What is Greener, Email or Eco Friendly Stationery?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of “out of sight, out of mind.” This is especially true of the environment, and is part of the reason why we have the problems on hand that we do today. Just because you cannot see a pollutant does not mean it’s there, and just because you cannot see resources being used does not mean you are not using them. This is important to remember when green advocates remind you to avoid printing something out in order to save the environment. This helpful tip at the end of emails is nice, but it doesn’t mean it’s true. Buying and using eco friendly stationery can be just as friendly as sending out an email. Both use resources, but one is just more visible.

An eco friendly stationery usually uses recycled materials to make up the paper, but that does not mean it is totally without waste. Whenever something is manufactured, there is bound to be waste. At the same time, any email sent also creates waste. The powered-up computer and all the servers and wires used around the world to help deliver the message surely take up energy, which often relies on coal to be created. This is definitely not earth-friendly.

Putting eco friendly stationery in the post shouldn’t be considered wasteful – both emailing and writing letters create waste. The important thing is to be mindful of the waste you create and to minimize it whenever possible. This means shutting down your computer when it is not in use, avoiding the printer when you can and reusing scrap paper. These are obvious steps, but once you start thinking about your waste and how to avoid it, you can start making other changes in your life.

It is impossible to be 100 percent green. As humans and animals, we are inefficient and use up energy and resources when we do not need to. Don’t be suckered into simplistic arguments that some might make, like email is better than paper mail. These arguments miss the point of the whole issue. It is not about choosing one form of communication over the other, or one type of product over the other. It is thinking about which of these products or energy-sappers we can reduce or eliminate from our lives. And that thinking is indeed the greenest move anyone can make. Trust us, the earth will thank you later for it.