We all like to send and receive Christmas cards and for most it is an important part of the festive season as they are the way that we like to send Christmas greetings to people that perhaps we do not see as often as we would wish.
There is a downside however to the sending of Christmas cards and that is the huge amount of paper and card that is needed for their manufacture each year.
The cards we keep on display for only two weeks or so and the envelopes get thrown away immediately and this is unfortunately a poor use of resources.
Christmas cards are often printed on good quality card and there are ways that the cards can be recycled.
You could offer the cards to local community groups, schools, nurseries and youth clubs.
Reusing and recycling cards can make great activities for people of all ages.
You could keep suitable envelopes for reuse.
Those that have not been sealed for instance can be reused by placing a white sticky label over the address and used again.
The most efficient methods of recycling however are carried out at recycling plants.
The recycling of Christmas cards produces a new paper or paperboard product and is an ideal way to ensure that they do not just end up rotting in landfill sites taking up valuable space.
Also any form of paper recycling is of course an ideal way to save our trees.
Paper products are easy to recycle as they are made from wood and the paper separates back into fibres when soaked in water.
The manufacture of paper products is often thought of as being one of the biggest water polluters in the world.
Recycled paper reduces water pollution by 35%, reduces air pollution by 74%, and eliminates many toxic pollutants.
Producing recycled paper involves using between 28-70% less energy consumption and it uses less water than that needed for first use new paper products.
At recycling plants your Christmas cards are sorted into high and low grades.
High grades of card, those without glitters and coloured foils can be recycled and can be used for toilet tissue, kitchen roll, etc.
Lower grades of card can be used for toilet roll inners, packaging materials and corrugated card Once the cards have been sorted and baled they will be taken to the mill where they will be reduced to individual fibres during the pulping process.
Ink particles, coatings etc are separated out.
The pulp is then sent through a number of chemical, heat and mechanical processes to further improve quality.
Finally the raw pulp is rolled and layered to make huge paper reels - ready to go off and be reused.
Why not take your cards to distribution centres for collection sometime during January as all the cards that are recycled will help save trees and thereby help save our environment, 17 trees are saved for every tonne of paper recycled.