How We Calculate Your Environmental Impact

Understand the methodology behind Parsley's sustainability metrics. We explain exactly how we estimate CO₂ saved, trees preserved, and water conserved.

When you use Parsley instead of paper business cards, you're making a measurable environmental difference. But how do we calculate those numbers on your Impact dashboard?

This page explains our methodology so you can trust the data and use it confidently in ESG reporting or sustainability communications.

The Core Assumption

Every digital interaction on your Parsley profile represents a potential paper business card you didn't need to print:

Profile views
Contact downloads (vCard saves)
Lead form submissions

We call these "digital cards shared" and use them as the baseline for our calculations.

Our Calculation Formulas

CO₂ Emissions Prevented

Formula: 5 grams CO₂ per card

Each paper business card produces approximately 1.3-2.6g of CO₂ during paper manufacturing alone (based on 2,076 lbs CO₂ per ton of paper). We use 5g to account for printing, cutting, and distribution.

Example: 1,000 digital cards = 5kg CO₂ prevented

For context: 5kg of CO₂ is roughly equivalent to driving 30km in a petrol car.

Source: NC State University Life Cycle Carbon Footprint Analysis; standard paper production figures.

Trees Preserved

Formula: 1 tree per 10,000 cards

Industry data suggests one tree produces enough paper for 10,000-20,000 standard business cards. We use 10,000 as a conservative estimate.

Example: 10,000 digital cards = 1 tree preserved

Note: This is a cumulative metric. Most individual users preserve a fraction of a tree per year, but it adds up across teams and over time.

Source: Statistic Brain Research Institute; paper industry conversion rates.

Water Conserved

Formula: 100ml (0.026 gallons) water per card

Paper manufacturing requires approximately 17,000 gallons of water per ton of paper. For a standard business card weighing ~1.35g, this works out to roughly 100ml per card.

Example: 1,000 digital cards = 100 litres water conserved

For context: 100 litres is about 200 standard water bottles.

Source: University of Minnesota paper production research.

Our Sources

Our calculations are based on established industry research:

University of Minnesota - Paper manufacturing water usage (17,000 gallons/ton)
NC State University - Life Cycle Carbon Footprint Analysis
Statistic Brain Research Institute - Global business card production statistics
Standard specifications - 350gsm card stock, ~1.35g per card

We use industry averages rather than best-case or worst-case scenarios to keep our estimates realistic.

What We Don't Include

To keep our methodology transparent, here's what our calculations don't account for:

Transport emissions (shipping printed cards to offices/events)
Storage impact (unused cards in drawers and boxes)
Disposal (landfill vs recycling of discarded cards)
Premium cards (embossed, foil, or laminated cards have 2-3x higher impact)
Digital infrastructure (servers and devices have their own footprint, though minimal per interaction)

By excluding these factors, our estimates are conservative. Real-world savings are likely higher.

Important Disclaimers

These are estimates, not precise measurements.

Not every profile view would have resulted in a physical card exchange
Some interactions come from online sharing where no card would have been printed anyway
Our formulas represent maximum potential impact

Use these numbers as:

Directional indicators of environmental benefit
Motivational metrics for sustainability efforts
Supporting data for ESG communications (with appropriate disclaimers)

Don't treat them as:

Certified carbon offset credits
Scientifically audited lifecycle assessments
Guaranteed environmental savings

Questions?

If you have questions about our methodology or want to discuss using this data in your sustainability reporting, contact us at peter@parsley.id.

Last updated: December 2025