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There’s a big case against wrapping paper. While it makes gifts glittery and gorgeous, it’s estimated that the U.S. sends $3.5 billion worth of wrapping paper to landfills yearly. That’s an estimated 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper that is unrecyclable because all those finishes, tape, and bows are made from plastics that aren’t recyclable. Even when they are recyclable, not every municipality will accept them because it’s an expensive and chemically intensive process to do so. These are just the end-of-life facts about why traditional wrapping paper isn’t as glossy as originally thought. Making wrapping paper is an intensive process involving millions of trees, chemicals like bleach, and water waste. Simply making one A4 sheet of wrapping paper can require almost 19 liters of water.
If you’re not loving these dirty facts about traditional wrapping paper, know that there are eco-friendly gift-wrapping ideas that will have gifts looking just as gorgeous and beautiful. While they might not be as shiny as that silver tinsel wrapping paper from your local store, they’re better options for minimizing waste and pollution and they may even inspire your giftee to live more sustainably too.
Wrap Furoshiki Style
Furoshiki is an elegant eco-friendly gift-wrapping technique that uses cloth to wrap items either for gifts or travel. Used for centuries in Japan, it’s a sustainable way to give gifts since the cloth can be recycled from clothing and washed and reused by the giftee.
To try this technique yourself, you’ll need to begin with a large square piece of cloth. Place the gift in the center and fold in the ends over the gift. Once all of the ends are in the center, tie them together and decorate with a twig from your tree or a fresh flower.
Try Newspaper
Newspapers are one of the greatest gift wraps of all time. Growing up in the 90s allowed all of the newspapers that grandma and grandpa collected to have a purpose at the end of the year. And, it gave tidbits of articles to read once gifts were unwrapped.
While most people don’t subscribe to the local newspaper landing on their driveway in the morning, it’s still worth noting that newspapers are a great eco-friendly gift-wrapping idea, if only for the purpose of nostalgia. And, since newspapers aren’t coated with plastic like traditional wrapping paper, they can easily be recycled.
Recycle Wrapping Paper
If you’re able to carefully tear the wrapping paper from your Christmas gifts, you might want to try folding and recycling the paper for later use. Sure, it’s not always feasible because of the tape and how easily the paper rips, but it’s still worth mentioning as an eco-friendly gift-wrapping idea. If you receive items in gift bags with tissue paper, that is usually easier to save and store to be used for gifts later on.
Use Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper
As a rule of thumb, the simpler the wrapping paper, the more likely it is to be recycled. Dyes, metallic finishes, and smooth plastic coatings all make wrapping paper look nice, but they also make it more likely to be thrown out into a landfill instead of being able to be recycled. Visit your local craft store for bulk brown paper or check out sites like Etsy for classic recyclable wrapping paper.
Wrapping paper is often coated with a film of plastic to make it smooth to the touch, glossy, metallic, or glittery. All of these plastic finishes make it unrecyclable.
Here’s an eco-friendly gift-wrapping tip. If you save all of those paper bags from your shopping trips to the grocery store you can use them as wrapping paper for your Christmas gift. Turn them inside out so that the plain side is showing on the outside and tie them with natural twine and paper gift tags to make it a fully-recyclable gift-wrapping idea.
Give Reusable Tote Bags
Tote bags are a gift in and of themselves. Your giftee can use them again and again as stylish (and reusable) bags for all their shopping trips. As an eco-friendly gift-wrapping idea, they’re a more sustainable alternative to plastic gift bags loaded with tissue paper.
Gift A Yummy Glass Jar
Some of the best Christmas gifts come in round metal tins, glass jars, and paper boxes. Not only are these gift-wrapping ideas recyclable and reusable, everyone knows that food is the path to someone’s heart. So, whether you’re whipping up chocolate treats, fermented veggies, or well-decorated cookies, try placing them in a glass jar that can be reused or recycled. For added decoration, tie them with a cloth or twine bow.
Gift Shopping At Etsy? Look For Recycled & Recyclable Packaging
Believe it or not, most twine is made from plastic polypropylene. While this type of plastic can take almost a century to decompose, it is recyclable. If you’re looking for an alternative to plastic twine, look for biodegradable twine that is made from natural materials like jute or cotton.
Enjoy Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping All Year Round
These gift-wrapping ideas aren’t to be reserved only for Christmas. Birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions can all be opportunities for you to wrap gifts sustainably.