- A staggering 744 million Christmas cards were delivered by the Royal Mail in 2005 (1)
- An estimated 1 billion Christmas cards (that’s 17 per man, woman and child) (2), weighing 20,000 tonnes (3) will end up in the bin this Christmas (4)
- 200,000 trees will be cut down to make the Christmas cards and envelopes that we send each Christmas in the UK (5)
It’s no wonder that reducing our carbon footprint is at the top of the agenda. But it doesn’t stop there, because many of the Christmas cards could still be with us in 30 years time, there is evidence that landfill sites actually preserve paper instead of letting it naturally degrade, this is due to the lack of Oxygen underground which in turn stops the bacteria being able grow and feed off the waste (6).
To help reduce this waste HOH Ltd is using the power of the internet to persuade companies to send an eCard this Christmas. An eCard is a Christmas card sent via email and has many advantages over a traditional paper card, some of these include;
• It is cheaper than sending traditional cards because of the purchasing and postal costs involved
• Zero delivery miles means zero vehicle emissions
• Reducing paper waste helps companies comply with their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR)
• The eCard allows you to have links to a website allowing you to include marketing messages
• HOH’s eCard software allows people to know who has opened the card
Christmas is an important time in the business calendar and the value of maintaining good relationships and communications with customers and clients is of the up most importance, but as a result, large amounts of waste are produced year after year. HOH is giving businesses the opportunity to have an alternative way of spreading the Christmas cheer and showing a good example to the business world.
Poulton based internet consultancy company HOH Ltd was formed in 2000, and has grown to include Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) specialists, Web designers, Information architects, Technical architects and Developers. This has given them an excellent understanding of how businesses work and how the internet can reduce the impact they have on the environment.
Jeremy Norburn who is the account executive for HOH said “We have been amazed at the response we have received from this initiative. From small one-man-band companies to major charities, we have seen a keenness to reduce waste and yet still acknowledge that Christmas is a great time to say thank you to clients and suppliers. The more companies that help support the environment the better, we can’t keep sending all our waste to land fill, it’s like sweeping everything under the carpet and everyone knows that doesn’t work”.
For more information on the eCard project please visit http://www.hoh.co.uk.
--ENDS—
Notes to editor:
• Statistic sources:
(1) The British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA)
(2) Defra
(3) Assuming the average weight of a Christmas card to be 20g
(4) Envirowise - http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/
(5) NFU Countryside Online - http://www.countrysideonline.co.uk/
(6) Evidence from ‘Project Garbage’, a pioneering archaeology project that excavated landfill sites in the US, suggests that most materials do not biodegrade normally in landfill, largely due to a lack of oxygen and water. Amongst a wide range of items, the project unearthed 30 year old newspapers that were perfectly legible and showed no signs of biodegradation.
HOH
HOH is an internet consultancy company formed in 2000 by Nichola Ealson (Director) and Colin Towns (Director). It is based in Poulton in the Cotswolds.
HOH consists of around 8 members including Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) specialists, Web designers, Information architects, Technical architects and Developers.
For industry/press information please call: 01285 851193 or email: jeremy@hoh.co.uk
