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Wrapping up for winter – an ethical approach to Christmas wrapping 

Wrapping up for winter – an ethical approach to Christmas wrapping 

Love it or hate it, Christmas wrapping is something that most of us find ourselves doing at some point during the festive season, but have you ever thought about the environmental impact of your wrapping habits? 

Every Christmas, tonnes of plastic tape and non-recyclable paper ends up going to landfill, but it doesn’t have to. There are countless alternatives that are much more planet friendly, just as beautiful, and often kinder to our bank balances. Here are a few things to consider:

Brake it off with plastic tape

It doesn’t take much effort to find alternatives to plastic tape, so end your partnership with Sellotape and start using something else. I’ve had great success with paper wrapping tape, and the specific tape I use comes from Babipur, is available in some gorgeous designs to jazz things up, and is stickier than plastic tape anyway! It’s so reliable that I’ve even done away with parcel tape, and anything that needs to be sent through the post gets secured with my super sticky paper tape. 

If you want to go for something simpler, just use string, or wrap your gifts in scarves or a Japanese Furoshiki cloth.  YouTube is full of tutorials on how to effectively use string or cloths to beautifully wrap gifts, so watch some videos if you need a little inspiration. 

When it comes to paper, less is more 

Did you know that a huge amount of shop bought wrapping paper isn’t recyclable? If your non-recyclable paper then finds its way into the recycling it has the potential to ruin a whole batch of otherwise reusable paper! 

Stay well away from paper with a shiny, glittery, or metallic side as it’s far less likely to be recyclable than alternatives, and consider a more planet friendly approach this year.

For a great eco alternative if you don’t fancy using a cloth or scarf, wrap your gifts in brown paper, newspaper, or pop them in reusable gift bags. You could even get creative and decorate your own brown paper for a truly unique home made wrapping paper. 

Go wild with gift embellishments 

It’s very in vogue to accessorize your gifts with trinkets and decorations – they undoubtedly make gifts feel a little more special but be mindful of what you use. 

Give shop bought mini baubles and decorative plastic figures a miss, and head out into nature to find your gift embellishments instead. Pine cones, a swatch of pretty grasses, wax dipped leaves, and dried flowers all make beautiful additions to any present, and will biodegrade!

Recycle your cards into tags 

Finally, if you like to label your gifts with tags or stickers, try a homemade approach instead. Rather than buying shop bought tags, which are often foiled and more difficult to recycle, make your own out of any old Christmas cards you have laying around the house. Simply cut out your desired bit of Christmas card, punch a hole for a length of twine, and affix it to a gift – it couldn’t be simpler. 

Whether you shake up your whole wrapping routine all at once, or make gradual changes, making some environmentally conscious swaps to the way you do things is a winner. 

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