Over the last decade, there has been a massive spike in demand for wedding items and supplies that are Eco-friendly. Even wedding lighting can be Eco-friendly! One of the most obvious things that people are concerned about impacting the environment is wedding invitations. Even if all wedding invitations were made from paper, they still contribute to the problem of overused landfills and deforestation; not to mention the chemicals and inks that are used during the printing process. Additionally, many wedding invitations have begun incorporating other types of mediums such as plastics and resins that take much longer to break down. Fortunately, there are some Eco-friendly wedding invitations out there that are very viable alternatives to using a traditional style.
Use Soy and Vegetable Inks
There are options other than using regular ink that is made of harmful chemicals and dyes. Eco-conscious couples are choosing soy or vegetable based inks instead for their wedding invitations. The process of making regular inks, especially those that have metallic properties, creates a wide variety of pollutants that are hazardous to the environment. Soy and vegetable inks are completely biodegradable and have a very clean manufacturing process that produces as little harmful contaminants as possible. Best of all, you just need to get some blank wedding invitations. They are cheap and readily available at any retailer.
Print Your Eco-Friendly Wedding Invitations on Recycled Paper
Using recycled paper for your wedding invitations is another great choice if you want to keep things as Eco-friendly as possible. There are many benefits to using recycled paper. One is that you are re-purposing paper that has already been used. That eliminates landfill buildup and reduces deforestation. Using recycled paper for your Eco-friendly wedding invitations is better when you also print on them using soy or vegetable inks rather than normal ink.
Consider “Plantable” Cards
“Plantable” cards are all the rage recently because they double as a valuable gift as well as epitomizes being Eco-friendly. Made from biodegradable recycled paper and soy or vegetable inks, “plantable” wedding invitations are laced with seeds from wild flowers or other popular plant choices so your recipients can get yet another use out of them. As the paper absorbs water, it acts as the perfect vessel for the seeds to sprout and create an air-giving wonder of nature. You can even add a few wooden flower petals in the envelope as an added touch. Though they are a little more expensive because of all the care that goes into each card. However, they are well worth the money for anyone interested in having truly Eco-friendly wedding invitations.
Go Electronic: The Ultimate in Eco-Friendly Wedding Invitations
The ultimate way to be Eco-friendly with your wedding invitations is to go completely electronic. There are dozens of companies that offer this type of service online, or you can even use something as simple as Facebook to create and event for everyone to RSVP for. Some people will criticize this move. In fact, your computer, tablet, or smartphone used to create the wedding invitation is powered by electricity which was made by creating pollution. However, you would need to go online to order paper invitations anyways; or at least drive to the store to buy them and have the post office drive to deliver each one. No matter what you choose, there will be some sort of pollution created by your wedding invitations. Overall, you should just choose whatever Eco-friendly options suits you best and go with that.
No matter how you execute your Eco-friendly wedding invitations, they are a much better option. You can leave a small footprint while celebrating your big day. Best of all, you won’t need to sacrifice elegance and charm while doing so with these tips.
