is Gift Cards "green"?

[imie]

With the holiday, I see hundreds of "gift cards". How I missed those gift certificates written on papers. I guess that is now considered "uncool" or "unusuable".

But I wonder, how many of these cards pilled up in our dump every year and how many years. Will these things ever degrade? if not, what's the impact in th environment?

Convenience has a price. The environment.

Any thoughts?

Imie

[funkyfr3sh_]

With the holiday, I see hundreds of "gift cards". How I missed those gift certificates written on papers. I guess that is now considered "uncool" or "unusuable".

But I wonder, how many of these cards pilled up in our dump every year and how many years. Will these things ever degrade? if not, what's the impact in th environment?

Convenience has a price. The environment.

Any thoughts?

Imie

Well, if a lot of people reload them or the company reuses them then it would be better for the environment. But it totally depends on how many people / companies do that..

[ItemFinder]

Gift cards are plastic. They cost money to produce and they are garbage when used up. Money is ALWAYS the best solution. People that buy gift cards are suckers. The only conceivable circumstance to buy gift cards is to give a food voucher to a homeless person. Even then, they would probably sell it for booze. Better to go with the gift or money.

[ShadowVlican]

there's more plastic in my ipod shuffle's packaging than a mere gift card

let's attack this problem from another angle

[brunes]

Gift cards are plastic. They cost money to produce and they are garbage when used up. Money is ALWAYS the best solution. People that buy gift cards are suckers. The only conceivable circumstance to buy gift cards is to give a food voucher to a homeless person. Even then, they would probably sell it for booze. Better to go with the gift or money.

Also don't discount the fact that when you buy a gift card fror someone you're basically giving that company an interest-free loan of $50 or $100 or whatever. They're maing money instead of you.

Give cash. Gift cards are a huge scam. End of story.

[ItemFinder]

there's more plastic in my ipod shuffle's packaging than a mere gift card

let's attack this problem from another angle
I also didn't mention the wrapping of gift cards that stores like Future Shop like to include. Altogether, the invention is simply a way for the companies to raise their revenues without you actually buying anything. Anybody stupid enough to lend their money as an interest free loan, as stated above, deserves to lose his/her money. However, laws are in place to keep the stupid people from hurting themselves.

[jayk]

the only way to recycle these types of plastic at the moment is to either recycle it in York region, or to wait until Environment Day, I believe...

[gordholio]

Gift cards are plastic. They cost money to produce and they are garbage when used up. Money is ALWAYS the best solution. People that buy gift cards are suckers. The only conceivable circumstance to buy gift cards is to give a food voucher to a homeless person. Even then, they would probably sell it for booze. Better to go with the gift or money.

I agree. Bank notes are always the best solution (who throws money in the garbage)? It's ALWAYS recycled.

[ZenOps]

I'd say that gift cards are far greener than most coinage.

The amount of pollution to manufacture your average old style nickel nickel is staggering. They usually have a "dead zone" of about 10 kilometers around a working nickel mine.

It takes a lot of gift cards to equal the amount of plastic used in a plastic chair, or even a plastic garbage can.

[telman]

Don't forget the gift card will probably end up being used for something that is wanted, not some gift that will collect dust for awhile before being thrown out. So in some cases it could be considered green.

[brunes]

I'd say that gift cards are far greener than most coinage.

The amount of pollution to manufacture your average old style nickel nickel is staggering. They usually have a "dead zone" of about 10 kilometers around a working nickel mine.

It takes a lot of gift cards to equal the amount of plastic used in a plastic chair, or even a plastic garbage can.

This is silly reasonnig. Those nickels and dimes are in circulation 25-50 years, maybe longer. I see pennies on a routine basis from the 40s and 50s to this day. You think that Wal-mart gift card is going to last that long? NO ONE re-uses them. They throw them in a slot at the till and they go in the trash. I guarentee a very small portion, if any at all, are even recycled.

Don't forget the gift card will probably end up being used for something that is wanted, not some gift that will collect dust for awhile before being thrown out. So in some cases it could be considered green.

So you think if you give someone cash it will sit "collecting dust"?

Gift cards are stupid. They show no more thought than a cash gift and are an interest free loan with no consumer benefit. On top of that they waste resources. Either give a gift, or if you have no idea and have to give something, give cash or write a cheque. End of story.

[Psubs]

This is silly reasonnig. Those nickels and dimes are in circulation 25-50 years, maybe longer. I see pennies on a routine basis from the 40s and 50s to this day. You think that Wal-mart gift card is going to last that long? NO ONE re-uses them. They throw them in a slot at the till and they go in the trash. I guarentee a very small portion, if any at all, are even recycled.



So you think if you give someone cash it will sit "collecting dust"?

Gift cards are stupid. They show no more thought than a cash gift and are an interest free loan with no consumer benefit. On top of that they waste resources. Either give a gift, or if you have no idea and have to give something, give cash or write a cheque. End of story.

We're doing Kris Kringle using Elfster. Giving cash makes no sense. We suggest places we like to shop and ask for giftcards or specific gifts. I hope I get that Sport Chek gift card. I got my friend one for the Lacoste Outlet. Since the range is around $75, it would make no sense and be rude to give cash.

I only usually buy giftcards through a rewards thing, so I get them at 20% off. That takes care of the interest. I just ordered $250 FS and $250 BB.

[brunes]

We're doing Kris Kringle using Elfster. Giving cash makes no sense. We suggest places we like to shop and ask for giftcards or specific gifts. I hope I get that Sport Chek gift card. I got my friend one for the Lacoste Outlet. Since the range is around $75, it would make no sense and be rude to give cash.
\

No idea what "Elfster" is, but the bolded part of your statement is just plain dumb.

What logically is the difference between a cheque for $75 and a gift card for $75. The only difference at all is that one can be spent anywhere and the other can only be spent in some arbitrary place. Neither requires any thought on the part of the giver at all. What makes one "rude" and the other not?

[dark169]

What logically is the difference between a cheque for $75 and a gift card for $75. The only difference at all is that one can be spent anywhere and the other can only be spent in some arbitrary place. Neither requires any thought on the part of the giver at all. What makes one "rude" and the other not?

Not true, a gift card can show desire of the type of gift. For example I working at chapters and a guy came in and bought 80 - $50 gift cards for his staff, of all the stores he could have chose he chose chapters becuase of the type of things they sell. He could have easily spent that $4000 on promo shirts, or on cases of wine, or what ever.
A hockey coach for example it would make sense to give kids sports check gift cards vs cash.

Of course buying any product as a gift is the same as giving the store an interest free loan as until that product gets opens and NOT returned its the same thing, Christmas must be very boring in your house santa only brings cash...

Back on topic, I dont think gift cards are green but not any less green then most gifts.

BTW, paper money is rather energy intensive with a bill only lasting a year or 2 and then being sent to the landfill.

[felix]

Gift cards can now be recycled, at least in my area. I'm sure more cities will accept them in the near future.

[Thanh]

Ecology has really became a religion. It's easy to state that GC are or aren't green but since there's no reliable and accurate way to measure an environmental footprint, must of it is pure BS.

I know that I've been using and reusing the same SDM GC for over 2 years now.

[anom]

No idea what "Elfster" is, but the bolded part of your statement is just plain dumb.

What logically is the difference between a cheque for $75 and a gift card for $75. The only difference at all is that one can be spent anywhere and the other can only be spent in some arbitrary place. Neither requires any thought on the part of the giver at all. What makes one "rude" and the other not?

I tend to think that GCs are better than giving cash. Buying someone a GC to a store they like to shop at ensures that they will spend the money on getting something they want/need instead of spending it on random things.

And I agree with others, gift wrapping, etc. is generally thrown out, so that sort of ends up equaling the GC plastic, I don't think it's really all that bad.

[ZenOps]

Gift cards are great because:

#1 It lets me cash in my credits from Blockbuster from turning in games that I get as kickbacks from companies that give them to me as freebies - But I don't have the console that they gave me the game for (Yes, I am one heck of a lucky man.) At the end of the year, its easy to convert the credits to others.

#2 Deals are always better in January. Always. Buying a present for $50 in mid-December nets you about half of what you could buy if you waited two more weeks. Prime example: Try to buy QuakeWars:ET last week would have cost you about $30 to $40. Wait for the amazon.ca boxing week sale and you can get the QWET collectors edition for $19.99. Another example: London drugs has the retail Vista (32/64) basic upgrade for $79.98

[ZenOps]

The problem with coinage and paper money is that it physically circulates.

It costs a lot of money to move all that material around. A billion pennies per year on trucks, on planes, etc...

Its estimated that if they could reduce the weight of coinage by half from just what people carry in their pockets , it would reduce the carbon output from an airplane flight by a staggering amount. (About the same amount that would be if they do not paint the airplane, which they do nowadays to save on fuel cost)

In my world, all micropayments (IE: under $1) would move over to electronics. Metals would move over to only being commoditized in ingot form. I mean china is already melting down all the old copper pennies into the more valuable copper ingot form now anyhow, we might as well just do it that way to start with and stop wasting energy (And its a huge waste to use blast furnaces to remelt coinage that should have been made into an ingot in the first place)

[gordholio]

I usually give cash rather than gift certificates or cards. The recipient can spend it in whatever store they want, rather than just one specific store. If you give a certificate for one store, you are forcing them to buy at the store you select, which isn't always in their best interest (unless you know they shop at that store quite a bit).

[anom]

I usually give cash rather than gift certificates or cards. The recipient can spend it in whatever store they want, rather than just one specific store. If you give a certificate for one store, you are forcing them to buy at the store you select, which isn't always in their best interest (unless you know they shop at that store quite a bit).

there are always mall gift cards, or the new cards where the recipient can select which card they want.

[jayk]

Gift cards can now be recycled, at least in my area. I'm sure more cities will accept them in the near future.

felix what type of plastic are gift cards?

I'm wondering where I can recycle in the GTA also.

[brunes]

I have yet to see a logical argument in this thread about why gift cards ever make sense more than cash.
Here are the arguments given so far:


"Giving cash is rude"

- Again, why is $50 in cash rude and a $50 GC not? makes no sense.

"A hockey coach for example it would make sense to give kids sports check gift cards vs cash"

- again, why? On what assumption should the coach or anyone else be making that? What if the kid already has all the sports equipment he needs (which is highly likely), and would rather have a video game? or maybe he is poor and would have rather had money for some clothes? or maybe he would have rather been able to get his sporting goods somewhere else on sale?

Buying someone a GC to a store they like to shop at ensures that they will spend the money on getting something they want/need instead of spending it on random things.

- For one, getting a gift card does no such thing, as people can buy pretty much anything at any store nowadays, and also people can just sell gift cards. Secondly, again, if you supposedly care about this person enough to want to give them a gift, but don't know what to get them, why are you making assumptions about what they want or need? Don't you think they would be better off deciding that themselves?

#1 It lets me cash in my credits from Blockbuster...

- This isn't a reason gift cards are great, it is just the way the store operates. I am sure if the store gave you the same value in cash back on the spot you would rather have that, no?

#2 Deals are always better in January. Always. Buying a present for $50 in mid-December nets you about half of what you could buy if you waited two more weeks

- Again, not a reason gift cards are good, just a reason you think getting gifts in December is bad. Would make no difference in this situation if you got cash.

---

Gift cards are nothing but a huge scam on the public. Companies have people convinced they're great things. All the meanwhile they are laughing their faces off in the boardroom at the public's general stupidity, rolling in the cash they gain from all the public's parked cash that is sitting there earning the corporation profit when it could be earning it for you or the person you gave the gift to.

[chiumanji]

For reals, brunes speaks the truth.

I don't understand this stigma about giving cash as being rude for gifts. If there was no stigma associated with that than this gift card thing probably wouldn't have become so common as it is.

I've only purchased gift cards because the person I am trying to buy a gift for requested a gift card specifically and would get upset if I gave them cash.

If I had my way, I'd only give cash if I can't figure out what exactly to buy.

Or here's a thought for those that might consider getting a gift card... hwo about creating your own paper gift card. You draw a picture or some lettering stating this gift card is for them to use as a particular store of your choosing, and put cash in the card..

or if that's still too iffy for thsoe that think its rude.

Create a message on the card stating "This card is good for $(amount) at this store." And what you have them do is go shopping with them next time and buy their item of their choosing or pay your amount and they cover the rest if its more than what you've said you'll pay.

Since you created this on paper, you can easily recycle this home made gift card/coupon and since you actually put some time and effort into creating this thing yourself, there's that special factor that you put some thought into it.

Win/Win situation isn't it?

[smithinparis]

The great thing about gift cards and money is that they are both great 'green' gifts because they allow the recipient to buy what they want rather than get something that might just be considered junk.
But there is a difference between gift cards and money, and the choice as to which one you give comes down to:
1) Who are you giving it to?
2) Is there a special significance behind the gift?
If you're giving it to somebody that would prefer money, then give money. If your giving a gift to someone because you've put a lot of thought behind something, but can't make the final decision between a couple of products, then a gift card makes sense.
Here are a few examples of where gift cards come in really handy:
1) My teenage neighbor regularily comes by and snowblows my driveway, just because he's a nice kid. I really appeciate him doing it, but I really can't afford to pay him (and really, I shouldn't because he's offering it to be nice). So what do do - go over and give him $20 (that's pretty cheap, he's worth more than that), or give him a $20 gift card to Tim Horton's as a token. Yes the value is exactly the same, but the $20 gift card was appreciated more I'm sure than $20 which wouldn't make a blip in his cash flow.
2) I regularily give my folks gift cards to arts centres so they can go catch the latest plays. Giving them $100 or so again wouldn't even register in their cash flow, and is really a cheap way of showing your gratitude. On the other hand, a $100 gift card sitting on their counter waiting for the next great play really makes them happy. And I can't exactly by the ticket for them because of dates/times/shows...
3) We like to give our family doctor a Christmas card, and putting cash in the card would be REALLY inappropriate. Enter a small gift card to a coffee shop to say thanks ... the sentiment really comes through.

[brunes]

Here are a few examples of where gift cards come in really handy:
1) My teenage neighbor regularily comes by and snowblows my driveway, just because he's a nice kid. I really appeciate him doing it, but I really can't afford to pay him (and really, I shouldn't because he's offering it to be nice). So what do do - go over and give him $20 (that's pretty cheap, he's worth more than that), or give him a $20 gift card to Tim Horton's as a token. Yes the value is exactly the same, but the $20 gift card was appreciated more I'm sure than $20 which wouldn't make a blip in his cash flow.
2) I regularily give my folks gift cards to arts centres so they can go catch the latest plays. Giving them $100 or so again wouldn't even register in their cash flow, and is really a cheap way of showing your gratitude. On the other hand, a $100 gift card sitting on their counter waiting for the next great play really makes them happy. And I can't exactly by the ticket for them because of dates/times/shows...
3) We like to give our family doctor a Christmas card, and putting cash in the card would be REALLY inappropriate. Enter a small gift card to a coffee shop to say thanks ... the sentiment really comes through.

Again - all three of these things make no sense whatsoever. Why is a $20 gift card for a random restaurant a "token" and $20 cash is not thoughtful? How much thought does it take to go out and plop down $20 on a Tim Horton's GC? Do you even *know he likes* Tim Hortons? If indeed you do, then why not get him a coffee gift set or something tangible?

And who tips their doctor anyway? You don't have to put a gift in every card, it is supposed to be thr thought that counts, the nice thoughtful card should be more than adequate. Trust me your doctor doesn't need your $20 gift card.

Also , I thought of yet another reason gift cards suck. When a company goes into Chapter 11, they are one of the first debits to be written off, in which case, the gift card is completely worthless. This has happened to more companies than you can even name. People owning LNT gift cards right now should be spending them ASAP - the US restructuring hasn't spread north of the border yet, but who knows what will come in the near future.

[Thanh]

So much words, time and energy to diss GC but why ? I mean, don't use GC if you don't want to and let others that want to use them do.

What's up with the preaching about what one should or shouldn't do ? To my knowledge, buying, using and enjoying GC is NOT criminal.

[brunes]

So much words, time and energy to diss GC but why ? I mean, don't use GC if you don't want to and let others that want to use them do.

What's up with the preaching about what one should or shouldn't do ? To my knowledge, buying, using and enjoying GC is NOT criminal.

I just hate how companies dupe the public into things like this... it really gets my goat for some reason :/

[Thanh]

I just hate how companies dupe the public into things like this... it really gets my goat for some reason :/

As I said, just don't buy them. There's tons of stuff I don't like and you don't see me starting threads about it. You also have to be able to grasp the fact that GC are popular within the RFD world because we get them at a discount.

[jayk]

Did a bit of google research and found out how bad gift card plastic ie. PVC is.

The site says that 1 bottle of PVC in 10,000 bottles of regular plastic bottles in a recycling factory can ruin the whole batch. And PVC is hard to and very expensive to recycle. In fact, PVC is quite toxic when burned.

http://www.lotfi.net/recycle/plastic.html

It irks me how easy it is for companies to produce GC's and how easily their employees chuck your GC's into the garbage can the second they're done, instead of reactivating or keeping them for reusing. If companies truly care about the environment they should start doing that instead of putting false pretense displays of care for the environment.

[CanadaRAM]

OK the talk about how expensive it is to produce and transport coinage is just silly. Nobody's talking about giving someone $20 in nickels.

I resent being given a gift card that forces me to patronize a particular store -- (especially if that store is FutureShop). I have reasons why I want to choose the goods and the seller I prefer. Also, gift cards that expire their cash value in 6 to 12 months are just short of theft. Fortunately, there should be legislation to correct that -- Can't remember, that's province by province, right?

Frankly, I have told my family not to waste money on presents of any kind for me. I'm not a kid, I don't need to be gifted with 'things'.

[Yumeji]

I believe service fees and expiry dates are no longer valid for gift cards in BC under legislation introduced in April 2008 by the Liberal government (NDP proposed the same about a year ago).

I'm a student living in a basement suite, so you can believe that I would save or use any money coming my way, no matter what shape or form it arrives in. I received a few gift cards last Christmas and from Pigsback.ca, all of which but two have been used (don't worry, they'll be used before the summer weather approaches). Fortunately, I still have the used gift cards. They actually returned them to me at the stores I went to. I suppose this was to allow a refill at a later date; however, I simply use them as bookmarks.

I also receive red pockets from my in-laws, which I find to be useful as well since I can use the money to pay bills (which I consider more useful than receiving a mini-oven which I have no room for in my 1 bedroom suite). The irony is that I have not spent any of the red-pocket money I received, yet I have used up almost all my gift cards. :lol: