Best Eco-Friendly Business Cards To Consider in 2024

As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, businesses need to be aware of their impact on the environment. 

However, most people associate traditional paper business cards with being eco-friendly. It’s paper, right? It can’t be that bad, right?

But is that really the case? Did you know that the methane gas released from paper decomposition in landfills is 20 times more harmful than CO2?

Furthermore, what if we told you that going paperless is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and help save the environment?

So, what if there was a way to combine the convenience of digital business cards with an eco-friendly solution? 

Let’s shed some light on this crucial topic and show you the best options for eco-friendly business cards out there.

Let’s dive in!

Which Sustainable Materials Should You Consider for Eco-Friendly Business Cards?

When looking for eco-friendly business cards, there are a few things you can look for to ensure that the materials are sustainable. 

✔️ FSC-certified paper - The paper comes from responsibly managed forests and is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

✔️ Recycled and compostable materials - Considering that 90% of 100 annually produced paper business cards end up in a bin, it is essential to make them from recycled and compostable materials. This way, they can degrade into nutrient-rich materials instead of ending up in landfills. 

✔️Chlorine-free materials - Not only does chlorine pollute the environment, but it is often used in the production of paper business cards. Thus, make sure to check if the cards are chlorine-free.

✔️ Eco-friendly inks - They are made from soy beans or are water-based and a more environmentally friendly option than traditional petroleum-based inks.

Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s check the best options for eco-friendly business cards.

The Best Eco-Friendly Business Cards – 4 Solutions to Consider In 2024

1. Tapni

Tapni is an eco-friendly business card that allows you to create digital business cards effortlessly and quickly. 

Tapni’s app has a simple interface that makes it easy to create a digital card in minutes.

Tapni runs on NFC technology, allowing you to share and exchange information between devices with a single tap or by scanning a QR code.

An important benefit that Tapni provides is that you can create and customize your digital business cards by choosing from a variety of templates and designs.

And you can add a splash of creativity by creating Tapni stickers, Tapni, keychains, and Tapni wristbands.

Having a digital business card means you can include more info than a regular paper business card.

For example, you can add your name, title, company name, website, email address, phone number, and social media links to your card.

But what makes Tapni eco-friendly?

Apart from not using paper for card production, Tapni is part of the Tree Nation community, which plants trees worldwide and reduces CO2 emissions.

So for every Tapni card created, Tapni plants a tree.

Therefore, Tapni is eco-conscious and wants to create sustainable products to protect the environment and ethical standards.

As a result, Tapni introduced  Tapni Custom Bamboo Cards last year.

They come in dark and light colors, with all the advanced features of regular Tapni business cards.

Thus,Tapni Bamboo cards indicate that a high-quality product doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment.

Tapni’s Pros 

✔️ Allows you to customize your product without any limitations.

✔️ Your contact doesn’t need an app to receive information.

✔️ You’re equipped with a robust dashboard and actionable analytics insights to track your activities and improve actions accordingly.

✔️ Offers sustainable and eco-friendly solutions.

Tapni’s Shortcomings

❌ It doesn’t provide US storage at this moment.

Pricing

Digital business cards start at 24.90€ for a basic design or 39.90€ for a fully custom design.

Pricing of non-card items ranges from 19.90€ to 29.90€.

Now, let’s check other eco-friendly business card solutions.

2. Vistaprint

Vistaprint is an online printing company that produces business cards, advertising materials, stationery, labels, etc.

One of Vistaprint's most popular products is its eco-friendly business cards. These cards are made from recycled paper and are entirely recyclable. 

Furthermore, Vistaprint offset 100% of the carbon emissions generated from the production and shipping of these cards by planting trees in partnership with Trees for the Future.

In addition to its eco-friendly business cards, Vistaprint also offers recycled paper options for its other products, such as flyers, postcards, and invitations.

Vista’s recycled paper stock has a lower level of contrast and no glare, making it a good option for bigger, simple designs with soft colors and a lot of blank spaces.

Vista’s Pros

✔️ Recycled paper stock

✔️ Business cards that are easy to write on

✔️ A great number of designs

Vista’s Shortcomings

❌ Doesn’t use non-toxic inks

❌ GSM (Grams per Square Metre) isn’t high.

❌ Doesn’t support NFC technology

Pricing

Vistaprint’s prices range from 16,29£ to 45,29£ per batch of 250 cards.

3. MOO

MOO is a printing company that produces business cards, postcards, marketing materials, stationery, etc.

What makes MOO innovative is the fact that they produce their tree-free paper from recycled T-shirt offcuts. 

The paper produced this way is considered to be top of the class. It is lightweight but durable and naturally bright white. Thus, colors printed on such paper will pop out.

Furthermore, it is uncoated.

MOO also adds extra shine and texture to your business cards with special finishes like Spot Gloss, Gold Foil, and Silver Foil.

MOO’s Pros

✔️ Offers tree-free products

✔️ Premium paper quality

MOO’s Shortcomings

❌ A bit pricey

❌ Standard size isn’t actually the standard custom size.

❌ Doesn’t support NFC technology

Pricing

Prices range from 26.67£ to £43.00 per batch of 50 cards.

4. Noissue

Noissue is an eco-friendly, sustainable packaging and promo material company.

It prides itself on having lower minimums for ordering, which is invaluable for anyone running a small business.

You can choose between 100% recycled or FSC mix printed with soy-based or HP non-toxic inks. In addition, Noisssue plants a tree with each order.

You can choose from their pre-made templates when designing your business cards or create a custom design. 

Noissue’s Pros

✔️ Sustainable and eco-friendly materials

✔️ Has fast-shipping options

✔️ Has a 30-day return policy 

Noissue’s Shortcomings

❌ Can get pricey per unit if you stick to minimum order quantities

❌ Certain regions may have to pay customs duty or other taxes.

❌ Doesn’t support NFC technology

The above companies are our top picks for the best eco-friendly business cards. 

But before we wrap things up, let’s check if paper business cards are good for the environment and, if not, what is a better solution.

How Good are Paper Business Cards for The Environment?

As we’ve mentioned earlier, most people think something made from paper can’t be bad for the environment. 

After all, paper is made from trees, which are natural materials.

However, the following statistics might make you see things in a different light.

• Paper constitutes 50% of landfill waste, 33% of municipal waste, and 25% of landfill waste globally.
• Older trees are preferred over younger ones in paper production, but older trees have significantly higher carbon levels.
• You need 11,000 ounces of water to produce 1,000 business cards.
• Energy consumption required for transport 

Pretty depressing and terrifying, right?

So what could be the solution?

Why Should You Go for Digital Business Cards as an Eco-Friendly Solution?

There are a number of reasons why you should go for digital business cards as an eco-friendly solution:

1. They don't require paper or ink, which means they're much friendlier to the environment than traditional cards.
2. You can easily send them electronically to others, which is more convenient and eliminates the need to print and ship physical copies. 

Consequently, energy consumption and carbon footprint are reduced.

3. Once you’ve made your digital business card, you can easily update your information without printing a new card, which isn’t the case with paper business cards.

Overall, digital business cards offer a more sustainable and efficient way to network.

Let’s Recap

Eco-friendly business cards are an important way to help reduce your carbon footprint and make the world a better place. 

Furthermore, they are a great way to show that your business cares about sustainability.

You can get your message across with the right card without wasting paper or harming the environment.

So why not try Tapni, then?

Apart from being eco-friendly, it goes beyond an average digital business card. How?

🔥 It allows you to import contacts to your CRM system using some of its native integrations, such as Salesforce, Hubspot, Pipedrive, Zapier, etc.

🔥 In addition, using Tapni’s actionable analytics gives you a better insight into the performance of your team and ROI measurements at events.

🔥 Tapni provides three easy ways to share information:

1. With a tap on the smartphone
2. By scanning a QR code on card
3. By scanning a QR code within the app.

And the best thing is that your contact doesn’t need the app to receive your information.

🔥 Tapni works both on iPhone and Android.

Download our app to create eco-friendly digital business cards that make a statement while also protecting our planet.

FAQ

Can I Add My Digital Business Card Contacts to My CRM System?

Yes, with Tapni, you can add your contact to your CRM system thanks to Tapni’s native integrations with Hubspot, Zapier, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Are People Putting QR Codes on Digital Business Cards?

People put QR codes on digital business cards because they are useful for people with devices that are not NFC compatible. 

How Is Digital Printing More Sustainable?

Digital printing is more sustainable because it reduces the amount of paper and ink used for each print job and eliminates the need for hazardous chemicals in the process. 

In addition, digital printing methods are more energy efficient than their analog counterparts. 

They offer significantly faster turnaround times, making them an ideal choice for businesses that want to reduce their carbon footprint while still providing quality prints.