Sustainable gift wrapping options

It’s good to be conscious of how much waste we produce all year round but during the holidays, between Thanksgiving and New years, we produce about 25% more waste. Which equals out to about 1 million extra tons a week! Source

Between the excess non-recyclable wrapping paper, ribbons, plastic from toys, shopping bags, food waste and packaging, the waste is at an all time high. How can we prevent this?

Want to cut out excess holiday waste in every area? Click here to read: How to have a zero waste Christmas

Sustainable gift wrapping ideas:

1.Newspaper/Magazines – Newspaper or magazines are an excellent way to re-purpose materials without creating any excess waster. Because, chances are, you already have some newspaper or old magazines lying around that are just waiting to be used. Plus they are recyclable so you can responsibly dispose of the mess afterwards

2. Brown paper bags – This is perfect for smaller gifts, you can simply stick them in a brown lunch bag and                decorate it as you wish! This is another simply solution because it is both recyclable and a common household        item waiting to be re-purposed!

3. Re-usable gift boxes – Why not give a gift inside of a gift? Gift boxes are a great alternative to wrapping paper      or gift bags because they are 100% re-usable. Not only will your friend have an awesome gift but also a re-                usable box they can use for storage or anything else they can think of!

4. Fabric wrapping – Also known as Furoshiki is a Japanese form of gift wrapping in silk or another type of fabric. I just found this to be such a beautiful, unique way to give a gift. Not only is is beautiful but a totally sustainable way to wrap a gift this year! You can even wrap a gift in a scarf or a blanket for an added touch/bonus gift! Invaluble.com has an excellent tutorial n Furoshiki that you can check out here!

5. Brown paper – “Brown paper packages tied up with string!” This is another simple and classic way to wrap a gift using materials that can be recycled after! And you can have so much fun with this and decorate it, write a note on it, draw some pictures or pull a Taylor Swift and hot glue some Christmas ornaments to it!

6. Burlap – This option if great if you know someone who is into farm-house chic style. Burlap is biodegradable meaning it will decompose instead of sitting in a landfill.

And there you have it! 6 eco-friendly ways to wrap your presents this holiday season and cut back on the waste! Make sure to share this post on pinterest so others can cut the waste as well!