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Why Your Business Cards Should Be on Recycled Stock

Business cards are one of the highest-impact opportunities for sustainable print. Here's why recycled stock is the right choice — and how to make it look premium.

Approximately 27 million business cards are printed every day globally — and most end up in a bin within a week. Switching to recycled stock is one of the easiest visible sustainability commitments you can make.

The premium case for recycled cards

Recycled business cards on kraft or grey board stock have a distinctive, premium tactile quality that standard gloss cards don’t have. The natural texture communicates craft, authenticity and environmental consciousness — values that resonate strongly with modern clients.

Specification guide

  • Stock: 100% post-consumer recycled — kraft, grey board or recycled white
  • Weight: 350gsm minimum — recycled stocks can feel lighter, so go heavier
  • Finish: Uncoated — no lamination, keeping the card fully recyclable
  • Inks: Vegetable-based — ask your printer to confirm
  • Quantity: 250 minimum — unit costs drop significantly at volume

What to avoid

Plastic lamination on recycled stock defeats the purpose — laminated paper cannot be recycled. The uncoated finish is part of the aesthetic and the sustainability story.

Eco business cards, printed sustainably

FSC certified card, vegetable-based inks, UK printed. From £19.

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