Green Your Gift Card Giving
December 9, 2009
Just over 2 weeks until Christmas day and you’re still looking for the perfect gift? Get a gift card – you know the recipient will be delighted to pick out whatever they want and you’ll be happy knowing that your gift will be used ( not set aside to be re-gifted next year! )
Many gift cards are made from PVC and then thrown into a landfill – 10 billion new cards are created every year! So when you’re looking for gift card options, check out some of these greener choices.
1. Virtual Gift Cards – GiftZip is a fantastic way to send a last minute gift. No need to send a plastic card or think ahead because once you make the purchase online, GiftZip will send the ‘gift card’ via email to the recipient and they can then use it at the online retailer. Or, if you prefer to give it to them in person, you can print it out and give it to them. GiftZip doesn’t charge anything additional and works with most of the web’s most popular retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Nordstrom, Target, Sephora, iTunes and Zappos.
Giftcards.com has a Virtual Gift Card that can be used anywhere that VISA is accepted. Gift recipients get an email notification with an online link to activate and use the gift card. Perfect for someone that loves to shop online.
2. Gift Cards that Give Back – Give the Gift Card from American Express can be used anywhere that American Express cards can be used – over a million retailers. The card itself is still plastic but the packaging is printed on recycled paper from an FSC managed forest and for each card purchased, Amex is giving American Forests 70 cents with a minimum donation of $100,000.
Giving Tree Gift Card gives the recipient two gifts in one. 10% of the card’s value is donated to a charity of the recipient’s choice and the other 90% is used as cash. There are over 1.5 million non-profit choices so the recipient is sure to find a cause they believe in.
3. Reuse an existing card – if you’ve used up a gift card you already have, just reload it and gift it. It’s far better than tossing it in the trash. A lot of retailers have reloadable cards like Target, Best Buy, and Starbucks.
4. Cash may just be the greenest option – no plastic and recycled over and over again!
