Zero-Waste Gift Wrapping

With the holidays around the corner, I can’t help but shed some light on one of our most wasteful practices, wrapping gifts!

Each year, 540,000 tonnes of wrapping paper and gift bags are thrown out each year by Canadians that is 100,000 elephants worth of wrapping paper! And that is just in Canada. Most wrapping paper has dies and or plastics in them, and therefore cannot be recycled.

Here are some great eco-friendly gift-wrapping alternatives to conventional wrapping paper:

1. Wrap gifts in cloth or fabrics that can be reused, I love gifting a nice handkerchief as part of the gift that is used as the wrapping.

2. Yes, brown paper packages tied up with string are one of my favourite things! Using up-cycled or recycled paper with no dies, and paper tape is another eco-friendly wrapping alternative.

3. Saving old gift wrapping from gifts you were previously given. I never throw out a gift bag, and I save all my ribbons and tissue paper. People spend an insane amount on gift wrapping every year just to throw it out, it’s so ridiculous. Reuse, reuse, reuse!

4. Use natural elements instead of bows to accent your gifts. A few lavender stems or a sprig of pine can really elevate your gift wrapping without the waste.

5. Toilet paper rolls make are great for wrapping small gifts.

There are many creative ways to beautifully wrap gifts. I even used to string from my Christmas tree this year as ribbon! Whatever you do, try to avoid buying new wrapping paper that will end up in the landfill.