Here’s some environmental information about the production of our greeting cards.
Board
All of our cards are printed on FSC certified cardboard which is recyclable. Most of our cards are printed on Symbol board by Fedrigoni. This board is free from elemental chlorine and is a solid bleached board that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. This means that the board has been sourced in an environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable manner. It is completely bio-degradable and recyclable. Three of our ranges are printed on Tintoretto board which is also FSC certified, bio-degradable and recyclable.
https://www.fedrigonipapers.com/sites/default/files/2018-10/Symbol%20Card.pdf
Printing and Ink
Our cards are printed using Lithography. The printing plates are made using a ‘Process-less’ (or chemical free) technique. All litho printing inks are vegetable-based. The machine applied sealers and coatings are water-based. All inks and coatings used by us are manufactured without BPA, phthalates, Cadmium or SVHC’s in accordance with the guidelines and recommendations of the British Coatings Federation (BCF) and European association of national ink manufacturer associations (CEPE).
Foil
It is a common misconception that foiled greeting cards cannot be recycled. However, the aluminium foil on cards is so thin that it dissipates within the re-pulping process. Many local council websites and many advice websites are misinformed and outdated with the information that they give. From our research, we found that cards printed with less than 30% of the surface area foiled should be considered recyclable. We calculate that our cards have about 1-5% coverage of foil, so are well within the recycling threshold. This information is contained in the links below.
https://www.foilco.co.uk/about/
Scroll down to ‘Recyclable and Repulpable’
https://paper.org.uk/PDF/Public/Publications/Guidance%20Documents/CPI%20Recyclability%20Guidelines%20Final.pdf Scroll down to ‘Coatings’ > Foil Block Printing
https://resource.co/article/guide-what-you-can-and-cant-recycle-christmas-12319
Scroll down to ‘Christmas Cards’
UV Varnish
Where used on 3 of our ranges, our UV varnish is environmentally friendly. UV inks don’t contain any solvents, oils or hazardous compounds. Plus, they can be easily recycled and are biodegradable.
https://www.celloglas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Celloglas-Eco-Credentials-Varnishing.pdf
Glitter
Cards embellished with glitter are generally not recyclable. We currently only have one range (Christmas landscapes) which uses glitter. This range is being discontinued in early 2020 and will not be reprinted.
Envelopes
All of our envelopes are both bio-degradable and recyclable.
Cellophane/Biodegradable bags
Each of our cards and Christmas 5-packs are sold inside a biodegradable bag. These bags are made from renewable resources; a PLA bio-based resin which is sourced from corn and other sources such as sugar beet and potatoes.
https://www.biogreenchoice.com/category_s/1865.htm
Carbon Footprint
All of our cards are designed, printed, finished and warehoused within a 35-mile radius of Nottingham, UK.