SCA Recycling often gets calls to recover Christmas cards at this time of the year but this was the first time it had to deal with so many – almost half a million. Havens Hospices which runs Fair Havens Hospice and Little Havens Children’s Hospice asked volunteers and members of the public to save Christmas cards for the hospice collection, so they would be recycled and a contribution made towards the care the hospices provide to children and adults with life-limiting illnesses. “I had no idea what 500,000 Christmas cards looked like, I only usually receive about 20 cards,” said Simon Barnes SCA Recycling’s Business Development Director. “But I felt we should help solve what should be a good problem to have.” The cards, weighing over 10 tonnes, filled four full vans and once collected were taken to SCA Recycling’s Charlton branch for onward reprocessing.
The cards will be re-made into paper products, ensuring the environmental benefits of re-using this valued resource. “As a partner in helping Havens Hospices to recycle materials, SCA Recycling was a pleasure to deal with. We were literally bombarded with cards – so many more than expected. We actually ran out of room to store them all! We are really grateful to everyone who turned their cards into cash for the charity.” said Trevor Johnson, Director of Trading for Havens Hospices. SCA Recycling collected the cards for free and has made a donation to support the hospice activities. “SCA Recycling proved to be very supportive and helpful, understanding the unique nature of our challenges very quickly. I would be delighted to work with them at any time,” Trevor added. Havens Hospices provides respite breaks, symptom control and end-of-life care to children and adults living with a life-limiting illness. It aims to make their journey – and that of the family – as comfortable as possible creating special memories along the way. For further information about supporting Havens Hospices, please visit www.havenshospices.org.uk or call 01702 220350.