Social faux-pas or no big deal?

[nomnom]

What are your thoughts on reusing an envelope? My friend and I disagree, so I'm wanting more opinions.

For example, would it be okay to cross out an already addressed name and reuse the envelope to send someone else a card?

ETA: I received a Christmas card in the mail with someone else's name crossed out on it. I would never do anything of the sort, so it took me by surprise. Rude or not???

[azzeps]

We have a customer who recycles all her envelopes. We know because she sends us her payments in them. We find it kind of funny but not a faux pas. You know, like extreme recycling. Or extremely cheap - she won't even buy a box of envelopes. But not a faux pas. I guess if you were mailing a nice card for someone's birthday then you might want the envelope to be nice too.

[Charlie]

Honestly, I would think it was very odd.

[petesgirl]

I would think it odd, too. Not something I would ever do.

[wellyes]

I do it sometimes when I need an envelope to hand deliver something, send a check or note to my kids' schools through their folder, or to save a receipt to give a treasurer to get reimbursed.
I wouldn't to put something in the mail.

[basil]

I would do this if it were big or odd size and something I wouldn't be likely to have around. Like I do with boxes.

But if it were a regular letter size, I wouldn't bother, because it sounds like a lot of work. I wouldn't particularly care if someone sent something to me in a recycled envelope though. I think it would only be faux-pas if it were a wedding invitation or something formal.

[baymom]

I think it's odd and would not do it, but would be totally okay receiving a recycled envelope and would think the person was awesome for recycling.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I would think it odd, too. Not something I would ever do.
:yeahthat:
i would do it for a payment or something (to send money for kid in school) but not for a Christmas or birthday card to someone. I would find it odd, borderline rude. To me that's like the person is too cheap to use a new envelope on. I get being green and recycling, but then if you are THAT "green", why not send an e-card instead (why send a card at all)?

[BunnyBee]

If I received a card with someone else's (not the sender's?) name crossed out, I'd wonder if she got near the end of the list and ran out of cards.

I'd be careful reusing an envelope because of the bar codes they print on the front and back. If you're not careful, it could get misdirected. Large envelopes or boxes that can be reused with a label are good for recycling. Don't turn a USPS envelope inside out though--they get ticked about that.

I do reuse envelopes to hand people things. Checks usually. I can never find a clean envelope for DD's tutor's check. The only reason it's in an envelope is so DD doesn't see the amount, and her tutor always laughs about it.

[georgiegirl]

A bill or something in that realm is fine. Not a personal card.

[hellokitty]

A bill or something in that realm is fine. Not a personal card.

:yeahthat: I have re-used envelopes to pay a bill or to send $ to school for class parties, etc.. However, I would NOT use it to send a christmas card. That's kind of odd, christmas cards are all different shapes and sizes, she must have a big hoarder collection of a mish-mash of used envelope sizes to conquer that feat.

[squimp]

Wouldn't bother me, but I am all for recycling. I don't care what the envelope looks like. I used to recycle envelopes for bills but I don't send many bills in the mail anymore.

[MamaMolly]

I would think it was weird but not really a faux pas.

[ZeeBaby]

I will recycle an envelope to send payment to DDs school. Early in the year I felt like I was using all my envelopes and checks for $3 items from school. I started to recycle envelopes and I also started creating envelopes from school art work. Just too much paper.

I would not do it for a card to someone however. A bit odd in my book.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I wouldn't. Save the envelope for permission slips, forks and other things that need envelopes but don't matter. That way they don't get wasted. Cards come w envelopes for free. I see no reason to reuse them. I don't feel crazy strong but do lean tacky and unnecessary.

[123LuckyMom]

I wouldn't for a card. I had a landscaping company years ago that sent stamped envelopes with the bill. I always paid online through my bank, so when I had a bill or something I had to send by mail, I put a label over the landscape company's address and took advantage of the free stamp! I wouldn't have used it for a personal correspondence, though.

[mommy111]

Environmentally conscious? Not something I'd do but that and not 'cheap' is the first thought that comes to mind

[sunnyside]

Maybe she accidentally wrote the other address on two envelopes and was trying to remedy it?

[TwinFoxes]

I would think it was weird but not really a faux pas.


:yeahthat:

That's kind of odd, christmas cards are all different shapes and sizes, she must have a big hoarder collection of a mish-mash of used envelope sizes to conquer that feat.

The cards I ordered this year came with the exact same number of envelopes as cards. So if I had messed one up, and I hadn't ordered extra cards, I'd be in trouble, since the cards weren't a standard size. Maybe that's what happened to OP's friend.

[wellyes]

I wouldn't. Save the envelope for permission slips, forks and other things that need envelopes but don't matter. That way they don't get wasted. Cards come w envelopes for free. I see no reason to reuse them. I don't feel crazy strong but do lean tacky and unnecessary.
Forks??

[TwinFoxes]

Forks??

I'm going with "forms" autocorrected. Or Snuggles stores her flatware in an unusual manner. :)

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'm going with "forms" autocorrected. Or Snuggles stores her flatware in an unusual manner. :)

No, forks is right. We just unload the dishwasher right into envelopes. To make it fun, we hide the envelopes around the house. :). No, it auto corrected forks for forms.

[ett]

:yeahthat:


The cards I ordered this year came with the exact same number of envelopes as cards. So if I had messed one up, and I hadn't ordered extra cards, I'd be in trouble, since the cards weren't a standard size. Maybe that's what happened to OP's friend.

If that was the case, I would have used correction fluid to cover up the other name, or at least a sharpie. I do think it is a little weird to just cross out the name especially on a personal item. Recycling envelopes to send checks and stuff to school, that's different.

[mackmama]

I would not do that, would think it was odd.

[TwinFoxes]

No, forks is right. We just unload the dishwasher right into envelopes. To make it fun, we hide the envelopes around the house. :). No, it auto corrected forks for forms.

Too funny!

[Momit]

I will often re-use a large flat envelope or bubble wrap envelope if I can use a label to cover the old address info and if I can remove all the tape, bar codes etc. I have occasionally re-used an envelope to mail a bill or something when I've run out of envelopes and need to mail something in a hurry. Doing that for personal cards or letters would be kind of odd IMO, but not really a faux pas.

[wellyes]

If that was the case, I would have used correction fluid to cover up the other name, or at least a sharpie. I do think it is a little weird to just cross out the name especially on a personal item. Recycling envelopes to send checks and stuff to school, that's different.

See I was picturing a fork in an envelope in the lunchbox. I usually just throw the fork in there but thought maybe there is a reason not
to. Ha!!!

[SnuggleBuggles]

See I was picturing a fork in an envelope in the lunchbox. I usually just throw the fork in there but thought maybe there is a reason not
to. Ha!!!

:) That's way more work than I'd put into packing lunch!

[MontrealMum]

No, forks is right. We just unload the dishwasher right into envelopes. To make it fun, we hide the envelopes around the house. :). No, it auto corrected forks for forms.
:hysterical:

Like other posters, I repurpose envelopes for permission slips for school and similar, but I'd never do that for something personal like a Christmas card.

If something horrible happened and I was caught short on envelopes due to an error or something I'd stick a plain white label on the used envelope to cover the original address. I can't imagine just scratching the address out!!!

[klwa]

Odd but not necessarily rude.

[janine]

I would find it odd too (more than a faux pas).

[Ceepa]

I would not scratch out another's address on a correspondence and send it out.

[BDKmom]

Like other posters, I repurpose envelopes for permission slips for school and similar, but I'd never do that for something personal like a Christmas card.

If something horrible happened and I was caught short on envelopes due to an error or something I'd stick a plain white label on the used envelope to cover the original address. I can't imagine just scratching the address out!!!

:yeahthat: If I didn't have any extras for Christmas cards and made a mistake, I would probably use a Sharpie to mark out the old name address and then cover it up with a white label, or use correction tape. Something where the other name/address couldn't even be seen (although it would be obvious that there was a mistake of some sort). I think it's tacky to just cross out the other name. Like it didn't matter enough to the sender to make it look nice. If it was random correspondence or a bill, maybe not as bad, but a Christmas card? There are so many things we do to make our Christmas cards look nice, to then ruin the feel by slapping it in a messed up envelope just seems odd.

[Globetrotter]

That wouldn't bother me, but I am a crazy recycling lady! I would be impressed. However, I would have done it discretely for personal correspondence, if at all.

I generally reuse envelopes for hand deliveries or sending forms to school, but i do reuse padded envelopes and such, for the sake of the environment. In that case, I cover the old address with the typed address.