Our quest for 2009 green resolutions brings us today to the beautiful (and green) Seattle, where GreetQ, an online greeting card retailer is located. We are very happy to host Jennifer Taylor, the owner of GreetQ.GreetQ offers a unique service: shoppers can buy paper greeting cards online, add a personal message, then schedule the cards to be sent on a specific date. GreetQ then mails the personalized card to the recipient on behalf of their customers on that specific date. The scheduled cards, which can be scheduled for up to one year in advance, are queued online in the customer’s “card-queue.”
GreetQ is collaborating with Eco-Libris to plant a tree for every 10 greeting cards purchased through the GreetQ.com's website.
Hello Jennifer. What is your green resolution for 2009?In addition to seeking out talented independent designers, one of our main focuses when selecting new lines for GreetQ, is to make it a priority to find brands that use environmentally responsible practices. Many of our brands use recycled paper, are FSC certified or print with soy inks.
One of our resolutions this year is to better highlight these practices for our customers so that they can more easily make informed purchasing decisions. We are also introducing a “Green Glossary” which will define in detail how each of these practices helps the environment. For instance, “what is soy ink and why is it better than regular ink?”
We are also working to “greenify” our operational practices, including reducing packaging while not compromising the safe delivery of cards. We are also researching ways to decrease our overall environmental footprint by reducing energy usage and using environmentally safer ink - not just for greeting cards but for all of our printing needs including invoices and receipt.
What's your green wish for 2009?
I would hope that more companies, in the tradition of Eco-Libris, work to find solutions that help customers reduce their environmental footprint without drastically compromising their lifestyles or without introducing additional complexity into everyday living. Eco-Libris is a great example of a solution that allows book lovers to continue reading “real books” while helping the environment. I hope that GreetQ moves closer and closer to refining similar solutions, allowing customers to still send paper cards, while keeping their environmental impact at a negligible level.
I would hope that more companies, in the tradition of Eco-Libris, work to find solutions that help customers reduce their environmental footprint without drastically compromising their lifestyles or without introducing additional complexity into everyday living. Eco-Libris is a great example of a solution that allows book lovers to continue reading “real books” while helping the environment. I hope that GreetQ moves closer and closer to refining similar solutions, allowing customers to still send paper cards, while keeping their environmental impact at a negligible level.
Any other plans for 2009 you would like to share with our readers?
We are working to introduce features that will make sending and personalizing greeting cards even easier; this will include additional personalization options such as rich text editing, making it easier to get your personalized message formated exactly the way you want it.Thanks, Jennifer!
This collaboration also includes a special offer for Eco-Libris customers and fans: a 25% discount off the regular subscription rate. Code to enter at checkout: ECOLBR.
So check out GreetQ's artful, beautifully made cards at their website: http://www.greetq.com.
So far on "My Green Resolution for 2009":Bill Roth, author of "On Empty (Out of Time)"
Vonda Schaefer of Valley Books
Madeline Kaplan, author of "Planet Earth Gets Well"
Edain Duguay of Wyrdwood Publications
Raz @ Eco-Libris
