Environmental Values
We realize we are part of the problem,
so we want to be part of the solution.
The Problem
In our industry, packaging each card and notepad in a plastic sleeve has been the norm. Store owners, rightly so, want to protect the merchandise and keep it clean and undamaged. Shoppers, to no fault of their own, have gotten used to pretty much everything wrapped in plastic. It is the way of the world right now. But the plastic waste on our planet has reached crisis levels. Did you know that every piece of plastic ever made still exists in one form or another? Thinking we can recycle it away is not even close to true.
Did You Know?
8 MILLION tons of plastic enters the ocean every year. To help you imagine how much this is, picture five large, overflowing trash bags, stacked on top of each other along every ONE foot of coastline on the planet. Every. Year. Over 1 MILLION plastic bags a minute are used worldwide. On average, each bag is used for 12 minutes and then thrown away. 1% of plastic bags are recycled. In the next hour, Americans will use and throw away 2,500,000 plastic bottles. Every one of those will still exist 1,000 years from now.
What About "Compostable"?
It sounds great! Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple. We have dug deep into researching what options are available to replace plastic, and the ‘compostable’ trend is alarmingly misleading.
For a comprehensive look at its drawbacks, check out this report.
Our Efforts at E. Frances Paper
- We have eliminated the use of plastic sleeves on all greeting cards.
- We have designed plastic-free boxes for boxed sets.
- We have switched our envelopes to recycled paper.
- We have switched to recycled paper for our notepads.
- Our gift bags are 100% recycled, and 100% recyclable.
- We use 100% recycled crinkle paper, merchandise bags, retail bags, and tissue paper.
- We source only 100% cotton for our gift bag string and retail ribbon.
- After years of trial and error, we have invented our first plastic-free packaging for flat notes and Little Notes. (these cardboard boxes are amazing, you’ll see them introduced soon!)
- We are testing cardboard bands instead of plastic wrap on our notepads.
- We ship with newsprint and cardboard instead of any plastic fill.
- We have eliminated the use of bubble wrap (unless it is brought in for a second life).
- We are working with our vendors to ship with cardboard and paper protection rather than plastic.
- We provide office recycling for all pens, markers, and dental care products. Random but really quite helpful!