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.
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.
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.
