Wasteful Wrapping

By: Jessica Martin

Wrapping presents is a tradition that has become a standard part of gift-giving. It is an action that many people who celebrate holidays don’t think twice about. But we should consider how something as seemingly simple as wrapping paper can have a negative impact on the environment. If every American family wrapped three presents in traditional wrapping paper, it would be enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. Estimates conclude that about 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper end up in landfills every year in the United States alone. 

Wrapping paper has a short life. We admire the pretty, shiny, snowflake-print paper for around 30 days and then tear it apart in five seconds to uncover our gifts, only for it to then be thrown into the trash—or wrongly, in the recycle bin. Throwing away wrapping paper in the recycle bin may seem effective, but unfortunately, most wrapping paper can not actually be recycled. If it is shiny, metallic, laminated, or full of glitter (which most wrapping paper is), it belongs in the trash. Even if your wrapping paper is not full of glitter, it most likely is lined with plastic and may even contain ink, which would also prevent the wrapping paper from being recycled. Additional gift wrapping items like bows and ribbons also cannot be recycled due to their plastic materials. 

Luckily, there are plenty of creative ways to wrap your gifts that are both aesthetically pleasing and sustainable! Some alternatives to wrapping paper include decorative bins, reusable gift boxes, head or neck scarves, tote bags, and cloth. For larger gifts, try a sheet or a blanket. If your sustainably wrapped gift needs a little extra charm, try adding a bow or ribbon made from cloth fabric or an old t-shirt cut into strips! 

If you need help with wrapping your gifts in cloth material, easy tutorials can be found on YouTube. One alternative to wrapping paper that can be found on YouTube is furoshiki. Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that has been used since 1935. It is easy, beautiful, and sustainable.
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If none of these reusable options are right for you, try purchasing recycled brown paper. It is a plastic and ink free alternative that is closer to traditional wrapping paper, but it can actually be recycled when you are done with it. Just don’t forget to take off the tape before you toss it in the recycle bin! 

Sources:
HuffPost
www.huffpost.com/entry/ban-gift-wrapping-paper_n_5c1d5c12e4b0407e907af36c. 
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Stanford University Frequently Asked Questions: Holiday Waste Prevention | Land, Buildings & Real Estate
https://lbre.stanford.edu/pssistanford-recycling/frequently-asked-questions/frequently-asked-questions-holiday-waste-prevention

Earth911
earth911.com/home-garden/holiday-tip-dont-recycle-gift-wrap/.