4 Oct 2023 • 2 minute read
We don’t often blow our own trumpet, but today we are! We are honoured to have received not one but two prestigious accolades from the Gift Card & Voucher Association (GCVA). At this year's Hall of Fame Awards 2023, which took place on the 14th of September, we received a highly commended status for both Manufacturer of the Year and Best Industry Innovation.
As a business committed to eco-friendly solutions, this double nod celebrates Green Gift Card's exceptional contribution to the gift card industry and the growing importance of applying sustainable practices in today's business landscape.
The GCVA Hall of Fame Awards showcase the creativity and innovation across the retail, leisure, incentives, and payment sectors.
We were thrilled to be recognised in both categories that we entered. For Best Industry Innovation, we showcased our new anti-fraud foil scratch-off. This unique development by the Green Gift Card team helps combat the problem of gift card theft whilst keeping sustainability at the top of the agenda.
The judges commented that our anti-fraud foil scratch-off award entry was “Unique and, dare we say, noble? It is truly something the judges hadn’t seen before. Demonstrated by the patent application, this innovation supports not just the company but the whole industry to overcome fraud whilst simultaneously delivering a sustainable solution to a widespread issue. We need to take a leaf out of this book to spearhead towards a better future for the planet and industry.”
Big praise for a small innovation that is changing the shape of the gift card industry.
Our second nod of the evening came in the highly coveted Manufacturer of the Year category. Here, the judges commented, “This provider continues to champion the sustainability agenda and lead by example with an impressive year of overall activity, including a patent-pending innovation that enhances consumer protection and developing new capabilities to target the local retailer segment with flexible print-run demands. The judges were impressed by their ambition and follow through – overall, an excellent year for this provider and deserving of the Highly Commended award.”
Last year, Green Gift Cards founder Graham Lycett was recognised as the Honoured Industry Contributor. We are thrilled to have been recognised for our efforts in the gift card industry and to be in such esteemed company. You can read more about the awards evening with the full winners list.
Also attending the GCVA celebrations was our partner company, Little Starts Gift Cards. This was the first year Little Starts was nominated, and they smashed their categories, coming away with two major awards.
Little Starts Gift Cards won the Best B2C Product or Service award, and Founder Katie Lavis was also honoured with the Rising Star of the Year award, a new category for 2023. Little Starts Gift Cards offers a gift card for baby, toddler, and preschool classes.
The judges commented how they were amazed by the achievements of this groundbreaking product. From the seed of an idea just a few short years ago, Little Starts has grown into a national product, with over 100 activity providers joining the platform and offering over 10,000 classes.
Our client Motivates also walked away with a GCVA award in the Best Creative Marketing category. Motivates are B-Corp certified with sustainable practices as part of their ethos. It’s only natural they chose plastic-free Green Gift Cards. Last year, we took the Motivates team to the paperboard mill which manufactures Green Gift Cards so they could see just how environmentally friendly they are.
Let us introduce you to Holmen Iggesund in Sweden. This amazing paperboard mill is first-class in sustainable forestry and paperboard manufacturing.
Anyone who has followed Green Gift Card’s progress over the years knows about our unique relationship with Holmen Iggesund. We aim to take some of our closest customers, like the Motivates team, to Sweden every year to visit the mill to see how their cards are made.
Each card can be traced back to the tree and where it was planted, from seed to paperboard. The mill runs on biomass fuel, including ‘waste’ wood chips that would otherwise not be used. Every aspect of the mill’s paperboard production is focused on reducing environmental impact and getting the most out of the raw product. It’s a process and business that supports our and our customers’ ethos.
Find out how Iggesund bring leftovers to life. Looking Ahead- A Sustainable Future
We (Green Gift Card) are feeling on top of the world with two new prestigious, highly commended awards. However, the journey doesn’t stop here. We are still committed to innovating, creating more sustainable cards and reducing the use of plastic in the gift card sector.
Our focus is currently turning to how to improve manufacturing, procurement and distribution to reduce the amount of CO2 produced. By prioritising sustainability in our procurement and distribution systems, we can create a more resilient, eco-conscious industry that benefits both businesses and our planet.
Greener
Compostable and recyclable
Cheaper
Save up to 40% compared to plastic
Quicker
Turnaround average 20 working days
Introducing our range of plastic-free cards
Since 2006 we have been innovating and disrupting in the card market to develop what is a leading range of environmentally-friendly card solutions. So what sets us apart?
Well that’s the thing, there’s a number of reasons why Green Gift Cards are renowned in the world of card production. It is the material we use for our cards and the certification that the cards come with. It is also the compelling environmental story (we urge you to watch the video) that is behind all of our cards and the fact that, once finished with, our cards are compostable and can be recycled in normal household waste streams. Oh and we’ll say it again – being environmentally-friendly doesn’t mean they are more expensive. In fact they offer great value compared to plastic cards.
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If you would like to talk to us about your next card order or would like to know more about what makes our products so unique, call us on 01794 725 454 or request a call back.
White paper
Read our latest white paper to find out one simple change organisations can implement today to help tackle the issue of single and limited use plastic.
Request a sample pack
If you would like to actually feel and see the quality of our Green Gift Card, we will happily send you some samples.
Partners
We work closely with some of the biggest and best in their field to bring you market leading environmental solutions for your cards. Learn more about our partners.
