Every January, millions of Christmas cards are destined to end up in the recycling bin, or worse - straight into landfill. This year, to save the planet from tears, why not give your Christmas cards a second chance?
At All Colour, sustainability is at the heart of every product we offer, making it easier for you to post and package responsibly. That’s why we’ve put together our favourite Christmas card upcycling ideas.
5 Creative Ways to Give Old Christmas Cards a Second Life
Upcycling is a fun, low-cost, and planet-positive way to keep those cherished cards out of the waste stream and ready for next season. Here are five ways you can get the most out of your Christmas cards - all simple, low-cost and completely beginner-friendly.
1. Turn Card Fronts Into Gift Tags for Next Christmas
Cut out the most appealing festive images or designs from the card front. Punch a hole in the top corner and loop a piece of twine or ribbon through it. You now have personalised gift tags ready for next Christmas, saving money and resources.
2. Make Festive-Themed Bookmarks
Trim card fronts into slim strips to create festive bookmarks. These are perfect for children, book lovers, stocking fillers or classroom activities. You can laminate them for durability or leave them as they are for a rustic look.
3. DIY Christmas Decorations and Garlands
Use stars, trees, snowflakes, animals or lettering from your old cards to create festive bunting or hanging decorations. Mix and match colours, themes and textures to make something completely bespoke for next year.
4. Re-purpose Landscape Cards Into Next Year’s Christmas Postcards
In most cases, card messages are written on the opposite side of the card front, leaving the front page clear. Cut the front page of the card off and save it - ready to write your message and address on the back next year. All you need is a stamp, and your upcycled Christmas postcard is ready to go!
5. Create a Christmas Scrapbook
Cut out your favourite images and messages, and along with other leftover Christmassy materials such as gift tags, ribbons - maybe even some colourful festive envelopes - you have everything you need to create a festive scrapbook or photo album.
Which cards can you not recycle - and why?
Some materials do not belong in the recycling bin because they cannot be processed with standard paper fibres.
Unless stated that it’s biodegradable/recyclable, cards with the following materials should not be recycled:
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Glitter-covered cards
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Cards with metallic foil layers
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Laminated or plastic-coated cards
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Cards with plastic fronts or windows
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Musical or electronic cards
This is because glitter, foil, laminates or plastic coatings are different materials from cards, which are usually plastic-based, and cannot be separated during the pulping process. It is best to separate the materials and recycle them accordingly. If not, they will have to go in the general waste.
Sustainable Envelope & Packaging Choices from All Colour
Here are some of our most popular plastic-free, sustainable packaging products:
Kraft Greeting Card Envelopes: Choose a warm, natural aesthetic this Christmas with our Kraft Envelopes, featuring recycled material and a rustic fleck finish. These are an ideal, sustainable envelope solution for eco-conscious ecommerce businesses and personal correspondence, available in bulk wholesale for seamless, responsible mailings.
Kraft Paper Rolls: Use our durable, eco-friendly Kraft Paper Rolls for all your wrapping, packing, and void-fill needs. This sustainable paper is perfect for securely wrapping items and is fully recyclable, offering flexibility for both small accessories and larger products.
Plastic-Free Padded Envelopes: Sending delicate gifts this Christmas? Swap out plastic bubble wrap for fully recyclable alternatives. Discover our Eco Padded Cushion Envelopes (made from 100% recycled paper with cushioned layers and a strong seal) or the innovative Eco Paper Padded Honeycomb Envelopes, which offer excellent protection without a shred of plastic.
Eco-Friendly Mailing Bags: For shipping gifts and items, our Kraft Brown Mailing Bags and Kraft Brown Expansion Mailers provide robust, recycled protection. The expansion mailers are particularly useful for bulkier items like clothing or electronics, with their unique expanding design and secure self-seal closure.
Whatever you are mailing this Christmas, All Colour has an eco-friendly packaging solution suited to your needs.
Sleigh Your Sustainability Goals This Christmas With All Colour
Upcycling Christmas cards and swapping to sustainable packaging are easy, high-impact wins that keep festive cheer out of landfill.
Sustainability is at the heart of our ethos at All Colour. From recycled envelopes to innovative plastic-free protective packaging - we strive to make sustainability an achievable goal for our customers.
Ready to switch up to planet-friendly packaging and envelopes this Christmas? Explore our extensive range of eco-friendly envelopes and packaging today.