Holiday greeting cards offer chance to reuse, recycle, resend

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - During the holiday season, Hoosier families send out an average of 30 cards and receive close to the same amount. The U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver 19 billion cards, letters and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Despite the good will this treasured holiday tradition generates, the increased volume of mail also creates extra waste.

When shopping for holiday cards, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) encourages Hoosiers to make environmentally-conscious decisions about their holiday correspondence.

"Hoosiers can help the environment by choosing cards that are made from recycled materials or from materials that are easily recycled," said Thomas Easterly, IDEM commissioner. "Avoid cards with metallic details or shiny coatings because these require more resources during the manufacturing process and cannot be recycled."

Holiday cards can also find a second life if they are recycled as a unique and environmentally-friendly gift tag. Other options include saving children's art throughout the year and using those as one-of-a-kind greetings, using postcards to reduce the amount of paper used and money spent on postage, and e-mailing electronic cards to family and friends who use a computer.

For more tips on how to take steps to make your home more environmentally-friendly during the holidays and year round, visit www.HoosiersCare.IN.gov. To locate your solid waste management district for more information about recycling and other waste management, visit www.recycle.IN.gov.

Rather than throwing away holiday cards like the ones shown here by Miss Indiana Nicole Pollard, recycle them as gift tags to reduce excess holiday waste.