reported by Dianna Shaffer

written by Jo Berry

When COVID lockdowns began, one casualty was the Seeds store and their cards.  Also, cards sold by the mailboxes were removed as a precaution to limit congregating and handling cards.

The Treasure House team saw that there was still a need for cards and came up with a plan on where and how to make them available. The final agreement approved by management authorized use of the turnstile rack by Resident Services and required wrapping.  We have operated under this model since last July,  using a labor-intensive method to wrap cards so fronts and insides are visible.  In February, we searched for alternative products (paper, cellophane or plastic) meeting size and use requirements, and considering cost and minimum purchase requirements from the sources.  A polypropylene plastic bag was tried and greatly reduced labor but prevents full view of the cards.

The Team is well aware of concerns regarding the use of non-recyclable plastic sleeves.  While not ideal environmentally,  they protect the cards from smudging, keep the envelope and card together, and prevent the cards from falling out of the rack.

There is Good News!  The plastic sleeves can be recycled by reusing them again for cards.  We are no longer taping the sleeves shut, but strongly discourage handling.  Once you select your card, remove the sleeve and immediately dropit  in the decorated box (it says Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose Recard)  beside the shredder bins.   We will gladly use them again.

We continue to take donations of cards. We ask that you leave large quantities at the Resident Services Counter or small numbers in cubby 3024.