As a small business owner it's important to make as many sustainable choices as you can to reduce your environmental impact.

One easy way you can do this is by switching to eco-friendly business cards!

Business cards are an important way to spread the word about your business. Let's explore some sustainable materials to look for and some eco-friendly business card brands.

This post does contain some affiliate links which means The Honest Consumer may receive a commission if you decided to purchase. Our commission is at no additional expense to you!

What Sustainable Materials to Look for in Eco-friendly Business Cards?

Recycled materials - This is an easy thing to look for in eco-friendly business cards is that they're made from recycled materials. This reduces the amount of trees that need to be cut down, and it cuts down on pollution and waste.
FSC certified - The Forest Stewardship Council provides certification to companies that use sustainable forestry practices. This means that the wood pulp used to create the paper is responsibly sourced.
Compostable - Compostable materials break down into nutrient-rich materials that can be used to grow new plants. This is a great way to reduce waste and help the environment at the same time!
Chlorine-free - Chlorine is a harmful chemical that can pollute the environment and it surprises people, but chlorine is used in a lot of regular paper products. Look for eco-friendly business cards that are chlorine-free to help reduce your environmental footprint.
Recyclable- Once you're done with your eco-friendly business cards, make sure you can recycle them! This will help to reduce waste and keep them out of landfills.
Eco-friendly inks- These are something people don't think about very often. When printing promotional goods for your business try to look for water based or soy based inks as these are a more eco-conscious option than traditional inks.

Biodegradable vs Compostable vs Recycled: What’s the Difference?

Biodegradable materials are those that can be broken down by natural processes, like bacteria and fungi.

This means that they won't end up in a landfill taking up space for hundreds of years, but in some cases they do leave behind residues or harmful toxic components.

While compostable materials are similar, compostable products can be broken down by both natural processes and industrial composting facilities. This means that they can be used to create nutrient-rich soil for gardening.

3 Eco Business Card Brands for Small Business Owners

Botanical Paperworks Seed Paper Business Cards

Botanical PaperWorks crafts eco-friendly stationery for personal use and businesses. Their high quality sustainable paper products are made with innovative seed paper. Through their biodegradable seed paper made from post-consumer material.

How cool is it that your customers can plant your business card…and think about your business everytime they look at the wildflower or herbs that grow.

Botanical PaperWorks is working to reduce waste and spread beauty. Botanical PaperWorks collects post-consumer waste from businesses and schools in their area and use the local waste as the base for their eco-friendly, plantable seed paper.

Through this collection process Botanical PaperWorks has saved tons of paper from landfills. The collected recycled materials are used to make a new paper pulp which has non-GMO seeds added to it.

Inks used to print the stationery are water-based and the dyes used to color the ink are organic allowing these to decompose and not harm the environment. Small business owners are able to customize their paper products with confidence.

Small businesses will discover seed paper hang tags, business cards, bookmarks, greeting cards, and more.

These business cards are the ideal choice if you're looking for something with a lower carbon footprint and to make your business stand out from the crowd.

Shop Botanical paperworks

Moo’s Cotton Business Cards Made from Recycled T-shirt Fabric

Moo has a line of sustainable cotton business cards that are tree free and made from t-shirt offcuts.

This creates a strong and unique texture. Moo's design team does a great job creating professional and modern designs that are sure to create a lasting impression for your business.

Moo has a low minimum of 50 business cards which is great for business owners who are just starting out!

Shop Moo

Digital & Electronic Business Cards

Another paper free alternative is to have a QR code. There are many apps for this including CamCard, Snapdat, and LinkedIn even has a QR code if you're looking to connect further.

By choosing eco-friendly business cards, you're making a sustainable choice that will benefit the environment.

Your customers will appreciate your commitment to sustainability, and you'll be doing your part to help the planet. Win-win!

Tips for Choosing Green Business Cards

When you’re choosing a sustainable business card it’s also important to consider the quality.

Consider asking these questions before deciding where you are going to order your eco business cards from.

Do you need a custom size business card?
The weight of the paper can have a massive impact on how long the card lasts.
Type of paper…do you want recycled materials? seed paper?
Type of finish such as a smooth finish or matte finish or uncoated finish.

What Information Should Go on a Business Card?

The information that goes on a business card is really up to you.

Along with your name and the company name, it is common to include contact information such as a phone number, e-mail address, or website similar to an e-mail signature.

If you're unable to fit all this information on the front of the card try utilizing the back of the card. Some brands do have an additional cost for printing on both sides of the cards.

How to Create a Unique Business Card

It’s important to make your business card stand out. At certain events people might be collecting business cards from a lot of different people.

Personally I use the larger size postcards from noise for my business cards because I know these won’t be thrown in a purse and forgotten about due to the large size.

Find something that will make your business card stand out! Here are a few ideas to consider.

Consider a unique shape such as square business cards or larger post card size
Consider a unique material such as seed paper
Use bright colors that are sure to catch people’s eye
Use a unique and memorable quote that relates to your mission

Hopefully this guide has helped you learn more about the sustainability of business cards and given you some ideas of brands to order from.

Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Dec 5, 2023

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