“Eco-friendly” seems to be an over-used terms these days, especially when it comes to weddings, yet perhaps this is a good thing. As more and more companies in the wedding industry start to change their policies, eco-friendly will become the standard, not the exception. Until then, it’s important to arm yourself with the right knowledge when planning your wedding. Below you’ll find a few helpful hints on choosing environmentally friendly invitations.
Pay attention to the recycled content of the paper. Many papers claim they are recycled, but that doesn’t mean they are 100% recycled. Earthly Affair offers a premium 100% post consumer paper, available in both white and ivory. This paper is created from consumer products, usually retrieved from curbside recycling, and ensures there are no new trees used in making the paper. You might also look for other eco options, such as bamboo and hemp.
Inquire about printing methods. There are four popular types of professional invitation printing methods: thermography (raised printing), offset (flat printing), letterpress printing, and digital. The most earth friendly is probably a manual letterpress printed with soy ink, while the least might be thermography (there is a question as to whether or not thermographic ink is suitable for recycling). Each one has its pros and cons, so it’s best to talk with your stationary provider about what they are doing to lessen the impact of their printing. If this is a question they can’t answer, chances are the environment is not on their list of priorities.
Environmental practices. When “green” became popular, companies were happy to jump on the band wagon. Unfortunately, that resulted in a lot of what is known as “greenwashing” — when a company uses deceptive marketing to trick the consumer into thinking they are purchasing an eco-friendly product or service. Avoid falling into that trap by seeking out company’s environmental policy on their blog or website. You can even call them up and ask.
At Earthly Affair, you’ll find we take advantage of digital printing, which allows us to print small orders at a lower cost to the environment. We offset all shipments through carbonfund.org, and we run everything out of our eco-equipped studio. All of our invitations are completely customizable and we work hard to ensure 100% satisfaction.
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