Gift Card Recycling Program Begins

Gift cards seem to be everywhere these days. 

They’re easy to give and are ideal for the shopper with time constraints. 

They’re also easy to use, which makes them well received by anyone who receives one. 

Whatever your pleasure, hobby, or interest, there’s a gift card out there for you.

It should come as no surprise, then, that more and more gift cards are produced each year.  It is estimated that some 17 billion were made in 2006 alone.  With this production has come quite a bit of waste; most consumers toss their cards in the trash once the balance has been used up.

Earthworks, an eco-friendly manufacturing and recycling company, has recently begun a program to recycle the cards.  They take the used cards, chop them up and melt them down so they can be reformed into more gift cards. 

So far, Earthworks has greatly reduced the amount of energy needed to produce gift cards.  Earthworks produces cards using 80% less energy than companies using raw materials and creates no waste when doing so.

Earthworks has paired with a few Starbucks shops and hopes to take the program national with the coffee giant before long.  Individual consumers have also begun sending in their used card.  It is great to see another company taking a step towards a greener planet.  Way to go, Earthworks.