UK women's magazine The Lady has replaced single-use plastic wrap with paper, as more readers take subscriptions.

Established in 1885 and known for its classified advertisements to recruit domestic service and child care staff, it has more than doubled print subscriptions over the past ten years.

The mail wrapping upgrade - at printers Precision Colour Printing - follows a £1 million (A$1.79 million) installation including a new Sitma paper wrapping mailing line.

Managing director of The Lady Helen Budworth says the publisher recognised a need to be ecologically kind to the environment. "Up until now the alternatives to paper wrap have been cost-prohibited for us but it is brilliant PCP has come up with a sustainable paper option for our magazine.

"I'm pleased to say that we can now offer an environmentally sound solution while keeping the cost of the magazine the same."