American Greetings Boosts Manufacturing Sustainability

In the UK, it is estimated that around one billion Christmas cards are discarded in landfills each year, according to the UK government.

As the holiday season approaches, greetings card manufacturers are increasingly focusing on how their manufacturing practices can contribute to sustainability, setting ambitious goals to produce cards that are less environmentally damaging.

American Greetings stands as a global leader in this sector. Most recently, the company has taken decisive steps by promoting Kristina Beifus to Senior Director, Compliance, Sustainability and Trade.

Joe Arcuri, CEO of American Greetings, explains the strategy: “In today’s world and beyond, sustainability has to be part of any long-term business strategy.”

He emphasises that sustainability is a collective mission at American Greetings: “We are accelerating our sustainability efforts and all associates are encouraged to get involved and contribute to this critical initiative for our company and the communities in which we live and work.”

Kristina Beifus: driving change

Kristina Beifus brings almost a decade of experience at American Greetings, having served in several sustainability-focused roles before her promotion.

As Director of Compliance and Sustainability, she played a key role in shaping the company's strategy for the Actively Green programme, an initiative launched to implement environmentally friendly practices.

Kristina’s philosophy reflects her proactive approach: “We set some goals, met most goals, then asked ourselves, ‘What more can we do?’.”

This mindset has substantially enhanced cross-departmental engagement in the programme, making seemingly formidable challenges appear achievable.

Implementing sustainable goals

Since launching Actively Green in 2020, American Greetings has worked towards five significant sustainability goals, aiming to achieve them by 2025.

These focus areas include responsible sourcing, increased use of recycled paper, reducing waste, ensuring recyclability and bolstering corporate environmental responsibility.

Aligning with these objectives, the company has reduced waste from shipping and displays, increased its use of sustainably sourced paper and initiated tree planting campaigns to offset paper consumption.

Looking ahead to 2030, the company has set new targets:

• Source 98% of paper from sustainable sources.
• Include at least 10% of post-consumer waste in paper usage.
• Cut throwaway waste by 60%.
• Ensure 75% of all products are recyclable or compostable.
• Offset all Scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint from global offices annually and reduce emissions by 42%.

Advancements in sustainable products

A key area of emphasis for American Greetings is the manufacturing of its products.

Notably, Papyrus candles have been reformulated to eliminate palm oil wax, and are now composed entirely of beeswax.

Moreover, 85% of greeting cards produced by the company are currently recyclable, significantly reducing waste sent to landfills.

The company plans to phase out the use of glitter, replacing it with more sustainable alternatives.

Additionally, American Greetings has hosted events to promote sustainability, such as a zero-waste picnic and a clothing exchange programme, fostering an environment of environmentally conscious community involvement.

Ceri Stirland, CEO of International American Greetings, contextualises this mission within the broader corporate philosophy, saying: “Our product brings happiness, laughter, and love by celebrating life’s most important moments, every single day. We do this by working collaboratively to ensure that our product is created sustainably, where future generations are able to then celebrate life’s events.”

Optimising manufacturing for sustainability

At the heart of American Greetings' carbon reduction efforts is its focus on sustainable manufacturing processes.

The company has transitioned UK manufacturing operations to facilities powered entirely by renewable energy, a move that significantly cuts carbon emissions compared to manufacturing in Asia.

This shift has enabled the production of over 72% of UK greeting cards locally, with plans to increase this figure in the coming years. Collaborations, like the one with Sainsbury’s décor line Habitat, to produce 100% recyclable cards, further demonstrate American Greetings' commitment to creating environmentally friendly products.

These changes underscore the company's strategic focus on ethical and sustainable manufacturing practices.