E-Mail or Snail Mail?

Party season is here. Whether you're planning a graduation, cocktail party, wedding or backyard BBQ, invitations and cards make many of us conflicted. Should we send e-mail or snail mail?

Simply stated, electronic methods save money, time and trees. When you also take into consideration production methods (the paper industry is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases), product distribution and postal delivery, e-vites and e-cards reduce tons (literally) of waste, pollution and energy. As a bonus, the invitation sites provide incredible party tips, budget planners, designs, customization, extensive delivery systems, auto follow up and RSVP tracking. So if you're planning a casual event, sending a funny card, or need a little organizational assistance, your computer is the way to go.

So when is it time to go the paper route? Protocol still dictates using postal delivery for formal events, special hand-written sentiments and thank-you cards. Worth mentioning and not to be taken for granted is their emotional by-product--the excitement of receiving something beautiful and personal amongst all the bills and junk mail.

I will also point out that some people simply want to do their part to preserve the dying art of putting pen to paper. In these circumstances go ahead and abide by tradition or give in to nostalgia but reduce your eco-impact by looking for fibers such as recycled paper, bamboo, hemp, kenaf, or organic cotton. Also look for soy or water-based inks. It is also important to support companies that have sustainable operations in place, too.

You could also try a hybrid approach for invitations. You design your invitation on-line, a paper version is mailed to your guests, and then the recipients RSVP on-line rather than sending back that card in the pre-paid postage envelope. This method honors tradition but yet saves on additional paper, delivery, weight and postage expense. It also allows you to benefit from the time-saving convenience of your computer managing the RSVPs and event details.

When you receive cards or invitations, remember to recycle them along with your other papers and cardboard. Or be creative. Make them into a gift tag, cut off the side with the picture (if there is no writing on the reverse side) and reuse it as a post card, give to your kids to cut up into collages, or use as a bookmark.

Go ahead and choose what's right for you. If you are true to your event, the environment, your recipient(s), and yourself you won't go wrong. Most importantly, have fun!

RESOURCES:

E-vites and E-cards:

www.pingg.com: invitations, party planning and cards

www.evite.com: invitations, party planning and cards

www.mypunchbowl.com: invitations and party planning

www.jibjab.com: cards with animation; put your own face (or someone else's) on the card

100% recycled paper and other fibers:

Twisted Limb Paperworks: plantable seed-embedded papers, embellishments with ferns and flowers

Crane & Co.: recovered tree-free fibers from the textile industry for over 200 years.

Green Field Paper: hemp, garlic peel, seed-embedded and recycled papers

This is just a small list of suggestions. As always look to your local suppliers and stores whenever possible. Many co-ops, boutiques and local coffeehouses carry eco-friendly cards and some are even designed by local artists.

I know that often times convenience is key so I should mention that Hallmark is in the process of increasing their use of recycled paper and the company is continuing to work toward greening their operations.