With Christmas fast approaching, we’re sure that you’re most likely busy planning a special Christmas party for the office. 

Or maybe you’re planning a charity event, a leaving do, or even a birthday party? Whatever type of event it may be, you’ll need to get the word out somehow – and all of us must make an effort to be more environmentally conscious, no matter how small that impact may be.  

So, what is the most environmentally friendly way to send an event invite? 

Read on to discover the most environmentally friendly way to send an event invite…

Go paperless

Generally speaking, people are starting to become more attuned to how ethical companies are. So if you want to create a positive brand image the best thing you can do is go paperless. 

Aside from paper event invitations being less efficient and at risk of getting lost in the post – they leave a negative impact on the environment. Using paper for getting the memo out about your event is the worst thing you can do for the environment. 

This is especially true for invitations for a one-time event, as they’ll be chucked away pretty quickly – and a lot of paper invitations are accompanied by non-recyclable materials for decorative purposes. 

To put this into perspective, here are some facts about paper products (such as event invitations) and their harmful effects on the environment:

• Paper products are the third-largest industrial polluter in the world. 
• Paper directly contributes to the rise of deforestation and the detrimental effects that come with this. 
• The ink that’s used on paper invitations is also toxic to the environment. It also takes just over three quarts of oil to create ink cartridges. 
• Rotting paper releases methane gas into the atmosphere, which is a much more toxic greenhouse gas (25 times more) than carbon dioxide. 
• Even recycled paper is bad for the environment, as the entire process uses fossil fuels as a helping hand. 
• Paper-based products account for 26% of all waste found in landfills. 

What we’re trying to say is – stay clear of paper invitations. And better yet, why not start to reduce your carbon footprint by minimising the use of paper in your office? 

Electronic event invitations

Electronic (whatever sending avenue you choose to go down) is not only much easier, quicker, and cost effective – it’s also the most environmentally friendly way to send out your invitations, and here’s why. 

Why sending event invitations electronically is better for the environment

Technically, sending an SMS text message is the most environmentally friendly way you can send out your invitations, with only 0.014g of CO2 emissions. But of course, we understand this isn’t the most glamorous way of sending out event invitations. So lucky for you, sending out ecards is also much more environmentally friendly than paper options. 

When comparing sending out an ecard invitation to a paper version, it’s a good idea to start by looking at their individual carbon footprint. 

Ecards will still have a carbon footprint (4g), but it’s minuscule compared to a singular letter invitation, which produces a whopping 200g of carbon emissions. What’s more, posting a single letter invitation will add another 29 grams of CO2 carbon emissions.

Like we’ve mentioned before, it’s cool to be kind to the environment. And now that we’re starting to see the detrimental impact that was once supposedly in the distant future now come to fruition – we need to start making these small changes in any way we can. 

Ecards prevent deforestation

Another way in which ecards are the most environmentally friendly way to send out your event invitations – is that they help prevent deforestation. Think about how much paper is saved by opting for an ecard, and how much better that is for our environment and forests in the long run. Here at eCO2 Greetings, we’re working hard on doing more to help our environment. We plant ten trees with every ecard order. Here are other ways we help: 

• The trees that we plant will directly help to preserve essential animal habitats – and it’ll boost farming in areas that are unfortunately stricken by famine. 
• We have a target of planting ten thousand trees this year, and we are determined to get there. We’ve made pretty good progress so far! 
• We are partnered with American Forests, a non-profit organisation that is dedicated to restoring our forests. We order the tree seeds from them so that we can support their incredible fight against climate change.

Ecards and ecological considerations

Aside from deforestation and the individual carbon footprint impact, you need to consider the middlemen that go into delivering paper event invitations. In terms of all other pollution that comes with sending out event invitations, there are none when opting for ecards.

Sending out paper cards will require delivery, which will also contribute to their overall CO2 impact. Think about petrol, vehicle emissions, air pollution, and so on. All of those ecological considerations will add up over time, and our planet will pay the price. 

We hope that you’ve enjoyed discovering the most environmentally friendly way to send an event invite. Remember, there are a variety of other benefits that come with choosing an ecard for your event invitation – be sure to check out everything you can do with a personalised ecard over on the eCo2 Greetings website, you won’t be disappointed! 

Learn more about festive ecards with eCo2 Greetings and how to reduce your environmental impact.

Learn more about what you can do to protect the environment and reduce your carbon footprint with our eCo2 Greetings blog.

Contact us today to discover how we can help your business.

Eco 2 Greetings is here to help your business with our selection of high-quality eco-friendly eCards – you can quickly design your own with a choice of templates available, choose from our range of Premium eCards which will include animation, or get something extra special with our completely bespoke eCard service!