Gift giving brings with it so much joy and genuine happiness. There is sometimes nothing quite like seeing the look on your loved one’s face as they open that present they’ve been dreaming about for months on end.
But despite all of the delight that gift giving brings, it can quickly become tremendously wasteful if not done properly. In the long run, we want to keep our planet clean and healthy. Proper disposal and reuse of gift wrapping is simply one of the many ways that we can continue to spread joy, all while helping the planet thrive.
While we’ve all heard the terms, reduce, reuse, recycle, it can be hard knowing how to apply these concepts to specific real life situations. No worries though. We’ve got you covered with this quick and effective list.
Reduce Your Wrapping Materials
The number one thing that you can do this gift giving season to help combat the amount of waste it accumulates, is reduce! Be super mindful of the necessary amount of gifts you hand out, and how much waste they will ultimately create. For starters, try giving out just one simple gift with minimal packaging to your loved one instead of the two or three you might be used to.
One great way to shop with less packaging is through the company Package Free Shop. This site is stocked full of all your low-waste beauty essentials. Items are delivered entirely free of plastic packaging, right to your door.
Reuse Them
Unfortunately, most gift wrapping materials end up in the trash after just a moment’s use. To avoid this, fold away and reuse all of the gift wrapping materials that you receive. From bags to tissue to wrapping paper and more, it can all be reused in the future! Some can even last years if you store it properly. Plus, it’ll save you money in the long run.
You can also avoid using tape by wrapping your gifts in old pieces of twine, thread, ribbon or any other material you might have lying around the house.
Recycle Them
Gift giving season adds heaps of trash to landfills every year, but even that can be avoided. Consider purchasing biodegradable or recyclable gift wrapping materials the next time you give someone a gift. Wrappily, for example, is one wrapping paper company looking to change the game when it comes to trash waste. All of their products are printed on 100 percent recyclable newsprint, “with the help of neighborhood newspaper presses.”
But that’s not the only company making waves in the world of sustainable gift wrapping. Check out this list of Oprah’s top picks for eco-friendly wrapping paper for even more ideas.
Regardless of how you live your life on a day to day basis, there are so many little things that each one of us can do to help out the well-being of our shared planet. Star by reducing, reusing, and recycling gift wrapping materials. Afterwords, you just might feel compelled to carry out this philosophy in every aspect of your life.
