the groups we support so much.

Happy ho, ho, ho.
David Kuefler

David Kuefler
Junxion Strategy Inc.
Fourth Floor, 131 Water Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada  V6B 4M3
T 604.263.0303 
C  604.839.2000
1.877.JUNXION (586-9466)
www.junxionstrategy.com