Many types of wrapping paper are not recyclable—anything glittery, sparkly, etc., will not be accepted by your recycling program. The good thing is that store-bought wrapping paper is not a necessity. This year, look around your home for alternatives. Here are some novel and sustainable ideas:
- Newspapers, paper grocery bags, and packing paper work really well. Drawing, painting or stamping a pattern on paper before wrapping can be a fun activity and give the gift an extra special touch.
- Use scrap fabrics to wrap gifts with knots or ribbons. Try the Japanese tradition of wrapping gifts in attractive pieces of cloth called furoshiki.
- When you’re unwrapping gifts, save the wrapping paper (or fabric) and ribbons to use them again. If your family enjoys a little friendly competition, you can even keep score to see who can reuse a given piece of paper or fabric the most times—warning, this game could stretch on for years!
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