Where to Buy Eco-Friendly Greetings Cards
Choosing zero waste greetings cards helps cut down on single-use waste and skips the plastic, foil, and glitter that can harm the environment. These eco-friendly cards use recycled or post-consumer paper. And are sold without plastic wrap and avoid toxic inks and glitter.
Stephanie Cole Designs offers really nice greetings cards, all made from recycled card and sent in recycled envelopes. When their cellophane protective packaging runs out (recycle at kerbside or supermarket bag bins), cards will all be sent ‘naked’ (without packaging).
Don’t send plantable cards to homes with pets, as many wildflowers are toxic (and most contain non-native seeds that can harm). Also read about keeping pets safe at Christmas.
Although FSC-card is better than most, it still involves planting fast-growing saplings that are usually grown with pesticides, rather than old-growth trees that support homes and food for native wildlife, including many birds.
Buying cards made from post-consumer waste is far better, as it saves trees, and also helps to stop horrible smells at landfill, which are mostly caused from rotting paper.
Issues with ‘Plantable Cards and invites’
This is not a ‘party pooper post’, but it’s important that wedding and other eco paper goods makers, are clear to customers about safety and eco issues with some ‘plantable papers’.
Of course it’s great to buy wedding invites and place names etc, made with post-consumer waste paper, to save trees. But a huge volume of these are now embedded with wildflower seeds.
The idea sounds good: you receive your card, then plant it in the garden and water it, and it turns into beautiful flowers.
But great care must be taken. Unless you know you are sending cards to pet-free homes, nearly all wildflowers (like poppies) are toxic to pets. So you don’t want to be sending dangerous cards through letterboxes, that could be planted and turn into dangerous flowers near animal friends.
Of course if you know the recipients don’t live with or have visiting pets, it’s not a problem. Read more on pet-friendly gardens.
Issues with Sustainability (imported seeds)
The other issue is where the wildflower seeds come from. If you are choosing a quality local artisan brand, then it’s likely the seeds are fine.
But many brands don’t even know where the seeds are from. If they come from abroad, you could be importing non-native seeds that could harm native flowers or even bring disease into the country.
We have enough problems already with providing enough native wildflowers to supply endangered pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths and bats.
Importing non-native seeds means these can outcompete native flora, disrupt local ecosystems and harm local biodiversity. Many of the imported seeds may also be grown using GM methods, not good for the environment or wildlife. They also likely don’t germinate well.
So in a nutshell, choose plain recycled paper wedding invites. Or if you choose seed paper of any kind, then go for local quality artisan brands, and only send to pet-free homes.
Beautiful Shorebird Cards (on recycled card)
These beautifully illustrated sets of greetings cards are all by a US artist, a best-seller on Etsy.
Choose your favourites, then stock up so you always have an inspiring card to send, which also supports a local artist, and helps to get the word out on the wonder of birds! Packed in handsome brown kraft paper gift boxes.
Buying cards made from post-consumer waste is far better, as it saves trees, and also helps to stop horrible smells at landfill, which are mostly caused from rotting paper.
Choose from:
Shorebirds (sandpiper & whelk, herring gull, Arctic tern, ruddy turnstone and piping plover).
Winter Birds are blank inside. Each bird is labelled on the back: a mourning dove, mountain bluebird, dark-eyed junco, red-breasted nuthatch and barn owl (the last two local!)
Scandi-inspired Recycled Greetings Cards
These Scandi-inspired recycled greetings cards are perfect to stock up on, so you can buy a set and pick one to send to someone you love, whenever it’s a birthday or special occasion.
These cards are hand-painted and printed onto eco-fleck card in an A6 size. The cards are blank inside for your message, and are sold with 100% recycled brown Kraft envelopes.
Buying cards made from post-consumer waste is far better, as it saves trees, and also helps to stop horrible smells at landfill, which are mostly caused from rotting paper.
Little Difference (greetings cards on recycled paper)
Little Difference is a fantastic company that produces greetings cards on recycled card (the company is co-founded by an artist from Isle of Wight). Although now based in New Zealand, the cards for UK shipping addresses are printed in Kent, to save on air miles.
Instead, this company uses profits to help fund tree-planting projects in deforestation-risk countries like Madagascar, home to more unique species than anywhere else on earth.
You can shop by occasion (including Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, any occasion (!), sympathy, new baby, new home, children, father’s day, weddings and thank you cards. Multi-packs are also sold, to stock up!
All are designed by our Isle of Wight native, and all the ‘boring stuff’ is done her husband (accounts etc). Another couple have also come on board, so this is a real ambitious project, to change the plastic-wrapped, tree-chopping-down, not-doing-much-but-make-profits greetings card industry (which often includes glitter that can’t be recycled and contains microplastics).
Wholesale orders are also available, so cards printed in Kent can be sold in independent shops. It can also offer custom designs and wedding stationery on request.
Little Difference also offers lovely calendars and fun art prints for children’s walls (both printed on recycled card and sent in compostable packaging).
Plus there are standard recycled cards (not reusable) but still use up waste paper.
Eco Friendly Cards (100% post-consumer waste)
Eco-Friendly Cards uses mostly 100% post-consumer content, recycled envelopes and zero-waste packaging (cards are made with green energy, with no glitter or foil). The cards use vegetable inks.
Arthouse Unlimited (cards by makers with complex epilepsy)
Arthouse Unlimited is listed, as the charity gives jobs to people with complex epilepsy, who may not otherwise be able to find fulfilling work. They make fun art, to sell these lovely greetings cards, that are sure to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Usually we only list cards on the site made from post-consumer waste. And it would be great if this company progressed to this. But they are in biodegradable wrapping.
The makers can attend art sessions that are held six days a week, with two sessions per day. Each session has up to seven artists, plus a shop assistant placement. There are fewer artists, where higher levels of support are needed, to ensure personal attention and emotional support.
Many of the makers are unable to speak, so displaying their emotions and fun side through art, it a wonderful way for them to feel appreciated by society, and make a difference!
Vintage-Style Christmas Cards (on recycled card)
This set of vintage-style Christmas cards is ideal to stock up on, to send a tree-friendly Christmas card to someone you love. The cards are hand-painted and printed onto eco-fleck card in an A6 size.
The cards are blank inside for your message, and are sold with 100% recycled brown Kraft envelopes.
Choose from a pack of 5 (one of each design), a pack of 10 (2 of each design) or a pack of 20 (four of each design). The artist also offers a a festive stamp design. And a retro-style pack of recycled Christmas cards.
Hedgerow Christmas Cards (on recycled card)
This set of recycled ‘folk art’ Christmas cards features lovely folk art of some of our favourite species. The cards feature 5 cosy images, featuring squirrels, fox, owls, badgers, frogs, mushrooms and starry night skies.
Each card is A6 size, blank inside and includes a recycled brown envelope. Lovingly designed by a talented artist, stock up to send out during the festive season, raise a smile and save some trees at the same time!
Greentings (reusable cards from post-consumer-waste)
Greentings is a wonderful company that produces pretty reusable greetings cards. All are made with post-consumer waste (to save trees) and come with removable inserts and envelopes, so the cards can be reused to send again!
When you normally receive a card, you have to throw it away or recycle it, due to the person sending it having written a message. Now you just remove that part, pop in a new insert and send it to someone else. You can even use the card passport to follow the card’s journey around the world!
Made in England, a tree is planted for each card bought. Run by a small family business, postage is just 50p (no matter how many cards you buy). Corporate accounts are available.
