Love sending cards, but not the waste that comes with it? Do you wish you could share your good wishes with family and friends more sustainably? Look no further – after exhaustive research we’ve come up with the most eco-friendly cards we can devise!
The card and envelope are made from 100% UK recycled material, the inks are non-toxic, water-based and vegan. No plastic sleeve is used. Supplied with a recycled brown envelope. Each card is individually printed in the UK by hand and best of all, for every card printed a small donation is made to the Marine Conservation Society.
Blue Snowflake card = £2 per card.
All other designs = £2.50 per card.
Handmade Charity Lino Print Cards
Mass-produced cards made of wood pulp from unprotected and unsustainably managed forests. Many commercially available cards do not have the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) stamp to show that the paper is sourced from sustainably managed forests. White coloured cards are chemically bleached adding hazardous chemicals to the environment.
Paper bleaching used to be a huge source of pollution, as paper mills used a chlorine heavy bleaching process that emitted, amongst other effluents, dioxins, which are toxic and persistent organic pollutants that are heavily damaging to the environment. Bleaching processes have improved over the years, and much less chlorine is used, but some environmental pollutants are still released by this process. Recycled paper is either unbleached or uses much less bleach than needed for virgin paper products. The bleaching process used when making recycled paper whiter often uses hydrogen peroxide as an alternative to chlorine, as this doesn’t produce the damaging chlorine-based pollutants.
The ink on the majority of mass-produced cards is composed of either soy-based oils or a heavy petroleum distillate combined with organic pigments.
The single-use plastic sleeves are not widely recycled and will last in the environment longer than either the sender or recipient of the card - even if it’s their 100th birthday!
Something else to consider is the conditions under which these cards are made. Many cards come from factories where working conditions are of the lowest consideration. A news story which illustrates this broke in December 2019 - It was reported that a young girl had found a plea for help from a prisoner in a forced labour camp in China… written inside the charity Christmas card she had bought from Tesco.
The artworks are original designs available exclusively to ABP customers. The designs feature endangered animals, such as the Blue Whale and Hawksbill Turtle.
Packaging – No nasty little plastic sleeve required just recyclable paper products.
The materials involved in the production of these cards have been carefully selected to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The paper and card are 100% recycled in the UK - most paper labelled ‘recycled’ only contains a fraction of recycled material. Recycled paper transported from across the world also adds CO2 to the environment. The card has a flecked appearance because we wanted a product that had not been bleached.
The ink chosen for our cards is made by Scola – a Midlands family run business. The main ingredients of their inks are water, calcium carbonate, vegetable-based glycerine and food approved starch with organic and inorganic pigments for the colour. The ink is non-toxic, vegan, and used widely in schools as they are suitable for use with children.
The process of lino printing involves cutting a design on a piece of lino which is then inked and pressed on the card. Lino is made from layers of linseed oil pressed into a mesh of hessian.
A small donation is made to the Marine Conservation Society* for every card sold. MCS is the UK’s leading marine charity working to protect our seas and is one of our favourite charities here at ABP. We are very happy to be able to support their good work with these cards.
*Registered Charity No 1004005.
These cards are comparable in price to other handmade cards available online which don’t offer the advantages of being made of recycled materials or providing charitable donations. The cards are handmade original artworks with environmental themes, made with recycled paper and ethically produced. Your good wishes will come with a clear conscience.
A handmade card is special and if the friend or family member receiving the card loves animals, plants, the sea: cares for the environment in general they will feel you’ve gone that extra mile to find a card to suit them.
As the cards are printed individually by hand each one has slight variations which means every single card is unique.
What are the cards made from?
Card- 100% UK recycled paper
Ink – water-based, non-toxic, vegan ink. Ingredients: water, calcium carbonate, vegetable-based glycerine and food approved starch with organic and inorganic pigments for the colour.
Where do they come from?
Handmade in Staffordshire.
Are they sustainable?
The card is recycled and recyclable. The main ingredients of the ink are vegetable-based. The ink is manufactured within the Midlands.
How about ethical?
This particular worker isn’t too hard on herself - working hours are self-determined with plenty of tea breaks. No worries here!
Extra good stuff:
Vegan ink, no unsustainable practices used in production, no unethical labour practices, contributing to the Marine Conservation Society allowing more good work to be done to protect endangered marine animals.
Conclusion:
Spread a little love for your friends, family and the environment with these hand-made eco-friendly cards!
