7 Recycling Greeting Cards To Share With Loved Ones

Introduction – Recycling Greeting Cards

Recycling greeting cards is a great way to show your loved ones that you care about the environment. Not only will they appreciate your thoughtfulness, but they will also love the unique and creative designs you choose for your recycled greeting cards.

In this blog post, we will show you seven recycling greeting cards that you can make yourself.

During the holiday season, coworkers and family members give and receive cards of varying sizes and shapes. This tradition begins on Halloween and continues through New Year’s Day. During the holiday season, if your green team wants to make an impact where it counts, all they need to do is implement these straightforward practices for recycling greeting cards, and they’ll be set.

Between Thanksgiving and the New Year, we produce an additional 25 percent of the typical amount of waste. A significant portion of the garbage produced during the holiday season is made up of paper in the form of decorations, wrapping paper, and, most significantly, greeting cards.

Stanford University explains that there are 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year which would fill a volume equivalent to a football field that is 10 stories high.

The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we each sent one card less, we’d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.

Stanford University Recycling, Land, Buildings & Real Estate

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these cards are discarded only a few days later and end up in landfills. With this issue at hand, we encourage everyone to bring in their used and recycled greeting cards during special occasions so that we can cut down on the growing amount of paper waste. When everyone participates in recycling greeting cards, the overall impact on the environment is reduced.

recycling greeting cards

Benefits And Drawbacks Of Recycling Greeting Cards

According to the G greeting card Association, Americans buy about 7.5 billion greeting cards each year. That adds up to a lot of greeting cards! And what happens to all those greeting cards after they’ve been read? Most of them end up in the trash. But what if there were a way to recycle greeting cards so that they could be reused? Below are several benefits and drawbacks of recycling greeting cards.

Benefits Of Greeting Card Recycling

1. Greeting Card Recycling Saves Paper.

Recycling just one ton of paper can save 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and enough electricity to power the average home for six months. So by recycling greeting cards, we can help reduce our impact on the environment.

2. Greeting Card Recycling Reduces Waste.

In America, we generate about 254 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste each year. That’s a lot of garbage! Of that waste, about 8 percent is greeting cards and wrapping paper. So by recycling greeting cards, we can help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.

3. Greeting Card Recycling Manifests Holiday Spirit.

Recycling greeting cards is a great way to show your holiday spirit. Instead of throwing away old cards, you can give them new life by using them to spread holiday cheer. Plus, Hanukkah greeting cards are sure to be a hit with your friends and family!

Drawbacks Of Greeting Card Recycling

1. It Can Be Time-Consuming To Recycle Greeting Cards.

It can take longer to recycle greeting cards than it does to simply throw them away. Additionally, recycling greeting cards requires access to a recycling center. Not everyone has access to a recycling center, so this may not be an option for everyone.

2. Recycling Greeting Cards May Not Be Recycled Properly.

When recycling greeting cards, it’s important to make sure that they are recycled correctly. Otherwise, they could end up in landfills instead of being recycled.

3. Greeting Cards Often Have Sentimental Value.

Greeting cards often have sentimental value, so recycling them can be difficult for some people. If you have a hard time recycling greeting cards because of sentimental value, you can try repurposing them instead.

7 Ways Of Recycling Greeting Cards To Share With Loved Ones

You can turn recycling greeting cards into a fun activity to do with your loved ones. Not only will you be recycling, but you’ll also be creating something unique that you can all enjoy together. Here are 7 ways to recycle greeting cards:

1. Recycle Greeting Card Tops Into Postcards

If you want to send a quick note to a friend or family member, recycling greeting card tops into postcards is a great way to do it. All you need is a pair of scissors and some glue. First, cut the top off of the greeting card, leaving the bottom half intact. Then, turn the top half of the card over and glue it to the bottom half. Write your message on the back of the postcard, add a stamp, and voila! You’ve created a recycled postcard that’s ready to be sent.

2. Greeting Card Ornaments

Turn your old cards into beautiful ornaments for your Christmas tree. Simply cut out the front of the card, punch a hole in the top, and thread some string through.

recycling greeting cards

3. Greeting Card Wreath

Make a wreath out of recycled cards by cutting out circles or other shapes and gluing them onto a paper plate or cardboard ring. You can also decorate the wreath with ribbons, sequins, or other embellishments.

4. Greeting Card Garland

Cut out long strips of recycled cards and string them together to make a festive garland. You can hang the garland on your mantelpiece or around your Christmas tree.

5. Greeting Card Flowers

Transform old cards into pretty flowers by cutting them into petal shapes and attaching them to Popsicle sticks or pipe cleaners. You can also add leaves cut from green construction paper.

6. Recycle Greeting Card Tops Into Mason Jar Toppers

Use the tops of greeting cards to decorate mason jars for the office during the holidays. As an example, consider the use of jars for Halloween sweets, Thanksgiving spice, or Christmas eggnog. Decorate your mason jar gifts with repurposed card stock for an eco-friendly personal touch.

7. Create A Recycling Greeting Cards Collage

Gather all of your old greeting cards and cut out interesting images or patterns. Glue them onto a piece of cardboard or paper to create a one-of-a-kind collage.

Conclusion

Recycling greeting cards is a great way to reduce waste and show your holiday spirit. However, it’s important to recycle them correctly and be aware of the benefits and drawbacks before you begin. With a little creativity, you can turn it into a fun activity to do with your loved ones for special occasions.

Anne Lauer
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Anna Lauer is a writer, gardener, and homesteader living in rural Wisconsin. She has written for Mother Earth News, Grit, and Hobby Farms magazines. Anna is writing a new book about growing your food for free and an ultimate guide to producing food at little to no cost. When shes not writing or gardening, Anna enjoys spending time with her husband and two young daughters.