Plantable business cards
Handmade business cards from recycled paper and food waste, with seeds embedded so the card can be planted after use.
What it's about
I wanted a business card that was more than paper. Something that matched how I work, and that had a chance to keep going after being handed over.
How it was made
Paper waste and food waste became new paper, cast in 3D-printed molds, laminated with seeds, and stamped with ink made from cocoa and coffee. Fully biodegradable.
Tools & tech
Making the paper
Paper waste plus a bit of food waste is all it takes to make new, handmade paper. The food waste isn't required, but it adds strength, color, and makes the material more nutrient-rich.
Pulp into cards
A 3D printer and a bit of modeling is enough to build molds that shape the pulp into business-card format straight out of the fresh slurry.
Drying
The wet cards go between cloth, get pressed, and dry until they reach the right consistency and strength.
Laminating with seeds
Each card gets seeds sandwiched between two layers of paper. The layers are glued together with cornstarch-based adhesive, keeping the cards fully biodegradable.
Result
Finally, natural pigments like cocoa or coffee become ink for stamping the cards with the desired design.
Want to hear more?
Happy to walk through the process, or talk about how something similar could be adapted for you.