It’s a Plastic Jungle Out There

Okay, fess up.  We all have gift cards lying around somewhere with just a few dollars on them or (gasp) that have never been used – like the one for $50 to some restaurant in Nebraska from Aunt Beatrice to entice you to visit – when you live in NYC.

Now there is a way to get rid of all those extra cards through the website Plastic Jungle.  A gift card version of EBay, you can sell or donate your card for up to 100% of its current value.  If you’re selling, you’ll only get about 80% of the value of the card, but donations are 100%.  All donations go to DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that connects people who care about education with public school classrooms in need.   

You can also purchase someone else’s unused card for a portion of the price as well, and there are some good deals out there. 

So what does this have to do with events?  Well, aside from being a great idea for us shoppers (and non-shoppers), gift certificates are often handed out at events.  And next time I’m going to recommend to clients that any left-over certificates are donated to charity.  It’s a win/win—the money goes to a good cause and the company gets recognition for participating in the community.

What gift cards are you going to list on Plastic Jungle?