Did you know that most wrapping paper we use at Christmas is non-recyclable? Until a few years ago, I have to admit that I didn’t.
Shiny, laminated paper, foiled or glitter-coated paper and textured wrapping paper can’t be recycled. In fact, most paper and tissue paper is of such poor fibre quality, it can’t be recycled. The same applies to ribbons, glittery cards, sticky tape and glossy labels. That’s a lot of single-use rubbish on Christmas day.
There’s something magical about Christmas morning, and seeing these tantalising shapes under the tree, where we all try to work out what Santa and his elves have brought us. Can we keep the Christmas fun and anticipation, all while being more eco-friendly? Of course, we can!
There are many ways to do this:
- Re-using gift bags and wrapping paper
- Making your own decorated brown wrapping paper or unprinted newspaper with stamps, marker pens or paint
- Furoshiki wrapping: Japanese-style wrapping using a piece of fabric. It looks incredible and is surprisingly easy to learn (thank you YouTube!)
If you can, use washi tape or twine to close your presents, as these are biodegradable, unlike plastic tape.
You can make gift labels and sticker sets aren’t specifically Christmas-themed so you can use them all year ’round to wrap thank you gifts or birthday presents and look extra thoughtful.
It turns out that I’ve been harping on about reducing waste around Christmas for a while, as I found one of my old 2008 blog posts. Yet, every year, I discover new ways to be kinder to the earth in gift and packaging choices.
Do you have tips to share? Pop by Instagram, use the hashtag #alongthelanes and share your suggestions on the best ways to make your Christmas more eco-friendly.
Along The Lanes 