Reduce, reuse, recycle.
As a small business owner, it is my obligation to do what I can to limit my environmental footprint. However, it is my goal to do more than that and inspire others to live more sustainably. Here is how I work with sustainability at Belle Belette:
All Belle Belette products, including stickers and envelopes, are manufactured in the USA. All cards and art prints are designed and printed locally in Queens, New York.
All of my greeting cards are printed on FSC-certified and recycled paper that is made of at least 30% PCW (post-consumer waste). Since March 2021, Belle Belette is only printing new designs and restocks on 100% recycled paper. Since March 2021, Belle Belette is only sourcing envelopes that are made of FSC-certified and 30% or 100% recycled paper (beach kraft (100% PCW,) white (100% PCW) and light pink (30% PCW). My wholesale greeting card line only includes these envelopes, but cards sold direct to consumer via my website or Etsy, may include other peel-and-press envelopes (made in the U.S. of non-recycled paper). Although I am phasing these out, I am committed to sell through my inventory and use what I have first.
Belle Belette is stepping away from the norm of packing greeting cards in plastic cellophane sleeves. Since it is important to protect the cards, I have tried a few different options before deciding to start selling my cards “naked,” meaning with no sleeve at all.
Wholesale customers can choose between a compostable sleeve and a paper belly band. For sales direct to consumer via my website or Etsy I will soon only be shipping my cards with the paper band. However, I do still have inventory left of glassine paper bags and compostable clear bags, that I will use before making the switch.
My goal is for Belle Belette to be a plastic free business by the end of 2021. All our greeting cards are packaged in eco-friendly sleeves or paper belly bands. I only use paper based products (including paper packing tape) for shipping and handling. The only plastic that remains is the strip on the old inventory of the peel-and-press envelopes, and some lined stickers (all new stickers are printed on recycled paper).
Although Belle Belette is working towards being plastic free, I might still use plastic in my business. The reason for this is that I am committed to reusing whatever material comes my way instead of tossing it. If you’re shipment contains plastic bubble wrap or parts of a cereal box, it is because I reuse what I receive from others.
I give back when I can. So far this year, Belle Belette has planted 20 trees. We are committed on planting more trees as the business grows.
Please dispose any compostable “plastic” sleeves/bags in a compost near you. If this is not an option, you unfortunately just have to throw them in the regular trash. Before composting, please remove any stickers and adhesive lining.
Of course, I hope you like my colorful greeting cards so much that you may wish to keep them. If not, all greeting cards and other paper products should be recycled as paper. The adhesive on USPS stamps are biodegradable so you can leave them on. However, any other sticker or plastic should be removed before recycling. Any cardboard should be recycled as cardboard.
If you receive bubble wrap as a result of my reuse of materials that I’ve received, please reuse again if you can. If not, please note that bubble wrap cannot be recycled among plastics in your household recycling bins. Instead bubble wrap should be recycled as plastic film (like plastic bags) at designated recycling bins. In New York State you should be able to recycle plastic film at most retail and grocery stores. Read more here (link to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation).
