:: One Tree Per Card - Sustainable Design ::

Sustainable Design

A Life-cycle Approach

Our goal at One Tree per Card is to minimize the environmental load of our products over their life-cycle, and raise awareness and funds to help reduce the impacts of global warming. We are committed to promoting and funding environmental education, sustainable land use, and conservation. A significant portion of revenues is donated to these causes by forming partnerships with key environmental organizations.

The key features of our cards are the following:

One tree is planted for each card sold. These trees have many social and environmental benefits, and they remove carbon dioxide (CO2 ) from the atmosphere as they grow... More

The cards can be designed as "carbon-neutral". This is done by evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions of card production over key steps in the life-cycle of the product, selecting a life-cycle with a low carbon footprint, and offsetting the remaining emissions by investing in verified carbon offset projects... More

The cards are printed on paper with a low environmental footprint as demonstrated by eco-labels such as the EU eco-label. This label is a sign of environmentally-preferable paper using a life-cycle approach, including sustainable forest management and top environmental performance of pulp and paper mill facilities... More

The environmental message printed on the back of the cards is intended to raise awareness about global warming... More

The cards are recyclable... More

"The sustainability of a product or process requires an analysis of more than recycled paper content or soy ink content. How a product is manufactured, printed, distributed, used, and recovered is as important as the raw materials it is made of."

Source: AIGA 2003, Print Design and Environmental Responsibility.

What is "Sustainability"?

Living in a sustainable way means leaving the earth in a state so that future generations can enjoy life, nature and the environment in the same way we have, or even more. Unfortunately, many of the things humans do today are not sustainable. Parts of the world are becoming degraded and losing their natural environment at an alarming pace due to our need for food, space, and our consumption habits. Living more responsibly, with a lower "footprint", and consuming less is a good way to start. When you purchase goods, choose products that are designed in a sustainable way...

More on sustainable products.