Here’s what makes it so groovy and green:

Lokta paper is handmade and sun dried, so there are no machines or chemicals involved;

The bush grows quickly and actually needs agressive pruning or it would die, but the bush also helps stabalize the soil and protect rural Nepalese villages from mudslides during the monsoon season;

The bush grows in the shade, so commercial growth does NOT require any forests be cut down;

The bush grows happily without the use of chemicals;

The paper is colored with either azo-free dyes or organic dyes;

Sweet Organics & Naturals developed this paper and sent me some samples along with some very cool organically dyed twine. The paper is not only nice, it has a great consistency and appears to be strong without being too stiff or wierd. I’m definitely going to use it for all those great eco-gifts for all the showers and weddings coming up this Sping and Summer!

Re-Usable greeting cards?

When I first heard about the idea, I mistakenly thought it involved erasable ink and a new envelope. Wrong. I’m not as stupid as I sound, but this was not an easy concept to grasp initially, but now that I’ve seen the cards and read a little more about the process (if you’re anything like me, reading directions isn’t always the first thing I do), I’m pretty excited about the whole thing.

The cards in the pic here were designed by singer/songwriter John Mayer for ReProduct! So, not only is he hot, he’s talented in more ways than just the tunes AND he clearly cares about creating a more sustainable way of being.

Back to the cards and how it works . . . it’s a little like Netflix, and if you love movies and haven’t tried it yet - DO IT!!! The idea of mailing movies back and forth seems cumbersome and awkward or something, but they make it so easy, that once you try it, you are sold.

ReProduct has taken the idea of making re-mailing very simple and easy and applied it to the all-American custom of sending greeting cards. By the way, the cards are beautiful. First of all, the cards are made from healthy, non-toxic materials that minimize chemical waste in the manufacturing process and if folks follow this new concept, they don’t end up in landfills - or at least not for a VERY long time.

Here’s how it works:

1. You buy these cool cards that come with special envelopes from ReProduct.com
2. Send the card out!
3. The receiver gets the card, presumably enjoys the message you have sent, then hopefully (here’s the potential wrinkle) is additionally jazzed by the idea of NOT simply recycling it or throwing it away and finds the instructions clear on the back of the card and on the envelope, that they send it along to the next stop, which is NOT a landfill!
4. ReProduct has an arrangement with Shaw Carpets who receives the cards and uses 100% of them to make new sustainable, non-toxic carpets.

There is a little demo of how it works on their website.

I have two concerns about changing the habits of card receivers everywhere – one is that there is no guarantee the person receiving the card will know or understand what they are supposed to do or worse, not take the time to follow through; and the other is what if you are a packrat like me and like to save these things for some unknown or vague reason?

I suspect that while there is some retraining involved, most folks want to participate in being more ‘green’ for various reasons and will give it a try – or at least I’m saying that if you wanted to send me one, I’d do it.