Dublin salon makes greener gift cards

HairPeople customises wood-pulp based cards locally

Want to promote your salon gift cards as Valentine presents while flashing your green credentials? You might trial a sustainable gift card, like HairPeople co-founders Bernadette Byrnes and Jennifer Zamparelli. “A fully sustainable salon does seem like an impossible dream at times, but we make changes wherever we can and knew we didn’t want to sell the traditional plastic gift card,” says Bernadette, whose salon opened on Dublin’s Adelaide Street last September.

“When I started looking for alternatives, I found a gorgeous family printer on Camden Street that use card made from wood pulp and sustainable ink. We package them in hemp bags, so we’re even avoiding glue.”

Beyond sustainability, Bernadette says there are health and marketing benefits attributable to the switch. “We know plastics contain chemicals that can harm human health, especially when incinerated. Gift vouchers made from sustainable materials don’t and can also be customised to reflect your brand’s identity and values. This makes them a great marketing tool as they can be used to promote the company’s sustainability efforts and attract environmentally conscious customers.”

We all love a plus-point of differentiation for our business, but she hopes she can inspire others to help customers gift sustainably. “I’d love to see the entire industry decide to do recyclable gift cards. I know the plastic cards are convenient for the wallet but once they’re spent, they’re not recyclable and will wind up in landfill. I understand why people persist with them, as customers who’ve bought e-gift card vouchers from us say it’s just not as nice as presenting someone with a physical gift, so I’m very happy to have found this option.”