Our reader Heidi asked on our Facebook page: GPB ladies! I recently had to order new busines cards and am so sad to waste the old ones. Creative ideas for using up otherwise useless business cards?

We did a little research, Heidi, and came up with a 11 innovative ideas to recycle your old stack of business cards:

1. Use them for public speaking & cue cards
2. Bookmarks
3. DIY – Paint them completely and make ‘new’ business cardson the back side (or make them for a friend/sell on Etsy)
4. Takes notes for flash cards/studying
5. Gift the gifts: Christmas “To/From” Cards
6. Make a business card (or small) box
7. Place them as photo holders in scrapbooks
8. Use them for name/place cards (ie at a wedding) – you can put something on the ‘printed’ side as a disguise
9. Labels while canning, on spices, in your library, etc
10. Get creative for an Arts & Craft project. Try having kids (or hipsters) paint each card different colors and make a piece of art
11. Use them for “Post Its” or to leave notes in the house

Image: Recycle This UK

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Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher