The Grinch Isn’t the Only One Who’s Green this Holiday Season
Red and green are ubiquitous colors this time of year, but at More Vang, we decided to lean into the green side of the holiday palette this year.
During a monthly meeting I had back in November, John Davis, our Production Manager, mentioned that we had a lot of old excess paper inventory that hadn’t been used in years. We needed to make space for new inventory coming in, and so the plan was to recycle the old to make way for the new.
Luckily, I happened to be in the midst of planning our annual holiday card with our Marketing team. It turned out that the old paper inventory was stationery material, perfectly suited for a greeting card. “This inventory,” I asked, “Is there enough to print our 1200 holiday cards this year?” One person’s trash is another person’s treasure and all that. The answer was an emphatic YES.
It’s common in our industry to have leftover paper from a project, and these remnants add up over time. Thankfully at More Vang, we are incredibly conscious of our environmental footprint. We are strategic when ordering materials to minimize waste and optimize use. We also do not make a habit of haphazardly discarding unused materials. If we’re able to find a creative way to use materials that would otherwise end up in the recycling bin, we extend the longevity of the paper, which continues to sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide.
Our holiday cards this year are not only delivering season’s greetings, they’re delivering on a promise we’ve made as a company to find new, innovative ways to practice sustainability. Sometimes, that requires a big investment and massive changes to our processes. And sometimes, it’s a small, thoughtful decision that can make a difference.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year!