What makes seed paper eco-friendly

No matter where we live, there’s one home we all share: the Earth. Taking care of nature has always been important, but over the past several years, reversing the effects of climate change has become more urgent. More and more stories in the news and studies published by environmental scientists are telling us to pay attention to our lifestyles and daily choices. 

The term eco-friendly has become a popular word used around the world to show commitment to the Earth. Eco-friendly means not harmful to the environment. Before calling a product eco-friendly, there are a few factors to consider, including the sourcing, manufacturing, and after-use life-cycle of the product.

Seed paper is eco-friendly because it is:

• made of recycled paper waste turned into pulp.
• embedded with seeds for pollinator-supporting wildflowers, veggies, or herbs.
• pressed and printed into zero-waste alternatives for virgin paper products. (Virgin paper comes from virgin trees that come from old-growth forests that are over 450 years old and rich in biodiversity.)
• compostable, so it leaves no waste behind when planted, just plants.

Watch this video to learn how seed paper benefits the planet and what waste seed paper can replace, or read the text below!

How does seed paper benefit the planet?

• Saving trees – Recycled paper waste replaces fresh paper pulp manufacturing and tree cutting that affects wildlife habitats. It takes 4.4 tons of virgin trees to make 1 ton of virgin paper pulp.
• Supporting native pollinators and local biodiversity across North America – The embedded wildflowers don’t require harsh chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Especially when planted in their native regions where urbanization has taken over, wildflowers attract the bugs, bacteria, birds, and other living things that bring balance and harmony to the environment.
• Replacing virgin paper and some single-use plastic – The paper is suitable for special occasions, stationery, and business promotional products.
• Providing more people with herb and vegetable seeds to grow at home – This helps reduce emissions because most food travels great distances to be available in your local market. Growing at home saves that travel time and gives you peace of mind knowing it’s free from the pesticides and synthetic fertilizers used to grow commercialized crops.

What waste does seed paper replace?

Seed paper can replace millions of tons of paper and packaging waste that’s not collected or recycled in the world. Only about 8% of paper is recycled, and the average North American uses 215 kg of paper annually.

Seed paper is pressed to a sturdy thickness for print, so it can replace virgin paper waste for various retail and corporate industry purposes including

• Product packaging including hangtags, box filler, candle dust covers, and coffee sleeves
• Business promotional products and giveaways including business cards, notepads, bookmarks, and calendars 
• Corporate event products including tent cards, brochures, wristbands, flags, and coasters
• Special occasions products including birthday party banners, wedding toss biodegradable confetti, baby shower invitations, and memorial cards.

Why choose Botanical PaperWorks seed paper?

• Quick delivery, 100% Canadian products, and no supply chain issues – All the seed paper products are manufactured, printed, and shipped in-house in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
• Award-winning and experienced team – With over 20 years of experience in seed papermaking, Botanical PaperWorks is a trusted source for various products, including wedding invitations, wedding favors, event stationery, memorial pieces, and corporate promotional items. Our staff members have earned their Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS) and Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) certifications from Promotional Products Association International (PPAI.) The company has also won several awards for innovations in printing and the promotional product industry.
• Remarkable customer service – Earning 4.9 stars on Google reviews, our customer service team is well-known for being helpful, kind, supportive, and knowledgeable.
• Safe to plant and eco-approved seed paper – Botanical PaperWorks is the ONLY seed paper approved by the CFIA and the USDA for planting in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and many other countries worldwide.  Each batch of seed is tested for purity to ensure that the seeds are free of noxious weeds and invasive species. We have done soil testing with ALS Environmental, one of the largest environmental laboratories in the world, and found that the soil in which the printed piece was planted easily met CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) guidelines.

Considering seed paper for your next project? Learn more about how seed paper works and see photos of seed paper growing.

Learn more about how you can incorporate eco-friendly seed paper into your next corporate promotion by subscribing to our newsletter and downloading our full Seed Paper Promotions Catalog.