Yeah, yeah – we know it’s what’s on the inside that counts. But when the outside is meticulously wrapped with gorgeous paper and beautiful bows, it makes getting to what’s inside that much more special. Here’s how to make your gifts look gorgeous whilst also being as environmentally friendly and ethical as possible!
Quick reminder:
Not all wrapping paper can be recycled as it often contains more than just paper such as dye, foil, glitter, lamination and of course, is often riddled in sticky tape – just imagine how much waste this creates!
Collect & reuse
Each time you receive a gift, keep the packaging! Dedicate a space in your storage cupboard to collect the gift bags, wrapping paper and tissue paper used over the year. Not only will this save you money buying new gifting, but it also reduces the amount of new plastic that may end up in the rubbish.
Get creative
you don’t HAVE to use plastic, shock right? There are so many other fun and environmentally friendly ways of wrapping. For example, wrapping your gift in a natural material like cotton not only looks great, it’s reusable and as a natural fabric, cotton biodegrades meaning zero waste. Another idea is a tea towel – an under appreciated kitchen item that will not only reduce waste, but add an extra addition to your gift!
Don’t use sticky tape
What do you mean? How will I wrap my parcel?! Instead, try using a reusable ribbon or twine to hold wrapping paper in place. This means you won’t need sticky tape and paper will be in a better condition to be reused. Plastic-free is the way to be!
Repurpose household items
Save money and avoid buying wrapping paper altogether by using what you already have at home. Some ideas include old magazines, newspapers or paper bags.
Buy gifts that don’t need wrapping
To eliminate wrapping waste completely, choose gifts that don’t require gift wrap. These kinds of gifts can include buying experiences, e-vouchers to favourite shops or restaurants and online subscriptions to favourite magazines.
Natural decorations
Even though ribbon and trinkets used to decorate gifts are reusable, we can’t guarantee the person receiving the gift will reuse them. Instead, give your prezzies a natural touch by replacing ribbon with biodegradable twine and decorating your gifts with native greenery! To be honest, we think this is even cuter than ribbon anyway!
Do your research
If you’re a gift wrapping queen and simply can’t gift without it being wrapped up in a beautifully printed paper with ribbon, do your research first. Many gift wrapping brands have emerged that are environmentally friendly and what’s even better is they’re Australian!
Here is a collection of brands to choose:
- InkyCo
- Earth Greetings
- WrapCo