Visiting Card that Sows


A visiting card that grows into a plant. That’s what an NGO founder hands her clients and expects them to sow and grow them into plants. In what is perhaps one of the most eco-friendly visiting cards, Janet, the founder of city-based NGO, ‘treesforfree’, hopes to drive the green message.
Pongemia (Honge) seeds are used as visiting cards. It contains Janet’s name and telephone number on one side and a message advocating planting of trees on the other. “Thank you in advance for planting this seed and healing the earth,” reads the message. 

FIRST TIME IN INDIA
N Ramesh, the executive creative director of Meridian Communications, came up with this seed-cum-card concept. “The idea was conceptualised and executed in one day. It is the first time in the country that a seed is being used as a visiting card.”

He said treesforfree had so far been carrying out a paper-less campaign for its programmes and it did not want to use paper. That’s how this idea was born.

SURVIVES ON SUNLIGHT
A water-proof CD marker is used to inscribe on the card. “Even if recipient throws the card somewhere, the seed will start growing. All it needs is some sunlight,” said Ramesh.

“When I was young, there were honge trees all around MG Road and OMBR Road. But there are none of these now. I hope this campaign helps bring more trees in the city. This is not a copyrighted idea. Anyone who wants to avoid the use of paper or ordinary visiting cards can embrace the idea,” he said.

Janet said when she handed her first card to the CEO of Harley Davidson, he was taken aback, but he appreciated the idea.

http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Environment / by M K Ashoka / Wednesday Dec 16th, 2009

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