Eco-Friendly Business Cards, From Cotton Cards to Digital Cards

In many industries, business cards are a requirement, or at least a helpful tool when it comes to networking and making professional contacts. Fortunately, there are plenty of options when it comes to eco-friendly business cards, whether you’re looking for classic paper business cards, digital business cards, or are willing to go DIY.

There are actually a number of companies that specialize in digital business cards, including BizCarding, Blinq, and HiHello. On any of these platforms, you can design your digital business card, which can include as little information as a standard paper business card, or can be branched out to also include your resume, a biography, photos, and much more.

After designing your digital business card, you’ll get a QR code. Simply present this code to anyone who asks you for a business card, and tell them to open the camera on their phone, and tap the link that pops up. Many of these websites also present you with a direct link to view your business card, so that you can simply text or email that link to interested parties. If you work in sustainability, your business contacts will certainly be impressed with your efforts to save paper.

Business card company MOO offers Cotton Business Cards made from recycled cotton T-shirt offcuts, which would otherwise be thrown away, from U.S. clothing manufacturers. The cards look like regular, bright white, uncoated business cards, and can still be recycled with paper recycling according to MOO, despite the fact that they are technically tree-free.

Like MOO’s other business cards, you can order these in several different sizes (including square) and with either squared or rounded corners, as well as using any of the company’s unique design templates.

Vistaprint’s Kraft Business Cards are made with 90 percent post-consumer recycled material that is also FSC certified. Despite the naturally light brown background color, any design or color (except white) can be printed on the cards, though Vistaprint recommends relying on a simple design (the company offers a variety of templates) with darker colors so that it really pops. You can order these cards with either squared or rounded corners,

Depending on your line of business, you may consider ordering a personalized rubber stamp containing all the text you would want on your business card. Then, cut up scraps of paper or cardstock that you already have (neatly, of course), and stamp them with your information. This way, you’re giving that paper a second life before it ends up in the recycling bin.

You can order an eco-friendly customized rubber stamp from the circular company noissue, which makes its stamps using more than 65 percent post-consumer plastics, as well as soy-based ink pads and cartridges.

You can also simply design your own simple business cards on your computer. Then, print out a page’s worth on cardstock that you already have, and carefully cut them into business cards. These ideas are great if you know you only need a small number of business cards, since many business card websites may require minimum orders that are higher than your needs.

Green Matters’ new book, Green Living, is the perfect guide to living an eco-friendly lifestyle for people at every stage of the process. You can order Green Living here.