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Press Releases
October 11th, 2007
Green greetings
A Miramichi entrepreneur's cards send an environmental message
Melissa Dunne
For the Telegraph-Journal
Published Thursday October 11th, 2007
Appeared on page D1
Greeting cards express love, congratulations and joy; a card can bring people together, console the desolate and remind another that you care.
But once the more than 7 billion greeting cards North Americans buy every year are torn open and read, most of those sentiments end up in the same place - the landfill.
Now, a local entrepreneur has launched a small business aimed at greening the greeting card industry.
Phil Riebel worked on the environmental side of the paper and forestry sector until earlier this year when he launched Carbon-Free Cards, Inc. out of his Miramichi home.
A long-time environmentalist, Riebel saw an opportunity to use his knowledge of the paper industry to create cards that are both functional and more eco-friendly than the average drugstore greeting card.
"I'm concerned about global warming and I wanted to create a product that promoted awareness of environmental issues," Riebel said.
"I wanted to offer a more environmentally-friendly alternative. If more people bought these cards, the benefits for the earth would be huge."
Riebel has gone to great lengths to make his cards carbon-neutral.
The founder and president of the card company nullifies carbon emissions from the manufacture of his cards in several ways.
Riebel's cards are slightly smaller than your average drugstore card, cutting back on the amount of paper used in the first place.
Riebel also calculated the carbon footprint of each card by tallying the carbon produced at every step, from transporting wood fibre to printing an image on the finished paper.
He figured about 400 kilograms of carbon was produced per tonne of paper during the manufacture of his greeting cards.
His next stop was Atmosclear, a U.S.-based carbon offsetting firm. The American company sells carbon credits to people like Riebel in exchange for investing in greenhouse gas reduction projects around the world.
To further reduce the carbon footprint, he chose environmentally conscious paper mills and printers to make his cards.
Finally, for every card purchased a tree is planted through Trees for the Future, a non-profit organization that plants trees in developing countries. So far, over 1,200 seedlings have been planted on behalf of Carbon-Free Cards' customers, Riebel said.
And, in keeping with the green theme, the cards feature original photographs of New Brunswick animals and birds in their natural habitats on the front, while the back carries an environmental message aimed at raising awareness of global warming.
Riebel said large greeting card companies have not looked at ways of greening their products, as it would increase manufacturing costs. To Riebel, though, the extra investment is worth it, if it helps protect the environment.
Riebel plans to expand operations to include holiday cards and other green paper products, such as notebooks and envelopes.
Carbon-Free Cards are currently sold online at carbonfreecards.com and at select stores in New Brunswick and Toronto.
About Carbon-free Cards, Inc.
Carbon-free Cards, Inc is a privately held company specializing in the development of sustainable printed products that raise awareness and funds to help reduce the impacts of global warming.
For more information, please visit: www.carbonfreecards.com
Web link to press release: www.carbonfreecards.com/pressreleases.html
Media Contact:
Phil Riebel
506-625-3836
info@carbonfreecards.com
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Archives
September 17th - TACKLING GLOBAL WARMING... ONE CARD AT A TIME
October 11th - GREEN GREETINGS - A Miramichi entrepreneur's cards send an environmental message
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