Ahhhhh... Christmas Day – a time of peace, celebration and giving - which always ends with the whole family in a food coma and a mountain of crumpled gift wrapping.
Every Christmas, Britons throw out enough wrapping paper to circle the world 9 times! Most of it can't be recycled due to the dyes or foil lining. It's fun to spoil kids, but what kind of “gift” is environmental depletion?
Try this instead:
- Does your gift need wrapping at all? Why gift wrap that mountain bike when the shape is kinda obvious anyway? Make it a real surprise instead - take a photo, and place it in a reusable gift box with the secret location
- Paper wrapping is becoming passé – reusable fabric wraps or Furoshiki are far more stylish - the Japanese have known this for centuries!
Above: Japanese Furoshiki Wrap can be reused over and over
- Upcycle materials you have around the house - newspapers, magazines, old calendars, tin foil or paper packaging. Your gifts will stand out with a unique and edgy look.
- As a last resort, buy 100% recycled/repurposed paper or bamboo paper. Always avoid metallic papers as they cannot be recycled
- Wrapping paper is very difficult to recycle with the bits of sticky tape attached - go for a paper tape alternative. And for the final touches, no need to struggle with that plastic curling ribbon - use paper or cotton alternatives, or classic hemp twine.
ABOVE: Japanese washi tape can be recycled just like normal paper
