Plastic and Recycling
I have been searching for an alternative to plastic wallets for our cards to try to reduce the plastic in our environment. Unfortunately it has not been an easy task.
Here is brief resume of what I have decided to do ( so far) in the light of my research to reduce plastic and supply recycled products :
( A longer explanation and discussion of my journey is also given below)
- All cards ordered on our website will be supplied without plastic wallets. Instead cards with their envelopes will be sent in a green, recyclable paper bag so they can be kept safe until used.
If you prefer to still have them in plastic wallets please tick the box on the Billing page at checkout. - I have purchased a paper alternative to bubble wrap. I will be replacing plastic parcel tape with a paper alternative when my current stocks have been used.
- All the cards and envelopes are 100% recyclable.
- The brown wrapping paper I use is 100% recyclable.
- I recycle as much packaging as I can- reusing mailing boxes where appropriate ( and bubble wrap or other packing when supplied by others)
My research:
Plastic Bags Labelled “Compostable and/or Biodegradable”
Most greetings cards sold use some form of plastic wallet to keep the cards clean while on shop displays. Its worth noting at the outset that fully compostable bags ( made from something like wood pulp) are available but they tend to be brittle, generally have a very limited shelf life ( a few months) and are considerably more expensive.
Apart from the above are plastic bags labelled as biodegradable and/or compostable. Most people’s assumption is a biodegradable bag is one that will break down in the natural environment, eventually ending up as some form of compost. Here is a summary from a website called Wrap ( www.wrap.org.uk) a charity working with groups, farmers, schools, businesses and local authorities to promote sustainability.
“Biodegradable doesn’t mean anything on its own- it only has meaning if it’s certified as compostable.
(However) compostable plastics are designed to break down in very specific composting conditions. They cannot be used in home composting systems and can only be composted in industrial composting facilities.
You should not put compostable plastics in with your usual plastic recycling.”
Neither can they be included with plastic bag or food recycling .
I came across a “ new generation” of bio packaging made from PLA ( polylactic acid) which claims to be compostable and biodegradable. However reading the small print it can only be composted in an industrial composter ( of which there are few if any in the UK) Importantly also it does NOT biodegrade in landfill conditions ( ie if we put it in our general waste)
Some have claimed it is recyclable but one supplier was honest enough to admit this would only occur in the manufacturing process so not for home recycling. It turns out its only “eco credentials” are that it is made from corn starch – a renewable source.
Recyclable plastic wallets for cards?
The wallets I have been buying were sold to me ( and are on their website ) as 100% recyclable. However they are made of polypropylene. These may be recyclable in theory but in the UK very few local authorities have facilities to recycle them. They cannot be recycled with plastic carrier bags at stores ( where only bags made of polyethylene are recycled) I intend to do more checking on this.
Naked Cards
Some stores and online sellers are beginning to adopt a system where a small peelable tag is used to keep the card and envelope together. Personally I’m not sure about this for cards on shop shelves where they are touched many times and can become dirty and tatty.
So I have opted to sell cards from the Tree of Life website in a green paper bag. Cards and envelopes can be kept clean in the bag until used. Until I can find a viable alternative I am sadly left using plastic wallets for sales to shops.
If anyone has any further information to add to this or has discovered other alternatives I would be very grateful to know about them.