Reuse & Recycle

With all the hype and holiday spirit that goes with Christmas time, don’t forget to keep in mind the need to recycle Christmas cards. For all the decorations and cards sent during the festive season, remember that after the holiday is over the planet needs to be able to survive. Before throwing away those old decorations or Christmas cards have a look for one of the many charities that recycle Christmas cards.

If there is no close venue that will cycle old Christmas cards consider other alternatives. There are various different ideas on how to recycle Christmas cards.

One method is to reuse Christmas card designs and paper. Before the next season comes around children can create their own recycled Christmas cards. Not only does this reuse Christmas cards but also it gives the children valuable craft skills and creative outlet for their energy.

To reuse Christmas cards all the creator needs is a supply of Christmas cards, craft paper, glue, marker pens and a store of ideas. Even verses can be recycled by cutting and pasting from one card to another. For those who find calligraphy difficult, merely cut and paste Christmas greetings from a used card and place it in position on the newly created card.

Charities that recycle Christmas cards use them for paper pulp. This is another way to recycle old Christmas cards. Any paper saved is good for the environment. The need to use harsh toxins when creating new paper, plus the need to sacrifice trees to make paper are two good reasons to consider recycling paper when ever possible. Although Christmas cards are often made from glossy paper, those charities that recycle Christmas cards have methods in place to cope with the specialized papers.

Decorations are often made of plastic, so rather than discard them year after year, try to reuse them or recycle them thoughtfully. In one hundred and forty four years since plastic was invented, most of it still remains somewhere. Even biodegradable plastic doesn’t breakdown completely and only three to five percent is recycled.

This Christmas remember to reuse Christmas card and Christmas decorations. Think of the mountains of plastic that float in our oceans and dispose of rubbish with care. There is now more plastic in ocean water than there is plankton. In what was called the doldrums there is an island of discarded plastic. This is a sad state of affairs and anything we can do to prevent more damage to the environment has to be a good idea. Recycle old Christmas cards and save not only a tree but being environmentally friendly will save the planet.