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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To recycle Christmas cards as soon as I open

147 replies

lovemenorca · 17/12/2019 18:05

I open them and immediately put them in the recycling bin. I can’t bear the clutter! They make a lovely cosy Christmassy room look like a primary school classroom IMO

Am I alone?

I feel a little guilty, but I always read and enjoy the sentiment, but actually displaying.... no chance

Ps and I send 4 myself (to aged relatives - it really seems important to them hence why I do it, and enclose a photo of the children) , and would take no offence whatsoever to discover they too are recycled!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
eaglejulesk · 19/12/2019 02:24

Wow - the spirit of Christmas is sorely lacking in some of you! If someone takes the trouble to buy a card and send it to me then I am delighted that they thought of me, and display all the cards until after Christmas. Utter rudeness to immediately recycle them in my opinion. Why don't you just ask the senders not to bother in future? I'm sure they could find someone more pleasant to spend their money on.

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 19/12/2019 02:25

Please write to people and ask them to stop sending cards. They've invested time, money, energy and natural resources on something not appreciated. The least you can do is ask them to stop .

eaglejulesk · 19/12/2019 02:28

@GymSloth Well said!

Bluerussian · 19/12/2019 02:31

Seems an odd thing to do. I like Christmas cards and usually put them up somewhere, eg on glass panels in doors, both sides. They are so pretty and add to the Christmas decor. I've never heard of recycling as soon as received, I do put them in recycling after Christmas, keeping the 'close' ones.

I have some which are made from brown card, environmentally friendly and look quite quite good too but my local council recycle any card or paper and actually ask that we put them in the recycling bin (I tear off any personal stuff written in them, addresses etc, but most cards just have who they are from).

Amongst younger people, I am told, sending cards is not so much the done thing nowadays. Same applies to postcards sent from holiday. Last time I was away I had to search for a shop selling postcards.

memaymamo · 19/12/2019 02:39

‘Lovemenorca, this is your house, these are your Christmas cards. You may arrange them in any way you wish. Lady Mumsnet will lever know.’

@Havaina GrinGrinGrinGrinLove it.

safariboot · 19/12/2019 03:41

YABU.

I don't care that I'm being judgy, I judge you as caring more about your house than your friends.

If you don't have anywhere good to display them you can stack them, put them in a drawer, whatever but to dispose of them before Christmas day I find exceptionally mean and Scroogish.

Ragwort · 19/12/2019 03:56

I love sending and receiving cards, we probably get around 80 and send the same amount, for me it’s one of the nicest parts of Christmas. Sending and receiving presents is far more expensive and overrated ( judging by the ‘unwanted present’ thread) but exchanging greetings and news is lovely. Not everyone does social media so it’s a nice way to keep in touch with friends and family I don’t see very often. I don’t exchange with people I see every day, (at work for example) unless very special.

PhilCornwall1 · 19/12/2019 05:25

@lovemenorca

I'm with you on this. Fireplace currently looks like shit because of the cards. Why do people send them and to be honest, who are these people? I don't recognise the names!!

I'm a neat freak and it's doing my head in!!!

PhilCornwall1 · 19/12/2019 05:32

Gift tags? Hmmm I write on the wrapping paper, job done.

Acheypelvis · 19/12/2019 06:59

If we wrote X mas cards for the kids classes we would wrote 120! As there are 2 classes in both heir years and would want to give to both! When the other 2 start that would be 240! Fuck that for a laugh. We bought a book for each class about how everyone is different. It had religions and different family dynics in it. It was a sweet book. Much better than writing 240 cards that will go in the bin. Probably not even the recycling

Acheypelvis · 19/12/2019 06:59

Dynamics not dynics

Marinetta · 19/12/2019 07:10

All the christmas cards I recieve go straight in the recycling. I just don't see the point in them. Althought I am a bit of a scrooge and don't even bother with a christmas tree. It's my son's firat christmas this year so he is too young to know what's going on but I imagine as he gets older I'm going to have to find a bit of christmas spirit.

Rubyupbeat · 19/12/2019 08:04

@Cooroo
I'm the same. Someone's taken the effort to think of us and send a card, seems very unkind to bin them straight away, especially not even opening themHmm

flopsytheflatcat · 19/12/2019 08:09

YANBU they are a waste of money and are ridiculous in this day in age

Original poster
lovemenorca · 19/12/2019 08:42

* I don't care that I'm being judgy, I judge you as caring more about your house than your friends.*

Another laugh out loud

My deep and enduring friendships with a group of girlfriends from school and NCT are not measured by how long I keep a Christmas card but rather how we have supported one another practically and emotionally through illness, divorce, bereavement.

OP posts:
PhilCornwall1 · 19/12/2019 08:53

I don't care that I'm being judgy, I judge you as caring more about your house than your friends.

Too bloody right I do. If my house was on fire and a friend said "I need you now", they could fuck right off.

minisoksmakehardwork · 19/12/2019 08:59

I use them as easy Xmas decoration in my house. After Xmas when the tree comes down, i separate the backs and use the blank bit for making notes etc.

As I child I remember being encouraged to keep card fronts to use as a bookmark and reading record for teachers. Far more environmentally friendly than the printed book kids get given now.

Oilyoilyoilgob · 19/12/2019 09:05

For anyone that does keep them over Christmas (I do!) there’s a pack called ‘hang ups’ using a little command strip or letting and a little Velcro strip to stick the cards to-keeps them nice a neat looking, I put mine on my doors.

Oilyoilyoilgob · 19/12/2019 09:06

*swap letting for key ring

Walkingthedog46 · 19/12/2019 09:07

I only put up cards from family and close friends, I don’t do anything with the rest. I agree it is a complete waste, but I think Christmas card sending in general is a huge waste of money and resources. I wish I had the courage to just stop sending them, but I worry people will be offended (or think I’m dead!)

thenewaveragebear1983 · 19/12/2019 09:07

I Blutak mine to the hall wall so I don't see them. Or on the back of a door. I haven't sent any this year for exactly this reason and yet still have received hundreds- so wasteful

Emmapeeler1 · 19/12/2019 09:08

Wow. This surely wins the prize for the most miserable MN thread ever.

Bluerussian · 19/12/2019 09:19

Emmapeeler, I agree 100%. Christmas cards are lovely, they're so pretty. I honestly don't understand why some people are so mean about them.

baggies · 19/12/2019 11:36

Wow! I love receiving Xmas and birthday cards. Xmas cards up from when received to 12th night. Birthday cards up for a week.
By all means recycle them but ask your local nursery/ after school club if they would like them for arts and crafts. I used to manage a b/a school club and our children loved them!

JacobReesClunge · 19/12/2019 11:57

YANBU. But people get very attached to the idea that sending Christmas cards is something innately positive that will definitely bring pleasure to the recipient.

And the environment arguments are nonsensical. The environmental impact of sending a card doesn't vary depending on how long the recipient keeps it for.