Zero Waste Gift Wrapping Gives More Love Than Those That Sparkle
How I’m adding a little more love to every gift I’m giving
I stopped buying gift wrapping paper years ago because they made me feel guilty.
Sure, they are stunning and festive, but you typically destroy them after first use. It’s like buying a pretty dress so you can rip it to pieces the next day.
The worst part is, most of them cannot be recycled.
The additives, glitter, and paint are the culprits. And even if the paper says it’s recyclable, when you forget to remove the plastic tape and entangled ribbons, it’s trash.
In the U.S. alone, 1150 tons of used gift wrapping paper end up in landfills every year.
That’s a lot of paper — think of the weight of 600 sedan cars.
Or 27,600 trees destroyed to contribute to landfill methane emissions instead of useful purposes. Year after year.
Imagine clearing timberlands as vast as 20 football fields just to make presents look pretty.
So I quit. I still dress up gifts for the occasion, but now I do two things: Furoshiki and paper upcycling. They are like wrapping gifts in art. And they don’t come with a guilty feeling.
Furoshiki (Japanese Fabric Wrapping)
Furoshiki is the world’s first eco-friendly gift bag. It’s my absolute favorite because it’s so easy to make. I can magically wrap a gift in less than a minute.
I place the item at the center of the fabric, fold and tuck two corners, then tie the other two corners tightly to make a bow.
I repurpose old shirts, bedsheets, or any fabric that is clean and still aesthetically pleasing. Sometimes I buy a scarf that serves as a gift wrap and an added gift. Then I decorate it with a leaf or flower from my garden. The possibilities are endless and the fabric can be washed and reused many times.
Upcycled Paper Shopping Bags
Shopping bags that are recyclable and biodegradable are perfect for gift wrapping. The rustic look of the brown paper has a minimalist charm that screams conscious consumption.
To seal the seams, I use only natural materials such as paper tape, rope twine, or baker’s twine. Absolutely no plastic ribbons, metal staples, or unrecyclable glitters. That way, the person I’m giving it to can easily put the used wrapping in the recycling bin and be confident that it will not be sent to a landfill.
Since I started doing this, gifting became more meaningful. I enjoy the creative moment and feel happy knowing that I’m not just giving gifts to the people I care about. I’m also giving Earth a little bit more love. She deserves it.
