Posted by Nancy Sabatelli on Dec.24, 2009

ⓒ iStockPhoto - cstar55

We’ve all seen the displays in department stores and under Christmas trees – beautifully-wrapped gifts in colorful wrapping paper, with crisply-folded, neatly-taped corners topped off with perfectly-tied bows and ribbons. For those of us who are all thumbs and are gift-wrapping-challenged, some stores even offer free gift-wrapping services. But think of how all this extra paper, tags and bows affect the environment. On the Web site, PlanetGreen.com, Sara Novak reports that an extra 25 percent more trash is created “during the holidays due to excess wrapping paper, packaging and general waste” (1). You can still wrap your gifts beautifully and help save the environment with some planning.

Open Gifts Carefully and Save the Paper or Bows

Easier said than done in some cases, especially if you have young children eager to rip into their presents on Christmas morning like it’s feeding time at the zoo. But whenever possible, try to save wrapping paper – especially from larger packages – and you can flatten it out and re-use it for wrapping other presents. The same applies to bows and ribbons – a fresh piece of tape, and it’s good to go from one package to the next (3, 5, 6). My family is notorious for this. My mother still has rolls of wrapping paper – and old wrapping paper remnants — that wrapped up gifts from Santa when I was little! She also has bags of old saved bows from stores that went out of business almost 20 years ago.

Reuse Gift Bags

Gift bags are great for people who have a hard time with wrapping paper, or for oddly-shaped, difficult-to-wrap gifts. They come in many sizes and patterns. Gift bags can be made from earth-friendly recycled paper. Wrapping paper can get torn when you open a gift, but you simply open up a gift bag, making it less likely to rip, so it will look better for future use. Simply save the gift bag and put another gift in it (2, 4, 6).

Buy Already-Decorated Gift Boxes that Don’t Need Wrapping Paper

Some gift boxes are already decorated with pretty holiday pictures, designs or prints on them, making wrapping paper unnecessary.

Reuse Different Kinds of Boxes You’ve Already Got

Instead of going out and buying gift boxes, consider reusing boxes you have lying around the house. Be creative! I’ve used empty cereal boxes, office supply boxes, etc. A box like this can be perfect for an odd-shaped gift or multiple small gifts – it’s easier to stick them all in a single box and wrapping it that way rather than having to wrap each one separately.

Make Your Own Wrapping Paper

Newspaper is a common one – especially the comics section. Novak reports, if each family wrapped only three presents using old newspapers or other paper, “it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields” (1). I personally like to use pages from store circulars and flyers because these are usually loaded with pictures of holiday-themed decorations, merchandise, etc. Another option – cut up brown paper bags and draw or stamp your own designs on them (1, 2, 3, 4, 6).

Cut Up Old Christmas Cards

Use these to wrap small gift items or tape them to presents as gift tags (3).

Choose Natural Gift Toppers Instead of Plastic Bows or Ribbons

Bundle up, head outdoors and pick up some pretty pine cones, branches or berries from your yard (4). These will look beautiful on top of a gift and incorporate the winter season’s natural beauty.

Wrap Gifts in Aluminum Foil Made from Recycled Metal

A recent trend is shiny, metallic holographic gift wrap. However, this type of wrapping paper is among the worst for the environment: “it cannot be recycled due to the finish and it’s not very environmentally friendly to produce,” according to Dawn Thull for the Web site, GreenPromise.com (5). If you really like the shiny look of metallic wrapping paper, opt for recycled aluminum foil, suggests Ginny Figlar for the Web site, Gaiam Life (4). Check out Reynolds Wrap Foil made from 100 percent recycled aluminum and 100 percent recycled paperboard.

Use Cloth, Fabric or Other Creative Items as Gift Wrap

For example, fold up some spa lotions or shower gels in a thick bath towel. Put some packets of hot cocoa or chocolate in a mug. Wrap a bottle of wine or some kitchen gadgets in an apron or dish towel. If you have leftover holiday fabric from an arts and crafts project, that will work as gift wrap, too (2, 4, 6).

Look for Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper

Need to go out and buy new wrapping paper? It should be made from recycled paper and contain soy-based or vegetable inks (5). Some gift wrap even contains wildflower seeds that can be planted outside in the ground – talk about the gift that keeps on giving! Thull provides a list of links to companies where you can buy environmentally-friendly wrapping paper, (scroll down to the bottom of her page for the list).

Keep Pets and Children Away from Wrapping Paper and Ribbons, Especially Metallic Ribbons!

If played with, sucked on, chewed or eaten, even small pieces of these items can cause serious damage and harm to the digestive track or other internal organs. Inks or chemicals from the paper can also pose risks if ingested. We want a happy, healthy holiday season for our families and pets!

Sources

1. Novak, Sara. Are You a Green Gift Giver? (2009). Planet Green. Retrieved December 10, 2009 from http://planetgreen.discovery.com/games-quizzes/green-gift-giver-quiz/

2. Ten (No Cost) Gift Wrapping Ideas. (December 2, 2009). GreenYour. Retrieved December 10, 2009 from http://www.greenyour.com/blog/ten-no-cost-gift-wrapping-ideas/14356

3. Wood, Shelby. Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping. (November 28, 2008). Oregon Live. Retrieved December 10, 2009 from http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/11/ecofriendly_gift_wrapping.html

4. Figlar, Ginny. Top 10 Green Gift Wrap Ideas. (2009). Gaiam Life. Retrieved December 11, 2009 from http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/Top-10-Green-Gift-Wrap-Ideas.html

5. Thull, Dawn. Environmentally-Friendly Gift Wrap. (November 10, 2009). Green Promise. Retrieved December 10, 2009 from http://www.greenpromise.com/resources/environmentally-friendly-giftwrap.php

6. Greening Your Gift Wrap. (November 28, 2007). Green SAHM. Retrieved December 12, 2009 from http://www.greensahm.com/greening-your-gift-wrap/

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Posted under Eco-Friendly Ideas, Living.