Sending friends, family and loved ones a Holiday card has become a time honored tradition!

Now, you can find dozens of stores online offering beautiful designs for your family photos. Heck, you can even get them addressed and mailed through some sites. It's convenient, but is it costing the planet?

Every holiday season, more than one billion Holiday cards are mailed across the country - the equivalent of more than 300,000 trees. 

Sure, you can send lovely e-cards, but there's something about opening up a piece of mail and getting to pin the card on your fridge or bulletin board. 

So, here are a few easy ways to make sure the cards you're mailing are as earth-friendly as possible! 

Buy Recycled

Check out Green Field Paper Company, among others, which sends cards with a commitment to the environment. 

Avoid cards made from paper treated with harsh chemicals. Count carefully so you don't order too many cards and send some to waste.

If you want to spread some love - and green - this holiday, look for a unique Christmas card that allows the recipient to plant a tree! (Here's a way to make them!)

You can DIY or you can purchase various types of seed cards online, like here. What a unique way to send some holiday cheer your family or friends can enjoy year-round!

Something in Return

The folks over at Paper Culture will plant a tree for every card you buy! So far, they've planted more than a half-a-million trees in areas that desperately needed to be reforested. 

Many companies offer a pledge to the environment for your purchase, so do some good with what you're already buying, if you can.

Photos Can Be Green, Too!

Toxic inks and dyes in photo printing can also have a negative impact on the environment.

Consider where you get your annual family photo printed and how you choose to send it.

There are several companies online that use soy and vegetable-based inks instead of harsh chemicals. What you put inside the card is just as important as what goes on it!