Using an estimate, 1 tree is only enough for 176 people to send cards, which means 1 billion cards will end up in bins – the equivalent of 33 million trees. There are many ways to recycle Christmas cards that many people aren’t aware of. Here are a few options:
1. First of all, you can recycle most cards. Paper and card cards can be recycled as they are, but ones with decoration (such as glitter, foil or other added pieces) need a little more work. You should remove all decorations and put them in general waste, the bare card can now be recycled. ]
2. You could upcycle them. Most Christmas cards are decorative and therefore a good label maker. Lots of people reuse the covers of cards as labels for next year’s presents – these are cute, eco-friendly and much cheaper!
3. Did you know you can donate stamps? If you start collecting stamps from cards you receive you can donate them to charities. Stamps are sold by weight so the age of the stamps is not important. All you have to do is cut the stamp off the envelope, leaving about 1cm of envelope bordering the stamp and post them to the correct address. Here is a link to 10 charities that accept stamps as donations: https://www.countryliving.com/uk/news/a34891519/used-stamps-donate-charity/
There are loads more ideas online if you are interesting – especially upcycling ideas!