Landfills of Gift Cards, An Alternative for the New Year

Many consumers received Gift Cards for Christmas. Gift cards are convenient, easy to use and are great when you have an idea of what a special someone would like but are afraid you might pick the wrong style, or color or if you really have no idea what to buy.

Gift cards also don't require wrapping paper or ribbon both of which are usually made from virgin material.

The not so earth friendly catch is that once the gift cards are spent they usually end up in a landfill. The International Card Manufacturers Association say that on average 75 million pounds of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic cards enters the waste stream each year.

Now consumers can enjoy the benefits and convenience of gift cards without adding to the waste stream. There are a couple options: 

Save and mail your expired/used promotional or gift cards to Earthworks®. 
(Note: Earthworks prefers not to receive credit or iTunes cards as they are not recyclable at this time.)

Mail gift/promotional cards to:

 Earthworks® c/o Halprin Ind.                                                                    25840 Mile Road                                                                                  Bedford, OH 44146

Another option is to obtain gift cards from vendors who use cards made of recycled plastic and accept used/expired cards back for recycling. To know if a gift card you have purchased is made from 100% recycled plastic look for the Earthworks® logo. 

Macy's Inc. has partnered with Earthworks® to provide a recyclable gift card program for the retailer's customers. Macy's will be the first major department store to offer a recyclable gift card program.

In a press release Rodd Gilbert, President of Earthworks System stated "The Earthworks System for plastic card recycling complements Macy's sustainable business philosophy. Our partnership will provide Macy's and its customers an environmental solution for the significant number of plastic cards it distributes every year." 

Half Price Books is the first major book retailer in North America to offer gift cards that is both made from recycled plastic and recyclable according to Earthworks® website.

Earthworks® is a part of this closed loop system. "Earthworks® provides a green alternative to PVC by producing cards made from 100% recycled PVC material. Using this American-made recycled card material conserves energy by reducing the demand for new PVC, and goes a long way toward reducing landfill volume and protecting the environment."

If you own a retail outlet, offer to collect used/expired gift cards at the cash register. Do you have obsolete cards from last years inventory? Earthworks® wants your scrap PVC material. For information about Earthworks® system of recycling cards into new card stock or evaluating your PVC card scrap material for purchase contact them directly online.