Green(er) Wrapping Options

Once you start looking, there are hundreds of environmentally-friendly gift wrapping ideas on the Internet. This makes sense: wrapping paper usually ends up in the landfill, thus increasing the environmental impact of the holiday season.

The alternatives to conventional gift wrapping range from simple changes in how you do things (using wrapping paper made of recycled materials and recycling it after) to more complicated or expensive options (buying or making fabric bags; wrapping gifts inside other gifts, like using a tablecloth to wrap a kitchen appliance).

There's something beautiful about a pile of wrapped gifts in seasonal colours and there's a child-like delight in tearing into a present, so I am always seeking ideas that would help capture those feelings but with less environmental impact. When deciding how to wrap a gift, I also try to remember that reusable gift wrapping that never gets reused might as well be disposable.

Refabrica is a Vancouver company making beautiful reusable gift bags out of reclaimed fabric that would otherwise end up in the landfill. They aren't inexpensive, but their beauty and functionality does increase the chances of them actually being re-gifted by the recipient. Refabrica bags are available at Scraps, the store we recently profiled.

Making your own fabric bags is pretty easy if you have access to a sewing machine. My mother made her's with drawstrings, but if that's beyond your sewing skills or time limitations, you can also just tie the ribbon around the outside. My Mom always gathers up all the fabric bags at the end of the family gift opening session and reuses them herself. To increase the fun of opening the gift, she uses tissue paper inside, which she also reuses.

If you are really attached to the "ripping it open" style of gift opening or if you know your gift recipient isn't likely to reuse the wrapping, it's time to go for something reused and/or recyclable.

In my house, we tend to reuse what little wrapping paper we receive. Each year, each piece gets a little smaller as we trim off the ripped and taped edges until it is almost more tape than paper and only useful for the smallest stocking stuffer. For the least impact, start with wrapping paper made with recycled paper and then recycle the scraps (wrapping paper that is 100% paper is recyclable in the yellow "mixed paper" bag in Vancouver; avoid foil and plastic wrappings and check with your local recycling depot outside of Vancouver). If your wrapping paper got a little too crunched up, place the paper on the ironing board, spritz with a little water and iron on a low setting to remove any wrinkles.

When I have a little more time, my favourite option for recyclable wrapping paper is plain butcher paper or blank newsprint (both are recyclable and biodegradable) stamped with a festive design. You can make your own stamps out of a cleaned piece of styrofoam (such as a meat tray or a piece of a take-out container). Just draw your design into the foam with a dull pencil or a pen and stamp. You don't need to be able to draw - simple geometric shapes and abstract squiggles work well. Stamp using non-toxic, waterbased ink for a rustic but festive look. You can enhance the package by tying it with raffia, twine, or some yarn.

For awkward shaped gifts, sometimes a gift bag works best. I like to buy the plain (recyclable) ones from dollar stores, decorate them with stamps as above or with the front panel of last year's received cards, then wrap the two handles together with raffia or fabric ribbon to increase the fun of opening it.

I'm always looking for more ideas, though, so what is your favourite way to give gifts in an eco-friendly way?