GalleryCollection.com has recently introduced a new design to our already extensive Christmas cards line-up – 086CS Frosted Merry Christmas Die-Cut Holiday Card. It is the sixteenth addition to our ever popular Die-Cut Christmas Cards line extension.

The friendly card design is sure to put a smile on any recipient’s face. It features nine giddy snowmen holding up a banner that reads “Merry Christmas from All of Us.” Beneath the snowmen is a die cut window that will showcase your company name, leaving a lasting impression in the minds of your customers, vendors, and employees.

Design 086CS is embossed on environmentally-friendly, white matte paper. The paper stock is not only made from windpower energy, but it is also FSC certified (SW-COC-002530). Additionally, the paper stock is Green-e certified, which means that renewable energy has been verified and approved for use in the manufacturing process.

If you’re looking to spread some joy this holiday season, what better way to do so than with design 086CS. This premium quality die cut holiday card will speak highly of your company, your taste level, and your eco-consciousness.

I recently ran a search on the internet for greeting cards and came across an interesting result. I found a company that makes windpower cards. All of a sudden it hit me: if a greeting card company could produce greeting cards using windpower technology, why can’t I do more for the environment?

After having this thought, I made it my mission to do something that would help the environment. I originally thought I was going to make a big splash by getting a hybrid or an electric car. Unfortunately, this didn’t make much sense since I just purchased a fuel efficient car less than two years ago. Still looking to do something big, I tinkered with the idea of possibly using solar energy in my home. But I had to dismiss this idea quickly as I am hoping to move within the next year, and not to mention that solar panels can cost up to $15,000!

I started to come to the realization that I probably wasn’t going to make this big splash after all. So I decided to make some smaller lifestyle decisions that I feel will help make a difference. For starters, I installed compact fluorescent light bulbs all throughout my house and am now saving energy because of it. And I am now very conscious about recycling. In fact, I am at the point where I bother my house guests if they throw a can in the trash instead of recycling bin. Finally, I thought it would be fitting if I were to place an order for birthday cards from the very same windpower greeting cards that got me started on this kick.

While I didn’t make any of the big moves I originally intended on, I am still proud of my decisions and hope others follow suit.

The older I get, the guiltier I feel about my irresponsible ways. I’ve spent most of my twenties trying to make a dent in the credit card debt I racked up in college. I’ve spent the past few months kicking myself for all of the detrimental behavior I’ve displayed towards the environment. I’m wondering why it isn’t easier to stick to a healthy diet and lose the tire around my waist once and for all.

Maybe a “responsibility switch” flips on as you approach the age of thirty. I paid off the Visa card. I opened a savings account. I’ve started using reusable bags to do the grocery shopping, and I’ve begun replacing the light bulbs in my apartment with energy-efficient ones. I’ve also become more aware of what I’m recycling. Did you know that of the seven different types of plastic, most towns only pick up the first two at the curb?

Of course, working at The Gallery Collection, I’ve become sensitive to the designs I choose each year for my holiday cards as well. It’s comforting to know that we are doing our part by offering recycled paper cards and windpower cards. It’s comforting to know that we can offer earth-friendly alternatives for those customers shopping for corporate greeting cards.

Now, if I could just rid myself of my fast food diet, it’d be smooth sailing. Not only would a French fry boycott undoubtedly help me to shed some pounds and feel better, but think of all the Styrofoam containers I wouldn’t be tossing to wind up in landfills! Of course, this would require me to use those weird contraptions in the kitchen (you know…appliances) and cultivate my as-of-yet non-existent culinary abilities.

Do you think they would print Cooking for Dummies on recycled paper?

I love that little green triangle of arrows I see when I’m shopping for greeting cards. Sometimes it’s printed on the back of greeting cards, sometimes tucked discreetly inside. The symbol makes the birthday cards, thank you cards or holiday cards I just fell in love with even more of a prized purchase.

The rate at which the U.S. and many other nations produce manufacturing waste has fueled such stress on our environment; knowing that I can reduce (or even eliminate) some of this by actively seeking recycled paper cards makes my final choices a snap. Waste is waste, whether it’s directly from the factory floor or paper fiber that has lived several lives before its usefulness has ended. I want to be sure that throwaways in any condition get second (and third, and fourth) chances to do the same jobs that sparkling new natural resources do, so that our natural resources stay abundant and sparkling. Recycling, and its continued support by an ever-growing world population, gives me hope.

Doing my part at home means that each newspaper, magazine, and piece of mail that has served its purpose goes straight to my paper-saving bin for once-a-week recycling pickup. As a regular purchaser of manufactured products, it means looking high and low, online and in stores, for the companies that have made the extra effort to offer high quality papers or greeting cards using either pre- or post-consumer discards.

Whenever I choose greeting cards for various occasions, I try to illustrate my commitment to “beautiful and recycled.” Not only can good resource management and beauty go hand-in-hand, but truly that they should. The little green triangle of arrows printed on the back of my greeting cards speaks volumes.

The subject of windpower greeting cards got me wondering about whether or not people think about eco-friendly production of greeting cards. When you get business greeting cards or even personalized birthday cards for that matter, do you immediately wonder about the green aspects of their production? Personally, my first thoughts are “What a nice surprise! What thoughtful people sent me greeting cards?” I usually open and close the greeting card a couple of times to repeat the pleasure of seeing its (usually) attractive face and reading its (hopefully) pleasant text. I don’t usually check the back of the greeting cards for an eco-friendly symbol unless the senders add a lengthy message.

It’s certainly great to use recycled paper but from a personal standpoint, I tend to have more concern for business birthday cards produced with windpower. I can “go ape” on the subject of the eco-friendly production of electricity versus the diminishment of limited-supply, pollution-producing fossil fuels. I believe my passion on the subject began because I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where hydropower at Niagara Falls has for so long been used to provide abundant and inexpensive electricity.

Because I grew up intrigued by the thought of harnessing the power of flowing rivers and ocean currents, I progressed quite naturally into wondering why there weren’t more windmills built to harness all of that amazing power in the sky. I have been delighted in recent years to see the development of windpower in the production of electricity. When I had the unexpected occasion to drive past a stretch of modern windmills, I was struck by the graceful beauty they presented.

All of this is leading up to tell you how proud I feel to know that my company, The Gallery Collection, is making increasing use of this automatically-replenished natural resource. The paper stock used in the majority of our greeting cards is manufactured in facilities driven by windpower, and our headquarters here in New Jersey also runs on windpower. Hmm…I wonder if my tiny backyard could hold a wind turbine and generator.

With the environmental concerns that are present in today’s world, I feel it is crucial to keep our planet in mind when sending out warm wishes during the holiday season. In both my professional life and personal life, it is very important for me to reach out to my clients to say thank you and to extend holiday wishes to my family and friends. But sending Christmas cards to those who are important to you should not come at the expense of the environment.

In my efforts to stay as green as possible, I have found that there are many options when purchasing eco-friendly greeting cards. Many environmentally conscious companies are producing their cards on paper made with windpower energy. Take a look at the extensive array of windpower Christmas greeting cards we sell. The electricity used to produce these cards comes from paper mills powered by wind energy.

I also try to find cards that are produced from paper that contains some form of recycled content. This is information that a good company with superior customer service should be able to provide to you if you ask. Keep in mind that just because the “recycle” symbol is not on something does not mean it was not made from paper that contains some sort of recycled content. I also try to look for greeting cards that are printed on “FSC Certified” paper stock. This means that the paper was produced from trees that came from a responsibly managed forest. You can visit the FSC website to learn more.

Being kind to the environment is easier than you may think. While some effort is required, the results will benefit the earth (and your recipients). We all need to go above and beyond to make sure the cards we send are as green as they can be. Please do your part to take care of our planet while sending holiday cheer!

What do you do with all the Christmas cards you receive once the holiday season is over? Recycle them? Well, you should at the very least do that, but there are so many more creative and environmentally friendly ideas that you can do with them instead.

I always look to purchase products that are eco-friendly over products that are not. So when choosing my Christmas cards, I look for recycled paper holiday cards or eco-friendly windpower Christmas cards. In addition to seeking out green products, I try to be creative with reusing items, like greeting cards, as much as possible.

I keep all the Holiday cards that I receive, and over the years, have found many uses for them. I have cut out ornaments, trees, and wreaths to use as gift tags. I have made collages out of different holiday designs to decorate my house for Christmas. If I am feeling extra creative, I will even use stamps, markers, and stickers to add an extra special element. I have even cut out part of my greeting cards to use as place cards around the dinner table at my Christmas parties. Not only were my friends impressed with my beautifully decorated dinner table but they were happy to hear that I was reusing what might have otherwise been tossed in the trash. I also saved some money in the process!

I’m sure if you think about it for a bit you can come up with a bunch of different ways to reuse your personalized Christmas cards. So this year, why not come up with your own innovative projects and crafts to reuse your cards. And try to keep the environment in mind along with your holiday spirit.

When you hear the word “windmills” you might think of farms grinding grain, or if you’re a literary type, maybe the adventures of Don Quixote of La Mancha and his attack on the windmills enters your mind. But chances are, the environmental movement doesn’t immediately occur to you.

Advanced forms of windmills are helping us tread a little lighter on the planet. Large wind turbines built in open, breezy locations capture the wind and convert it into mechanical energy, electricity being the most common form. By harnessing wind power, businesses and residents can generate clean energy without utilizing fossil fuels that are harmful to the environment. Since I am an eco-conscious individual, I can certainly appreciate the benefits provided in this practice.

Windpower not only creates renewable energy to light homes and offices, it also produces power for machinery in manufacturing processes such as paper production. The Gallery Collection takes advantage of this fast-growing and environmentally responsible method to produce the majority of our greeting cards.

Check out our large selection of Windpower Cards, whose paper stock was produced with wind-powered energy. I think it’s pretty amazing that windpower is a contributing factor in creating such exquisite, environmentally friendly greeting cards…and in fact, the card I chose for my personal Christmas cards this year came from this selection! But if the card design you choose happens to not be one of our windpower cards, you can still feel good about your purchase since all of our envelopes are now produced using wind-powered energy.

I’m a recycling nut…there, I said it. Look at my curb on recycling day and you’ll see mounds of bags filled with newspapers and other paper scraps and barrels full of empty plastic and glass bottles. Throw a soda can out in the garbage? No way. Recycling just makes sense to me. Why add something to our already overwhelming landfills when it can be taken to a recycling facility and transformed into something else?

In addition to recycling whatever I can, I like to purchase items that are made from reclaimed materials, which are more readily available than you may think. For example, instead of buying cards produced with virgin pulp, I opt for recycled greeting cards. Some people think that using recycled content for paper decreases the quality, strength and aesthetic value of the paper; however, with advancements in technology and processes just the opposite is true. Recycled papers are available in a wide variety of colors and weights, and can produce a beautiful, elegant card.

There are many ways to be environmentally conscious. Some are complicated and costly but others, like buying recycled paper cards, are easy and affordable. By sending a recycled card for your annual Christmas card mailing, you’ll show your recipients that you care about the environment (and maybe in the process you’ll convert some of them into being more eco-friendly!)

And to take it a step further…in addition to buying recycled cards to send to friends and family, think twice before throwing out the cards you receive… recycle those cards by using them in greeting card crafts projects. Yet another way to be friendly to the planet!