The Harmful Nature of Plastics

Plastic has always been useful in packaging and protecting products, but we are all becoming increasingly aware of the extreme, mass damage it causes. Around eight million tonnes of plastic waste escapes into the oceans every year. It is very hard to break down, but when it does, it breaks down into small particles called microplastics, which have been found in just about every corner of the globe. These microplastics then break down into smaller pieces called microfibres, which get into drinking water systems and the air we breathe. It also affects ecosystems, and millions of animals are killed every year by plastics, mainly birds and fish and other marine organisms.

The solution is to reduce the amount of plastic used, use improved waste management facilities and better recycling.

Our Commitments

We use plastics in our products and around our products, mostly in the form of shrinkwrap and polybags, but also in the form of pallet wrap and tape and strapping. One small but relevant point is that while most plastics we use are recyclable, unfortunately that does not mean they actually get recycled.

“We are committed to increasing the number of products
we make that have NO PLASTIC PACKAGING.“

We have expanded the number of products that use plastic-free packaging year-on-year, trialling different solutions such as cardboard envelopes and wraparound covers. We are pleased to say that over fifty percent of our products are now in plastic-free packaging or contain no packaging at all, and we will continue to increase this across all ranges.

Leaders in Plastic Reduction

Not only have we took on this commitment as a company, we are also open in sharing our developments with publishers in the UK and overseas, many of whom have adopted our new designs or created their own, leading to a significant change across the industry.

We are pleased to see that our plastic-free packaging has been welcomed by retailers and customers, with many of our top-selling calendars being from the plastic-free range. Retailers, and many of the charities and brands that we have licensing partnerships with, are also increasingly insisting on plastic-free, environmentally-friendly products — and as a company we have a solid pledge to do all that we can in these important areas.