Opening presents brings us back to our childhood days, with the anticipation, excitement and joy. But what happens with the wrapping paper?
Well, most of the time it ends up in our general waste bin, because most of it isn’t recyclable. Why? After all, paper can be recycled, right? No, because it’s not necessarily made of paper.
Most gift paper isn’t recyclable, according to Recycle Now, which states that only pure paper gift wrap can be recycled at home in most areas. But some councils don’t accept any wrapping paper at all in their recycling collection.
Most gift wraps are very thin and contain other materials such as foil or plastic in the form of glitter or other decorations. While these might look nice, they can’t be recycled. Find out more in our article about whether you can recycle wrapping paper in the UK.
This single-use item creates a huge amount of waste, especially during Christmas. According to UK government data, we use 227,000 miles of wrapping paper each Christmas in the UK.
To put this in context, this is enough to wrap the Island of Guernsey. But this is only one of the environmental impacts of wrapping paper, we discuss all of them in another article.
This is mad. So here are 7 eco-friendly wrapping paper alternatives you can use for sustainable gifting.
1. Packaging Paper
One alternative I have adopted a few years ago is using the brown paper that comes with online deliveries. It’s recyclable, free, and you can decorate it easily by drawing on it with colour pencils.
This is a great activity to do with kids, getting them involved and teaching them about sustainability.
Refrain from using things like stickers, glitter, and the like, as they will render the paper non-recyclable. Keep it simple.
What I have started to do with presents for my husband is writing on the them. I use little phrases or sentences that reflect how I feel about him or our relationship. I know it’s a bit soppy, but I’m not good at drawing.
You could use words that reflect the person you give the present to, such as the things they like. Either way, there are ways to personalise packing paper to make it really nice as a gift wrap.
You can use sisal string to decorate it too, which is a natural material and can be reused, as long as you don’t tie it up too tightly.
I have also used flowers or leaves from the garden for summer birthdays. Autumn leaves also look very nice. Just get creative with this zero-waste wrapping alternative.
And you don’t need gift tags either, because you can just write on the paper who the present is for and from.
2. Fabric Gift Wrap
If you want something that doesn’t need decorating, how about fabric wraps? You can use anything from old clothes, scarves, tea towels, etc. The great thing is that they are reusable, because they can just be washed and used again.
I have once made a gift wrap out of an old pair of jeans that had some holes. I just cut out a piece the right size for the present, sewn in the ends, and then embroidered the fabric with books, stars and the moon.
To make it usable as gift wrap, I sewn on pieces of velcro I took off an old bag. My best friend was over the moon when she got the present. She now uses the embroidered jeans fabric as a book cover when on the go.
All she had to do was move the velcro pieces so she can now fasten it around a book. Genius!
If you aren’t a crafty person, you can just use any fabric and knot it together. I find that scarves work really well, and you can buy them at second-hand or charity shops. They also act as an extra bonus gift.
3. Any Paper
We have already said that you could use the brown paper that comes with many online deliveries. But in fact you could reuse any paper that is recyclable.
Think newspapers, magazines, printed out pages you no longer need, etc. Any paper you would otherwise dispose of in the recycling bin can be used as wrapping paper.
And you can make it meaningful too. For example, if you have a newspaper from the day of someone’s birthday, you can use it to wrap their birthday present.
A friend in our village buys a paper everyday in the morning. He keeps the ones from the days of birthdays of his family and friends and wraps their presents in them. It’s a very nice, personal touch and he saves waste and money on wrapping paper.
I used to get a subscription of a literary magazine and used some articles to wrap Christmas and birthday presents of a friend who shared my literary interest. It gave her not just the gifts but also the articles to read.
Once you start thinking along those lines, you can find many eco-friendly wrapping paper alternatives that are creative, unique, and personal.
4. Reusable Bags
Another way to wrap presents is to put them in a gift bag. But rather than buying ones that contain plastic and can’t be recycled, why not get reusable ones.
If you’re handy with a needle or sewing machine, you can make your own. Get some nice cotton fabric with different patterns that fit various occasions like Christmas or birthdays and make your own.
I did just that and we use them with friends who are just as keen on sustainability as we are. It does mean that the presents are in the same fabric gift bags every year for various gift giving occasions, but I think there is something beautiful in that.
And after all, the wrapping isn’t what’s important, is it? I bet you can’t remember the pattern of the paper your last Christmas presents were wrapped in.
I have also made reusable shopping bags from leftover fabric and old clothes, which I used as wrapping for secret Santa at work. And my colleagues loved it, because they got two presents.
It might have given away that I was the secret Santa, because everyone knows about my passion for sustainability and crafting. But that’s a price I’m willing to pay.
5. Cardboard Delivery Boxes
Another free alternative are cardboard boxes online deliveries come in. I always have a good selection of different sized boxes that I can repurpose as gift wrapping.
They might not look as nice as dedicated gift boxes, but they are free, sustainable, and can be recycled after the gift presentation.
Like with the filler paper, you can decorate the boxes with coloured pencils to make them more festive or give them the personal touch.
If you have kids, get them involved too as it can be a lot of fun to get creative. And it’ll be exciting for them to see the boxes they have decorated under the Christmas tree or at someone’s birthday celebrations.
You can choose one box per present, or put several in the same box. The world is your oyster.
Also, you don’t need gift tags, because you can just write on the box who it’s from and for.
And if you want them to have to unwrap the present, why not put the present in a box, which you put in another box, which again is in another box? Just an idea…
6. Present Bag
Another eco-friendly alternative to disguising presents is to put them in a present bag. This is a big bag that can hold all the presents.
My husband and his sister used to have one each for Christmas when they were little. They would each draw out a present one after the other. Of course, in those times the presents were also wrapped up in gift paper, but it doesn’t have to be like this.
Putting in a hand, feeling a present, and guessing what it is before pulling it out is exciting, even if it isn’t wrapped. Kids will love it just as much as tearing away wrapping paper, but with a present bag you don’t have the environmental impact, as you can use it year after year.
Of course, this is more of an idea for several presents rather than just one.
And it’s not just for kids either, I’m sure many adults will love the idea of drawing out presents from a bag. It’s definitely worth a try.
7. Hide And Seek
Now let’s think outside the box. Rather than disguising a present by wrapping it or putting it in a bag or box, how about hiding it?
I loved doing treasure hunts when I was little and still do now. So being sent on one to find a birthday present, is fun, exciting, and very rewarding.
So rather than physically wrapping the gift, you disguise it by hiding it and giving out clues so it can be found. It works like a normal treaure hunt.
You need to make several clues which you hide in various places. The first clue is given to the person getting the gift. They follow it to find the next clue and so on until they find the present, which doesn’t need to be wrapped at all.
While it needs a bit more time and effort to prepare such a present tresure hunt, it’s fun to watch the person trying to figure out the clues. I certainly enjoy it.
Kids will love it, after all, they love hunting for easter eggs, right? So why not give it a go this year?
Final Thoughts
There are so many eco-friendly wrapping paper alternatives you can use to make gift giving sustainable. Wheter you reuse different types of paper such as newspaper, a reusable fabric gift bag, cardboard delivery boxes, or even design a present treasure hunt.
These eco-friendly alternatives will allow everyone to ditch harmful and wasteful wrapping paper for good. And while you’re at it, also ditch plastic tape, which is just as wasteful. Instead, invest in paper tape, which can be recycled.
Plastic ribbons, glitter, and stickers are also not sustainable, so get rid of them too. If you want to decorate reusable gift bags, boxes, or sustainably wrapped presents, opt for natural materials, such as fresh or dried flowers and leaves.
Creativity is key when it comes to sustainable gift wrap. And what I love most about it, other than the fact it’s eco-friendly, is the personal touch.
So next time you give a present to someone, choose one of these eco-friendly gift wrapping options.
For more ways to reduce waste, read our article with the best zero-wate ideas that save money and waste.
And if you need inspiration on what to wrap, check out our list of the best sustainable gift ideas for all occasions.
