Business card doubles as a free train pass for recipients

The Russian arm of Greenpeace has created EcoCard, a business card that's getting more people to use public transport by combining contact details with free train rides.

There’s a famous scene in American Psycho when Patrick Bateman and his colleagues compare business cards. The scene is humorous because business cards are seen as old fashioned in the digital age, but the truth of the matter is that a good one can still make a brand or client memorable. The Kokopelli hostel in Peru recently embedded its business cards with altitude sickness-curing medicine to help backpackers remember it’s name. Now the Russian arm of Greenpeace has created EcoCard, a business card that’s getting more people to use public transport by combining contact details with free train rides.

The environmental charity wanted to make the paper cards — which are often simply thrown away if they’re not of use, or the details have been digitized — more green. In order to provide an incentive for people to keep the cards, the organization gave them another purpose. Although the front of the card offers the individual’s contact information, the back lets the recipient know that inside is a metro card that works with the Moscow Metro System. The EcoCard doubles as a case they can keep the train ticket in, and lets them know how many rides are pre-loaded onto it. Those ordering the cards can choose to give 20, 40 or 60 free rides to their recipients.

Watch the video below to learn more about the initiative:

As well as making business cards less disposable, the scheme also gives businesspeople an incentive to take the train instead of driving the office, potentially reducing their carbon footprint by up to 85kg. Are there other ways to make business cards more useful?