Reduce: Emissions
88% less CO₂ / 85% less energy
Say goodbye to your single use disposable paper business cards
At first glance, paper business cards seem harmless. They’re made from a recyclable material and have been the default for decades.
But the issue isn’t paper itself. It’s how wastefully we use it.
We often treat “sustainable” materials as a free pass. A paper straw is better than plastic, but the best option is often no straw at all. It still takes water, energy, and CO₂ to produce, and it still creates waste.
Now apply that logic to the 8 billion single-use paper business cards printed every year. Most are used once, forgotten, binned, or left in drawers. Many are also laminated, making them difficult to recycle.
The problem isn’t just the material. It’s the habit.
Maybe it’s time we rethink how we share our details.
Don’t be a tosser… Cut the habit of single use, disposable business cards.
It pays to be sustainable. By switching to Tapzo you not only cut your emissions but your print costs drastically too.
CO₂ Emissions
| 1,000 Paper Business Cards | 1,000 uses Tapzo (with NFC Card) |
|---|---|
| 950 g CO₂ emitted | 112 g CO₂ emitted |
| 748% more CO₂ emitted | 88% less CO₂ emitted |
| 15,000 Paper Business Cards | 15,000 uses Tapzo (with NFC Card) |
|---|---|
| 14.25 kg CO₂ emitted | 1.51 kg CO₂ emitted |
| 843% more CO₂ emitted | 89.4% less CO₂ emitted |
kWh Energy Consumed
| 1,000 Paper Business Cards | 1,000 uses Tapzo (with NFC Card) |
|---|---|
| 2.8 kWh consumed | 0.427 kWh consumed |
| 555% more energy consumed | 85% less energy consumed |
| 15,000 Paper Business Cards | 15,000 uses Tapzo (with NFC Card) |
|---|---|
| 43.5 kWh consumed | 4.63 kWh consumed |
| 839% more energy consumed | 89.3% less energy consumed |
Note: All Tapzo calculations assume an NFC card is included.
This is because, out of our available setups, the NFC card option has the largest footprint.
We believe this makes the comparison fairer, as it measures Tapzo using our highest-impact scenario rather than our lowest-footprint digital-only option.
This comparison is calculated using 1,000 and 15,000 business cards as a comparison.
Calculation Breakdown and Sources
To create 1 metric ton PVC
15,880 kWh of energy is required.
1.5 metric ton of CO2 emissions.
An average 8g Tapzo card emits 12 grams of CO2 emissions (uses 0.1270 kWh to produce)
In addition, a single tap of a Tapzo card emits 0.1 grams of CO2 (uses 0.0003 kWh)
Total CO2 emissions manufacture plus single use – 12.1g
https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/13049/attachments/1/translations/en/renditions/pdf
To create 1 metric ton paper 2908 kWh of energy is required. 0.95 metric ton of CO2 emissions (Average, raw pulp 1.2-ton, recycled paper 0.7 ton).
An average 1g paper business card emits 0.95 grams of CO2 (uses 0.0029 kWh to produce)
Total CO2 emissions manufacture plus single use – 0.95g
Whilst a single use of each card compared result in 0.95g (paper) and 12.1g (Tapzo), results change rapidly from here as Tapzo is designed to be re-used indefinitely.
Just 15 taps of a Tapzo card outweighs 15 paper business card which can easily be achieved in a single event or business meeting. (paper 0.95 x 15; Tapzo 12+ 0.1*15)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/713287/energy-consumed-by-paper-production/
Water consumption addition:
A lot of customers have asked for a breakdown comparison of water consumption.
Paper:
2700 litres of water to 1 ton of paper. 1 business card weighs 1g = 2700/1000000 =0.0027 litres.
1000 Paper business cards: 0.0027 x 1000 = 2.7litres
https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/paper-waste-facts
Tapzo:
3000 litres of water to 1 ton PVC, Tapzo card weighs 8g = (3000/1000000) x 8 =0.024 litres.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212371716300142#bbib3
