Tis the season... for a not so sustainable time of the year. December is filled with impulsive shopping, tons of gift wrapping waste, endless trash bags from cleanups of the parties... and of course so much joy.
While we may not necessarily have the power to reduce waste all month long, there is one area that we can definitely improve - gift wrapping.
When I get invited to parties, I make sure that I bring my reusable gear with me, but I really don't have much control over how much waste the rest of the party guests produce. But when it comes to gift wrapping, I decide how wasteful I want this jolly season to be.
The truth is that wrapping paper is not recyclable. It contains plastic and it's meant to end up in the landfill. Little did I know all these years I used it that this shiny, colorful paper is not good for the environment. And don't even get me started with the mountain of plastic ribbons we all throw out each year, myself included before I started making an effort to more sustainable choices.
I've put together some useful tips on how you can also reduce your gift wrapping waste!
Before I get started, I wanted to point out something you can definitely take advantage of this year. Amazon has introduced smile.amazon.com where you can select a non-profit you would like to support through your purchase and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your total to the organization.
It does sound like very little, but I am a strong believer that anything counts. And while Amazon is not the way to go if you want to shop sustainably (it's definitely much better to seek local businesses), it is the best alternative for many and we can't simply avoid talking about it. So instead of judging people ordering gifts online, I just want to bring to everyone's attention that they can at least contribute with something little to a non-profit they like.
So let's get started...
1. Hit the thrift store
Believe it or not, you can find some really useful wrapping stuff at the thrift store. Anything from ornaments to holiday themes fabrics, you name it.
You can use different methods for wrapping your gifts. You can stick to the simple paper or get more creative with some fabrics.
Regardless of which method you choose, you can always find some nice ornaments to accessorize your presents and make them stand out!
2. Paper, paper, more paper
If you want to stick to the basics, just use paper. Printing paper, old newspaper, ANY paper will do the job. This is also the cheapest method as most people have some kind of paper laying around that they can use ... or perhaps reuse. 😉
You can grab the good old printing paper that's been sitting in your printer for months. This is ideal for smaller gifts. Just wrap a nice bow around it. If you're feeling fancy, steal some Christmas tree springs and decorate the wrapping with it.
Newspaper wrapping also looks really creative. It doesn't even need many accessories as it's already intriguing enough.
But, as I mentioned any type of paper would do. I think that it's even nice to reuse paper. This works well if you have nice handwriting or if you've previously printed something on the paper. Add a nice bow, some Christmas ornaments, and the gifts look so unique.
Lastly, you can always find some recycled paper in the craft store... or even in the hardware store. They usually come in a pretty big role that would probably last you years to come.
3. Use fabric to wrap your presents
When using fabric, you can get really creative. Another reason I love using fabric is that I can play with the shapes.
Check out the video below for different wrapping techniques with fabric.
If you really want to get crafty and spend a little more time on your gifts this year, you can also sew your own little gift bags. They're super easy to sew and are super beginner-friendly. You can get really creative here and reuse old pillowcases, towels, or clothes. This is also a very affordable alternative because you don't need to buy anything new.
4. Other alternatives
The alternatives to conventional gift wrapping go on and on and on. There are countless creative ways, some more expensive than others, that allow you to wrap your gifts in a more sustainable way.
I also want to remind all of you who have read this far that gifting an experience is also something beautiful. We tend to fall into the trap of consumerism and amazing deals we can't let fly by, but the truth is that all these deals are simply made to trick us into buying more than what we need.
Make sure to have a list of all the presents you want to buy and a general idea of what kind of presents you're looking for. Going into a store with no clue about what you want to purchase will only lead you to buy things you don't really need. Things that nobody really needs and are not worth gifting.
So, I hope that this article was a nice little summary of some alternatives to the glossy and not-so-sustainable gift wrapping.
Feel free to share any gift wrapping ideas in the comments. I would love to try out some new methods.
Xoxo,
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