Green Your Gift Wrap

When caught up in holiday cheer and the full swing of the shopping season, gift wrapping is often the last item on our holiday lists. Grabbing a roll of wrapping paper from a bargain bin might seem like the only option, but there are many creative ways to wrap that are more delightful for the environment—and each other.

Most store-bought wrapping paper, tissue paper, bows, and tags can’t be recycled; worse, they will contaminate any recycling they end up in, leading to even more waste in our landfills. Chock-full of coloured inks, glitter, metallic plastic, and a slew of other additives, gift wrap has become the nightmare after Christmas for the recycling industry.

Green your giftgiving by choosing kraft paper for wrapping, or plain paper bags. Personalize your present with natural materials like jute, pinecones, cedar, and cinnamon sticks. Get creative and reuse paper you already have, such as maps, newspapers, old posters, and calendars for wrapping up your muchanticipated surprises. Collect festive fabric bags and ribbons or create personalized gift bags for each family member to be reused year after year. After the gift-giving is over, sorting the trimmings into the recycling, compost, or reuse pile will be a breeze.

Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese fabric wrapping technique, is another charmingly green giftwrapping option. By using beautifully designed pieces of square cloth to wrap gifts, furoshiki is the original eco-friendly wrap. With many different methods of wrapping, it’s a go-to for gifts of all shapes and sizes. Interested in giving it a whirl? Follow along for a simple fold that works for a variety of items. We used a tea towel, which doubles as a part of the gift, but any rectangular piece of fabric will work for this wrap.