The Green Wedding Series: Stationery
Eco-friendly wedding stationery
Stationery is a thread that runs through all weddings from the invites to the seating plan to the thank you cards. However, it comes as no surprise that much of this stationery ends up as paper waste after one usage. So how do you make your stationery selections more environmentally friendly.
Fiona Kelly Photo / Betty Lou Stationery
The obvious place to start is to go digital. There are some brilliant websites out there that you can use to send e-invites, host all your information and track RSVPs. This doesn’t solve your on the day supply but its a nod in the right direction.
However, if you’re a stationery addict like us you might lament not being able to send out beautifully designed paper goods to your nearest and dearest and if that’s the case its worth choosing a stationery who has some green credentials in place. We spoke to Kelly from White Cottage and she told us what to consider when you’re looking for a stationer.
The Supply Chain
Xander and Thea / Jennifer’s Paper
Firstly, the supplier chain. Is it ethical? Look for a stationer that works with print partners that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), an international organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests. Ask where their materials come from. It may not be local but if they’re partnering with ethical companies who don’t exploit communities or the natural world you’re on to a winner. You may have to ask these questions, it’s not always advertised on the website, but if a stationer has a green conscience they’ll know the answers and be able to talk you through it.
The Materials
The materials themselves are important. I think by now we all know the dangers of plastic so avoiding acrylic and perspex is a good start to an eco-minded wedding. You can also pick recyclable paper, foils and boards and make sure that your guests and anyone in charge of disposing items from your day knows to put them in the right bin. Never fear glitter lovers, you can now get biodegradable glitter too.
Oh and ask your stationer about the ink they use, yes really! Vegetable based or soy ink only release around 2-4% of volatile organic compounds into our atmosphere making it much better for the environment.
The delivery
And finally, how is it all packaged up? It’s all very well having an ethical supply chain, recyclable invites and on the day stationery only for it all to be delivered in mountains of polystyrene and boxes so do check how it will be wrapped.
All in all we think you’ll find an eco touch to the stationery is relatively easy to achieve. Most stationers are pretty mindful about what they’re putting into the world. We think Kelly says it best when she describes their approach.
“We have tried to create a business to primarily serve the righteous stationery lovers, but also to be an environmentally respectful and sustainable business, that doesn’t exploit anyone involved in our supply chain and to ensure if anything does get thrown out, it won’t still be on this beautiful globe in 100 years time. In a nutshell, we don't see stationery as a part of a wedding that you should have to compromise your environmental standards for. It is really important to ask the right questions to your stationer to see if their policies and viewpoints align with your own.”
We Heart Pictures / Berin Made
Eco-minded alternatives
There are other eco-friendly touches you can do along the way, here are just a few ideas
Use screens to display the order of the day and/or the table plan
Swap paper place cards on the table for a keepsake or edible favour
Focus on one stand out stationery piece like the table plan and avoid paper everywhere else
Hire or buy second hand generic signage
Believe it or not there is such a thing as plantable wedding invitations. We think Laura Likes is a great option
