What Does It Really Mean?

We are becoming more aware every day not of only the responsibility but also the desire we have to live an eco-positive life!

Let's look at a few environmental terms you've likely heard:

• Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that contribute to global warming. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. Greenhouse gases greatly heat the planet. This is a good thing to a certain extent because without any greenhouse gases, the Earth would be almost 60 degrees colder on average. Too many greenhouse gases aren't good, however, because they heat the planet too much.
• Greenhouse effect: The process by which greenhouse gases re-emit heat back to the Earth before soaking up all that radiative energy later and re-sending it again. Keep repeating.
• Carbon footprint: This is the measurement of how much greenhouse gas you cause to be emitted because your activities or business. The more carbon dioxide you send into the air, the higher your carbon footprint.
• Cap and trade: Surely, you've heard about 'cap and trade,' right? It's a highly politicized subject, but it ties in to an understanding of going green. In a nutshell, the cap is a limit on how much greenhouse gas a company can emit. For those companies that stay under that cap, they have the option to sell 'greenhouse gas emissions' permits to other companies that have a tough time staying under the cap.
• Climate change: Change in global climate because of human activities.*

*Source : American Forest and Paper Association

With those basics in mind, how does it all apply to how we corporately behave? While most of us ntuitively realize the benefits of turning off the lights and trying not to be wasteful, there are many of us who still don’t understand the ‘paper vs. e-commerce’ conversation.

BOTH PRINT AND DIGITAL MEDIA HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

In an effort to educate ourselves and answer our own questions, we want to share some information that we found particularly enlightening!

The Paper Side

Have you heard of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification program?

It’s a program that tracks paper-based materials through the production process - from the forest to the consumer - including all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution. In order to qualify for certification, businesses must be audited - and the certificate is only valid for five years.

To date: 148,626 have been certified*

*Source: Forest Stewardship Council

Many companies large and small are requiring a FSC certification from their vendors to do business.

FAST FACTS:

• Forest land in the U.S. has increased by 5.3 million acres in the last 30 years*
• One third of the U.S. is forested - 751 million acres - more trees than we had 70 years ago.*
• Private landowners in the U.S. plant about 4 million trees each day.*
• 60% of all forestland in the U.S. is privately owned.*

*Source : American Forest and Paper Association

The Digital Side

Our hunger for electronics and technology is insatiable. But what happens to our old gadgets?

Below are some interesting statistics:

• The EPA reports that more than 112,000 computers are discarded every single day. That’s 41.1 million desktops and laptop computers per year. And that’s just here in the U.S. not including computer monitors.
• Only 13% of electronic waste is disposed and recycled properly.
• USA Today projected electronic-waste growth and predicted that by 2014, manufacturers will produce 70 million tons of “e-waste.”

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Use a Certified E-Waste Recycler

Find an e-waste recycler certified through the Basel Action Network (BAN). BAN is a non-profit organization devoted to certifying e-Stewards, recyclers who are committed to safely and responsibly recycling electronics. Members take and demonstrate the Pledge of Responsible Recycling, so working with a certified e-Steward means you don’t have to worry that your gadget will become another nation’s pollution or a criminal’s newest project. BAN’s recycler locator will help you find the certified safety and comfort of e-Stewards in your area. *

*Source: Heather Levin

Check Out These Resources

So, Do I Go With Paper or Digital?

The ease and instantaneousness of digital media fulfill an undeniable business need, but what at first seems like an obvious solution to ‘going green’ isn’t so obvious, is it?

E-commerce is here to stay. And in the world of communications especially, a special e-greeting, text or quick digital missive is often the perfect way to communicate.

However, the simple elegance of a handwritten note or personalized greeting - on paper - makes not only for a more personal gesture, one with lingering impact, but also for a clean eco-conscious on your part.

And that gives you the latitude to base your paper vs. digital decisions on cost, communications style and the preferences of your customer.

Each new year, millions of Americans and billions across the planet resolve to do better. We resolve to lose weight, quit smoking, stop spending, start exercising. We resolve to make the world a better place or to take more time for ourselves.

All are worthy resolutions. And we have one more to add to your list!

Reconnect.

Update old contact information and touch base with people you haven't heard from in awhile. And we have a novel idea for you: Do it without Facebook or electronic gadgets!

Nothing against social media (come find us at facebook.com/greetingcardcollection!), but there is something about the tradition of handwritten notes on stylish personalized notecards that brings to mind a classy era gone by. Besides, reconnecting with friends, associates and clients, this will give you an opportunity to thank them for the relationship and create a positive start to the new year!

Can you imagine a more *positive* way to begin the new year?

Click here to personalize your note cards today.

Taking a genuine interest in other people is not merely an effective life skill, it's an important business communication tool. You can never, ever, ever go wrong in doing so.

At Greeting Card Collection, we of course encourage our clients to send business greeting cards as a means of staying in touch with associates, customers and vendors. However, corporate greeting cards are only one way of impacting people in your business world.

If your budget allows for a fully dedicated public relations team, then they're your communication advocates. Talk with them about how they can help you build stronger relationships with folks inside your sphere of business influence.

If you're on your own PR-wise, however, we have some suggestions for you. Steps to take in addition to developing a business greeting cards program. Call us at 214.578.7373 if you'd like to get that program started today.

Tip 1: Build a People Calendar
Our calendars and daybooks are self-centered by nature, and that's not a bad thing. We need calendars to keep us on track.

We're suggesting you create a secondary calendar that is focused on other people. Add birthdays, anniversaries, important dates and events. Turn this calendar into a mechanism for scheduling opportunities to impact people you care about. For example, let's say you know that a client will be celebrating an anniversary with his wife next weekend.

Send a greeting card and some flowers.

How easy is that? The people calendar helps keep you on track with regard to touching others. Showing that genuine interest in other people has to become a habit; therefore, it needs to be a priority.

Tip 2: Go Electronic
Use Google to create 'Google Alerts' for important people in your life. With 'Google Alerts,' you can get a daily email listing links to sites and articles related to any subject you give it.

In this case, you'd create a Google Alert to ensure you know when the important people in your life make the news or when they're mentioned on a website.

When that happens, shoot them a note letting them know you noticed. You'd be amazed how far that goes, and it's not fake or phony. You're showing genuine interest in other people. We're just suggesting you let Google Alerts do some of the work for you.

Tip 3: Be a Social Media Butterfly
Many companies create a Facebook presence and then use it only to promote products. We would encourage you instead to interact and use social media to affect something positive in the lives of others.

Answer questions. Recognize achievements. Promote the personal interests of important people in your life.

Here's an example: If your client is hosting a black tie dinner benefiting a certain charity, then use the power of your Facebook presence to promote it. Use Facebook (and Twitter) for not only the benefit of your own company but also for the benefit of other people.

What comes around goes around.

And while we want you to choose Greeting Card Collection for your business greeting cards, our primary mission is to promote thoughtfulness.

Thoughtfulness is the business of life.

It feels good to give back -- and, now, Greeting Card Collection has a program that allows you do that just in time for the holidays.

It's our 2011 Charity Program - Make A Difference!

Greeting Card Collection offers a Holiday Card program that allows us to partner with your company to make a difference. By donating a portion of your sales to the charity of your choice, you can still select a holiday card that projects your core values and unique marketing vision.

While we have established relationships with national charities, we understand that many of our customers like to support local charities in their community. As a WBE, we are happy to provide this program on a local level allowing you to choose to support one or several charities at the same time. We can also put a donation line and logo inside your Holiday Card to let your customers know what charity you are supporting.

Not only do we create that special card that can include your charity information, but we also make a donation on your behalf. It's a wonderful way to give while being consistent and unified in the way the world sees you.

To learn more about the charities we support and about the program, click here.

Or should you have questions, email us anytime at info AT greetingcc.com.

For the vast majority of us in America, Bastille Day 2011 came and went without so much as a consideration of the French national holiday.

Called La Fête Nationale, the holiday commemorates the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, which symbolized the rise of a nation during the French Revolution.

Truth is -- we don't have a collection of Bastille Day cards. You know; we considered it but ran into that whole supply-demand thing and figured the holiday probably didn't warrant an exclusive collection here in the States.

However, we'd bet many of you do business in France and have French clients or colleagues. It's good business to be cognizant of other cultures.

So, while we might not have any Bastille Day cards available presently, we ARE in the business of helping you be better business communicators. We'd love to hear about YOUR business and its multinational efforts.

You never know how we might be able to serve you! There are certainly plenty more holidays to go in 2011.

Click here to browse our collection of holiday cards.