Christmas cards: we’ve found an alternative, an ecard with a difference

I don’t know about you but every year I complain about the cost of sending Christmas cards. Normally I only send them to people I am not going to see or who are on their own over Christmas. However this year I am not going to see anyone so the list is huge……and consequently very expensive. The cost of a second class stamp is 65p. Of course at times like this I will convert that to old money and say, “Thirteen shillings to send a card and that’s before the cost of the card.”

I know that you can buy charity Christmas cards which means you are making a charitable donation. However 65p to transport this charity card to a friend is daylight robbery. And then the card ends up in recycling. However you do not want to forget your friends especially this year. You probably have not seen them throughout 2020.

What is the alternative?

So when Benjy Barkes, co-founder of 2050.com cards, contacted me I breathed a huge sigh of relief. At last someone had come up with an alternative to the extortionate cost of sending a card. These e-cards can be sent, at any time of the year to a loved one. Of course Benjy and his business partner, Oliver Trace, are part of the younger generation that care about the environment and are pro-active. They want to help stop the endless and pointless destruction of trees to manufacture cards.

Now some of you savvy internet users may say but there are lots of ‘ecard’ opportunities out there. However there are some differences with 2050.cards so read on.

2050.cards provide a sustainable alternative to paper cards, overhauling the outdated ‘ecard’ market with a more artistic, user-friendly, and sophisticated approach. Their cards – all created by independent young artists – are the world’s first bespoke digital cards to be sent via WhatsApp.

This Christmas 2050.cards are offering a  3-month free trial of their subscription service enabling people to send all of their Christmas cards for free. Thereafter it is £10 each quarter.

Why not buy a subscription for a relative or friend as a present?

Customers personalise each card with the recipient’s name and a message. The card is then delivered to the customer’s phone. They can then send the card on to the recipient at the right time.  

HOW IT WORKS:

2050.cards have teamed up with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) – ‘A British Heart’ – and the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) – ‘Hugs for Gosh’ to raise money to support these incredible institutions. If you choose one of those cards all of the profits go to the charity.

Are 2050.cards carbon negative?

The carbon footprint, on average, of a paper card, printed upon recycled paper, posted and recycled within the UK is equivalent to 140g of CO2. We often highlight deforestation but actually for the majority of greeting cards, postage accounts for the highest proportion of the carbon footprint. This impact is mainly derived from transport emissions (vans, trains and planes).

Another large part of the impact of a greetings card comes from the manufacture of paper. Recycled paper reduces this by about 50% with but it is still substantial. Sending a 2050card produces carbon. The manufacture and use of computers, phones, and cloud computing all require energy and have a carbon footprint. That’s why 2050.cards plant trees (1 for every 100 cards sent). So that as a company they are carbon negative.

What does carbon negative mean? – The more 2050cards people send, the less carbon there will be in the atmosphere.

Also 2050.cards plant a tree for every 100 cards purchased from them.

One of the things that I was most impressed with is that, unlike other ecard companies, you are not sharing the email address of your friends with an ‘unknown company’. These digital cards are sent to you, on your phone, for you to send out.

Each card costs £3.50 approx. I am definitely signing up as I can think of so many times when I could send a card. Maybe a thank-you or just to let someone know that you are thinking of them. These cards are more personal than a text message. They show that you have given the person more than a cursory thought. Following the year we have all lived through it is our friendships that we have relied upon to get us through. Keeping in touch is so important.

2050.cards is a simple and easy way to show that you care. Click the link to find out more.