Who doesn’t love giving and receiving gifts? It is one of the happiest moments for everyone, whether children or adults.
However, gift wrapping paper is quickly becoming a worldwide problem contributing millions of tons of solid waste at landfills across the globe every year. A large proportion of gift wrapping paper is not recyclable because it has plastic, foil, and sticky tape which prevents the paper from being re-used and recycled. What is worse is that gift wrapping paper contributes to deforestation in addition to pollution.
Is it that big a problem?:
The quantum of waste generated from just gifting paper is equivalent to 1 lakh elephants standing in a row or 25,000 football courts for just a handful of countries. India is among the top users of gift-wrapping paper in the world.
But will gifts be the same without gift wrapping? :
We know the joy of opening a gift is only enhanced when it is beautifully wrapped. So here are some eco-friendly ideas with you to reduce the ecological footprint of gift wrapping.
So here is the deal, What we can do? :
The simplest step: Reuse/Reusable gift-wrapping paper or gift bags. Reusing is one of the easiest steps in adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. The more times an item is reused, the lower its impact on the environment.
But there are even better options:
Here are five excellent alternatives to help you in reducing your footprint on the planet.
- Cloth: Wrapping the gift in a cloth instead of paper. You can reuse a fabric or cloth available at home. Get inspiration from Furoshiki Wrapping on different ways to creatively wrap it or just cover and tie it up. You can find some interesting ideas on YouTube.
- Newspaper/Magazines: Reuse the page having comic or colorful sections for a kid, sports, culture, travel, etc.
- Artwork: If you are gifting to your child’s friends, you could use some of the old paintings and artwork your child has created to give your gift a truly unique touch.
- Shipping Boxes: Reusing cardboard boxes available at home and decorating the outside of them with leaves and flowers is a great and eco-conscious alternative since cardboard is recyclable.
- The Browns: Brown paper, brown paper bags, or Kraft paper are better for the environment and easier to recycle. Decorate the brown paper wraps with a hand-written message, drawing, or stamped design.
An Additional Pro-tip: Avoid using any sticky tape. Instead, make use of ribbons, threads, old wires, thin stripes of clothes otherwise not usable, and long twigs from trees. The sticky tape prevents the paper from being used for recycling.
Let’s reimagine gift wrapping by bringing out our creative side and taking a good step for the environment.
