By next January less than a third of all greeting cards being sold at retail in the UK will be sold cellowrapped, signifying a big push forward of naked cards in the last year especially.
“Estimates are that by January 2020 68% of all greeting cards retailed in the UK not be cellobagged/sleeved,” quantified GCA president Ceri Stirland, customer and channel director of UK Greetings. “This is a massive reduction from 64% of the everyday cards (by volume) that were sold wrapped at the start of this year – which equates to a reduction of 438 tonnes of single use plastic waste,” she added.
Reducing the industry’s cost to the environment, notably through the reduction of single-use plastic was a main focus of her presidential reign. “At last year’s GCA AGM I outlined the importance of sustainability and how we, as an industry, need to tackle plastic waste, one of the most important issues affecting our planet. I outlined to our members the pros and cons of different substrates, but urged publishers and retailers to ‘go naked’,” Ceri told PG Buzz.
The GCA Environmental Guidance Notes are in the process of being updated to include more detailed information on ‘card clasp’ labels, which secure a greeting card to the envelope as well as biodegradable bags.
With sustainability still very much a hot topic, this year’s GCA AGM (which takes place on October 17 at the Central Hall Westminster), will include an afternoon session dedicated to environmental issues. This session will see some publishers and retailers share their experiences. They, along with suppliers will be on hand to answer questions. There will also be lots of useful information for attendees to take away.
Oliver Tress, co-founder of Oliver Bonas, the fast growing fashion and lifestyle retailer is a keynote speaker at the Greeting Card Association’s (GCA) 100th Anniversary Celebration Conference and AGM that will take place at Westminster’s Central Hall on Thursday 17 October 2019. (https://www.pgbuzz.net/oliver-bonas-olly-tress-to-headline-at-gcas-100th-anniversary-agm/)
The day event, in addition to a packed agenda of top speakers will also include a specially curated exhibition of greeting cards over the last 100 years.
Ceri Stirland will hand over as GCA President to fellow doyenne, Rachel Hare, founder of Belly Button Designs.
All GCA members and Associate Members are now able to reserve a place at the GCA’s 100th Anniversary Celebration Conference & AGM. The cost (including lunch) is £84 (Including VAT) per person.
To book your place click here: http://www.greetingcardassociation.org.uk/anniversary-celebration-conference-and-agm
Top: The Naked Cards campaign was started in 2018 by a group on online greeting card sellers.
