Eco-Friendly Friday Tips Volume Twenty Eight
December 19th’s Tip
Wrapping Presents: This weekend might be the time you spend wrapping up all those presents for Christmas (unless you’re like my parents were when they played Santa and up wrapping all the presents all night Christmas Eve!). Either way, remember to keep the wrapping earth friendly.
There are many options for wrapping paper that has less impact on the planet. Recycled wrapping paper and reusable gift bags are more traditional options, but there are other options for unique wrapping. Try letting your kids decorate pieces of newspaper and wrap gifts in that, or use leftover work paper for another personal option. Blueprints, maps, sheet music, etc. are options personal to your interests or job that can be used as wrapping paper.
Interesting magazine pages can be used to wrap gifts, and are especially unique if the theme of the page matches the gift. Gifts can also be wrapped in other gifts, such as scarves, hats, blankets, reusable shopping bags, etc. Instead of standard gift tags, use last year’s Christmas cards and cut designs out of them to make tags.
If you are using standard wrapping paper, remember that metallic wrapping paper is difficult, if not impossible, to recycle. Clothing wrapped in boxes might look nice, but the boxes are really unnecessary. Just wrap the shirt or other clothing item by itself, I’m sure the gift recipient won’t care – they’ll be more interested in the gift than the way it was wrapped!
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