Happy Holidays! I didn’t send greeting cards this year.
I used to send cards on birthdays and holidays, but I didn’t send out any this year. No birthday cards, Christmas cards, or Happy Holidays cards. Is it because I’m more broke as the year progressed? That’s reason 1. But there are also other reasons I didn’t send greeting cards this year.
Why I didn’t send greeting cards
Cards don’t connect us as much as we think they do
To be honest, I’ve been thinking about not sending greeting cards for a while.
While I enjoy receiving cards with handwritten words of love from my friends – that personal touch is priceless – I’ve come to realize that greeting cards don’t do much beyond showing someone we remember him/her. There’s no conversation, just a few paragraphs of words written in a card sent to a friend, destined to not be replied.
Then it’s put away at the end of the season.
When’s the last time you look at old cards? Or do you not keep them? I keep some, but I got rid of some too. Ah. I do feel a little guilty about that.
We’re more connected than ever, virtually
In the pre-internet days, cards are useful and meaningful because it’s the only way to keep in touch other than meeting or calling our loved ones.
These days, we have email, social media, and text. I can talk to someone 10,000 miles away in a second. We can leave messages or statuses that friends and families can reply to.
You get to talk, it’s free, and it doesn’t produce the same carbon footprint or clutter. What’s not to love?
Keeping in touch more regularly off-season is equally meaningful
Do we need a card to show that we remember someone? Is receiving a card once a year better than a text conversation (or a phone call or video chat if you prefer that) every now and then?
Technology and social media have made keeping in touch with friends easier. I enjoy staying updated with my friends through their Insta-stories and social media posts. These posts give me opportunities to drop in comments and connect with them every now and then. It’s not really a conversation, but it’s an interaction.
Every time we reach out to talk to a friend, we’re keeping the relationship alive. Sometimes, it becomes an unexpected conversation. Cards are great, but they’re not the only way to show we care.
Cards have negative environmental impacts
Ultimately, cards would still have been a great idea if we didn’t have a climate crisis and it could be done more sustainably.
Too many occasions!
Every year, consumers buy 7 billion greeting cards. To make them, trees are felled, or recycled paper turned into cards. According to this site, 500,000 trees are felled to make the cards for the UK market alone.
Trucks send them to the shops, we buy them. After we write and post them, the postal trucks or planes deliver the cards to our loved ones. Eventually, the cards are read, cherished, then either recycled or thrown away.
So, our cards create carbon emissions. Though they can and should be recycled, refusing to use them is a better idea. Paper can only be recycled 7 times, so there’ll always be a need to cut trees down for virgin fiber.
If you have to send a card, do it sustainably
- When choosing a card, choose recycled paper cards, or cards made from responsible sources of trees (FSC-certified forests)
- Support sellers who sell cards without plastic films
- Choose cards without glitter and decorations made from felt, ribbons or metal charms. If you receive a card with these decorations, remove them before recycling
- Avoid foil-lined envelopes. They can’t be recycled
- Don’t send musical cards
- Really write a heartfelt message in it. Come on, make it count!
- Make your own with FSC-certified paper. You get to have fun and create a meaningful piece
- Make your own free e-card with canva.com or other apps
I understand that some of us love sending greeting cards – I actually enjoy making and writing them. And there are worst things trees and papers are wasted on. Cards are just an easy thing to avoid using. Besides, we’re already creating a lot of waste and carbon emission in this season of giving. So if I do send greeting cards, I’ll reserve them for birthdays and other special occasions.
If you believe in sending cards, by all means, do it, but do it with sustainability in mind. These posts are never meant to make anyone feel guilty.
However, if you’re comfortable with other ways of sending your well-wishes, it may be a great idea to not send greeting cards. Doing what we can to reduce our carbon emissions is definitely caring for our loved ones, even if they don’t know it.
If you need to write a message, consider using a tag, a note, or a piece of paper you already have at home. When I receive a card, I cherish what’s written in it way more than what’s printed on it. What about you? It IS the thought that counts, isn’t it?
What’s your stand on greeting cards? Do you love them? Or do you think they’re overrated? Let me know in the comments! If you’re interested in more ways to reduce your carbon footprint, visit the link!
I think Christmas cards are such a nice idea and I love the Hallmark store as much as the next person (more for the tchotchkes than anything else!), but I tend to find Christmas cards a bit old-fashioned (don’t get me started on Christmas newsletters either, haha). I think it’s lovely to catch up with people you don’t talk to once a year, but you’re absolutely right, why not just chat with them during the rest of the year? If you only think of certain people just at a certain time of year, are you really that close?
I understand that my parents are from an older generation and Christmas cards are just a thing you send (and some of our relatives get mad if we don’t include a newsletter!), but I’d rather send someone an actual present, or give them that present in person, rather than just a card saying, “thinking of you at this certain time of year.” One of my favorite times about this year is actually making the effort to get together with friends to exchange gifts. I don’t even mind if we don’t exchange gifts; just the fact that a friend and I can actually see each other when life usually keeps us apart means the most to me. But you had some fantastic ideas about how to responsibly send cards (I had no idea about the shiny foil that can’t be recycled! And that paper can only be recycled 7 times! Yikes!) for those who wish to.
Don’t get me wrong, I love getting mail and the thought of a card from someone special is so lovely, but I’d rather get a text asking me to get together to celebrate the holidays, than just a Christmas card.
Emily | https://www.thatweirdgirllife.com
I do think Christmas cards are sweet too! Until I received ones with only signatures on them. It hurts my heart that a card and an envelope was “wasted” just for names to be written in them… I know, it’s hard to think about what to write in greeting cards. It just seems a waste to me. I actually don’t know about newsletters! What are they?
I love how similar our thoughts are, so glad you don’t find my views buzz-killing and even agree with them. Yes, I enjoy meeting up with friends for Christmas too! We don’t exchange gifts anymore but everyone still feels obliged to bring each other something. It’s funny. Old habits and traditions die hard! That last line is well-said! Thanks for reading and commenting!