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Wrapping paper is one of the biggest waste products generated during the holidays, and guess what’s even worse… it’s not recyclable!
Oh sure, you CAN buy recycled wrapping paper, but even most recycled wrapping paper can’t be recycled after its one use.
But why not? Read on…
Just like we talked about last Christmas, wrapping paper isn’t recyclable for a myriad of reasons.
For example, it often contains non-paper additives — such as gold and silver colored shapes, glitter, plastics etc. — which cannot be recycled. And most wrapping paper is very thin and contains few good quality fibers for recycling.
So what’s a fun-loving, eco-friendly present wrapper supposed to do?
Well to start, you should check out our 8 ways to wrap gifts without using wrapping paper and 6 ways to not scare the sap out of trees this Christmas.
A few of my personal favorite ideas from those articles are:
- Reuse old catalog pages with the picture of what is in the present (or something completely opposite).
- Wrap a gift in phonebook paper and highlight the recipient’s name on the front.
- Tie up presents with cloth ribbon or fasten a scented pine cone to the top instead of using plastic ribbon.
To go right along with those idea, Re-Nest has a great how-to on making a fancy-schmancy bow from a magazine page!
Of course you could do this out of street maps, newspapers, and countless other creative paper sources.
What’s your favorite way to save a few trees on Christmas present wrapping?
I think every little step toward living green is an awesome one… but eco-snobbery sucks! My goal is to help newbies learn the most important steps toward living green — individually and collectively. Personally, I strive to have as little impact as possible on Planet Earth while I'm here.
