Green Wrapping Paper: Sustainable Wrapping Paper Alternatives
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As the holiday season approaches it’s important to consider ways to make this year’s gifting experience a bit more sustainable. One way to reduce the negative impact on the environment that comes with this time of year is to focus on what you’re wrapping your gifts with.
In this post we will explore a variety of green wrapping paper alternatives to common gift wrapping supplies which often are made of plastics and are not recyclable.
Sustainable Wrapping Paper Alternatives:
· Reuse Previous Wrapping
· Upcycle Paper Wrapping
· Fabric Wrapping
· Compostable Wrapping Paper
Reuse Previous Wrapping
Many times during the gift giving time of year you will see people unwrap their gifts and throw away the paper, bags, ribbons, bows, etc. Instead of throwing away all these items that have barely been used try saving as much of it as you can.
Over the course of my life I have rarely ever needed to go out and buy gift wrapping supplies because of all the prior year’s supplies I have saved. The amount of money you’ll save and the positive impact this will make on the planet makes this option a win.
It is also a lot of fun to wrap your gifts for the following year in loved ones packaging from the year before. My family has a great time guessing where the gift paper and supplies originally came from. It’s also a fun way to remember loved ones who may not be with you the following year.
Upcycle Paper Wrapping
Oftentimes over the course of a year you will receive newspapers and packaging paper from packages. It is extremely simple and easy to save newspapers and any packing paper you receive for gift wrapping paper.
I personally love to save packaging paper which I’ve seen come in off white and brown. There are a few companies that tend to really stuff their shipping boxes with this type of paper so every time one comes in the mail I fold up the paper and put it in a pile of gift wrapping supplies I have in the house.
Fabric Wrapping
While you can go out and buy fabric that is specifically intended to be used to wrap gifts you can also use what you have around the house. If you are a sewer and have scrap fabric from various projects try using it up by wrapping gifts in it. If you happen to be gifting someone something, like a tea towel, try wrapping up your gifts in that tea towel.
When you stop and think about all the creative ways to wrap your gifts, you will realize you may not need nearly as much plastic wrapping paper as you once thought.
Compostable Wrapping
When it comes to needing to buy gift wrapping supplies try your best to opt for compostable materials. Our local refillery store, Mason and Greens, had an amazing selection of compostable wrapping paper and bows this year.
The wrapping paper I got is from Red Cap Cards. This company is based out of California and has a wide range of beautiful wrapping paper and supplies.
After you have reused your compostable wrapping materials as much as possible you can toss them into your home compost bin instead of the landfill. Be sure to let the people you’re giving your gifts to know that they can put the paper in the compost too.
At the end of the day the holiday season is filled with many unsustainable practices. But making even just one switch, to more sustainable wrapping paper, will make a big difference as well as help save you money.
It’s also ok to not be perfect at it. If you have traditional wrapping paper that contains plastic, use that up, don’t just toss it because it’s not perfectly sustainable. Use what you have, be mindful of the ways you can make more sustainable choice, and may you and your loved ones have a happy holiday.
