Why We're Phasing Out Plastic Wrap On Cards In The UK

As part of our commitment to sustainability, we’re reducing and eventually phasing out plastic wrap on cards in the UK. Here’s why this initiative is important to our future.

This year, we were proud to become a Certified B Corporation. Becoming a Certified B Corporation™ was a huge milestone for us, and we’ve found the process has enriched every area of our business. B Corp™ is not just a certification; it’s a movement and a promise from businesses to always try to do their best. As part of our certification, we identified key areas where we could make a difference by adapting our products and processes. You can read more about our goals for 2026 and beyond in our impact report here.

As part of our goals for 2026 and beyond, we’re looking to reduce plastic wrap on cards in the UK by 20% and eventually phase it out completely.

We sell our cards to trade customers and to the public. In our public shop, our cards go out plastic-free as standard, using cardboard packaging and filler to protect all our products.

For our trade customers, we offer our cards plastic-free as standard, with options for paper banding or to go out ‘nested’ (which has no external packaging), or, if necessary, with a plastic packaging wrap.

Some of our older cards in circulation may have a sticker clasp or alternative packaging, and the Louise Mulgrew cards we sell always have a paper sticker clasp. 

Historically, plastic wrap has been used to protect cards from damage during transit, the weather and general use. It used to be extremely common to see cards in plastic; however, public attitudes have shifted over time, and now it’s much more common to see cards without any plastic packaging at all. As awareness grows about the ecological impact of plastic on the planet, more and more businesses are looking for plastic alternative packaging for their products.

There are many justifiable reasons for phasing out plastic wrap on cards in the UK. The main reason we’ve made this decision is due to the massive environmental impact that plastic has on the planet. Did you know that globally 50% of all plastic waste goes into landfills or controlled dumps? This waste doesn’t break down naturally and can release harmful chemicals into our environment over hundreds of years. We are also phasing out our plastic wrap because:

• It’s avoidable single-use packaging. Small on a single card, but on a larger scale, it contributes to massive ecological plastic waste.
• It’s difficult to recycle. Single-use plastic is difficult to recycle and often ends up in general waste.
• There are alternatives. There are alternatives to single-use plastic, such as biodegradable bags. These are a much more sustainable solution.
• It’s not necessary. The majority of retailers now sell cards plastic-free. Where packaging is necessary due to humid environments, biodegradable alternatives are available.

We’re working hard to become as sustainable as we can be, both to avoid waste and to increase the circularity of our products. We’re working behind the scenes with our customers to reduce and eventually phase out plastic wrap on our cards. In all our other packaging, we’ve made changes to be more environmentally sustainable. This looks like using recycled materials on our products and slowly adapting our packaging to be cardboard only. We still have a long way to go, but this is just one step in our sustainability journey.

If you have any questions about our reduction of plastic wrap on cards in the UK and how it impacts you, please get in touch with us by phone or email, and we’ll be happy to help you.