Sustainability at Sarah and Maude
Eco-conscious stationery
A commitment to sustainability
I have a passion for stationery and a deep love for our beautiful planet, so running my studio in an earth-friendly way is more than a goal; it's a commitment.
I’m proud that the stationery I create isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, but also crafted with the environment in mind. During the design process, the full life cycle of your stationery is carefully considered, from sustainably-sourced materials and eco-friendly printing to plastic-free packaging and easy recycling.
And my sustainability journey continues. I regularly review my everyday practices, introducing positive and sustainable changes wherever I can. Because, for me, stationery isn’t just about creating beautiful things – it's about doing that in harmony with nature.
Tree planting across the UK
Your stationery is creating a greener future, one print at a time
Your wedding invitations and business cards aren't just pieces of paper – they're an investment in a greener future. You see, at the end of each wedding and brand stationery project a donation is made to the National Trust's Plant a Tree campaign.
Each £5 donation covers the cost of planting a sapling tree, contributing to the campaign's ambitious goal of planting 20 million tree saplings across the UK by 2030.
Through woodland creation and restoration projects, as well as the establishment of new hedgerows, these saplings will become vital habitats for a variety of wildlife, including the beloved red squirrel, song thrush, and red kite.
So, when you work with Sarah and Maude, you're not just receiving beautifully crafted stationery – you're also helping to sow the seeds of a greener, more vibrant future.
To find out more about the National Trust’s campaign, or make a personal donation, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/support-us/plant-a-tree.
An eco-friendly approach
Crafting stationery the sustainable way
Letterpress printing
The presses are eco-friendly champions. Maude is powered by foot, and Millie by hand, so the only energy they use is human. It's all about keeping the footprint small while creating beautiful prints!
When it comes to cleaning up, I like to keep things green. I opt for cotton rags made from repurposed old hotel linens, and I'm currently testing low-VOC and citrus-based cleaners to eliminate solvents from the cleaning process.
Foil printing
Martha, my foil press, is operated by hand with just a little electricity needed for the heat transfer of foil to paper, so energy consumption is minimal. And those shiny metallic prints are easy to recycle too. The layer of foil that’s applied during printing is so thin that it dissipates during the re-pulping process.
Any foil waste can be returned to my supplier who works with a specialist waste management company to convert that waste into SRF – a higher quality and more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel.
Paper
As a stationery designer, paper is a big part of what I do, making sustainability a key factor in my choices. Over the years, I've curated a collection of eco-friendly papers perfect for letterpress and foil printing. These include tree-free cotton paper made using clothing industry by-product, fully recycled paper sourced from single-use coffee cups, and FSC-certified papers from responsibly managed forests. For added luxury, there are small-batch handmade papers from Yorkshire and plantable wildflower seed papers that keep the pollinators happy.
Envelopes
When it comes to envelopes, as with paper, there's an impressive range of options available, offering both luxury and eco-friendliness in a rainbow of colours. Rest assured, all envelopes are either FSC certified or made from recycled materials, carefully chosen for their quality and green credentials.
Embellishments
From foil details to organic hand-dyed silk ribbons, the finishing touches that I incorporate into your stationery will enhance its beauty in a sustainable way. Whether reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable, these thoughtful details ensure that every aspect of your stationery is as eco-friendly as it is elegant.
Waste
To cut down on waste, I make sure to recycle paper offcuts and put them to good use for testing ink colours. And any prints that aren't quite perfect are given a second chance as test sheets for printing prep. With their mix of overlapping colours and patterns, those test sheets sometimes have a quirky charm. So back in 2015, I decided to give the prettiest ones a new life, and started selling them as bookmarks.
Shipping
Unwrapping a pretty parcel is a treat, especially when it's eco-friendly, so I adopt a zero-waste shipping approach to shipping. From recycled postage boxes to recyclable tissue paper and compostable washi paper tape, I carefully choose plastic-free supplies that are easily recyclable or compostable. And the thank you note you receive with your order? It’s letterpress printed on tree-free cotton paper and fully recyclable too.
Environmental goals
Committing to change
A solvent free studio
Target: 2025
While the inks I use produce fantastic results, they currently require solvents for cleanup. Over the next 12 months, I'll be experimenting with alternatives to ensure that my printing process is completely solvent-free.
Eliminate single-use plastic
Target: 2026
I’ve removed a lot of single-use plastics from my process but I’ll be looking carefully to replace any single-use options with sustainable alternatives. And I’ll be encouraging my clients and suppliers to do the same.
Zero waste to landfill
Target: 2027
While I've made significant strides in minimising waste throughout my creative process, I'm continuously exploring ways to further reduce waste and eliminate all landfill-bound materials.
Updated April 2024