Great "Green" and "Tree-Free" Greeting Cards

I send out greeting cards so that the people I care about will know that I am thinking of them. While my intentions are good, sending a greeting card is not good for the environment. But it doesn't have to be that way.

There are more and more companies out there making cards out of recycled paper. Recycled greeting cards are all made with paper that would otherwise be headed for the landfill. With varying amounts of post-consumer waste, many also use environmentally responsible inks and carry earth-friendly holiday greetings.

Cards, wrapping paper and other paper products are being made from alternatives to wood. "Tree-free" paper is beautiful, textural and of a very high quality. While you've probably heard of some types of "tree-free" paper like rice, bamboo or hemp paper, other fibers are now on the market.

Kenaf Paper: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has identified Kanaf as the best non-wood paper alternative for several reasons. A relative of the cotton plant, Kenaf originated over 4,000 years ago in Africa but can grow well in many parts of the United States. Kenaf grows much quicker than southern pine, a tree commonly used in paper production. While kenaf can grow to a height of 12-18 feet and be ready for harvest in only five months, it would take around 15 years for the southern pine to grow large enough to harvest.

The USDA has also found that kenaf yields 3 to 5 times more usable fiber per acre than the southern pine. This fiber lends itself well to paper production because fewer and less toxic chemicals are needed in the manufacturing of kenaf pulp as opposed to wood pulp based papers. Companies like Apple, Sony, Warner Brothers, J.C. Penny and The Gap have all begun to use kenaf for their catalogues and other paper needs.

Banana Paper: The fiber of banana plants is combined with recycled silk from the garment industry to make a crisp, lightweight paper. Paper made from banana plants uses up a leftover agricultural resource that might otherwise be considered waste after the banana harvest. This paper is made by hand in small cottage industries.