Eco Friendly Ideas For Christmas Gift Wrapping

GUEST BLOGGER: Caroline from Mosov Organic Clothing

Tis the season for giving! One of my favourite parts about this Holiday season is seeing the smiles on the faces of my loved ones as they open the gifts carefully chosen for them. We open our presents on Christmas Eve as a tradition and the pile of wrapping paper grows as more gifts are unwrapped with haste to see what is under the wrap. At the end of opening the presents we have all this gift wrapping that we either can reuse the next year or if the gift paper was torn during the opening we are left with no choice but to throw it into the bin! That's a lot of gift wrap waste worldwide!

Did you know that according to Media Net "Australians use more than 150,000km of wrapping paper during Christmas – enough to wrap around Earth's equator nearly 4 times."1 

So how to do we have a more eco-Christmas with less waste without taking away the joy of unwrapping a pretty gift? Here are 5 tips on how to choose a more eco-friendly wrapping for your Christmas presents this year.

1. Use Uncoated Wrapping Paper 

Did you know that a lot of "paper" wrapping paper sold in the shops are actually coated in plastic and can't be recycled! To choose a better wrapping paper - opt for a paper that isn't glossy. Avoid cellophanes if you aren't sure if they are the cellulose biodegradable kind. Some cellophanes are now made as pure plastic. If you're able to do a test - plastic will stretch when pulled. Biodegradable cello will tear.

2. Decorate Recycled Plain Paper

Recycled paper is a great choice for wrapping paper! There are many options now-a-days and you can even find some printed papers in specialty stores. If you're looking for a cheaper option you can always get creative and decorate plain paper like the above image. Remember those potato stamps we made in kindy to make prints on paper? Get creative and make your own stamps and star stamping some paper, it will add a special handmade touch to your gifts. 

Here at Merino Country we got a little creative and are recycling some of our own production paper. Our perforated brown paper makes a wonderful gift wrap that can be recycled into some textured polka dot gift wrap - just add a bow! Check out our wrapping above!

 3. Remember Glitter is Litter

If you're like me, then you LOVE a good sparkly glitter! Unfortunately glitter is a harmful micro plastic that gets everywhere! It's pretty but it's pretty harmful to our wildlife and water ways. Avoid bows and wrap that have glitter. You can add sparkles in other ways or look for an eco-glitter that isn't a plastic. YES! There is now a new eco glitter made by scientists - check it out HERE

Add some useful embellishments to your gifts that you know your loved one will love and reuse or something biodegradable like things from the garden like pinecones, rosemary or even dried orange slices. 

@mama_mila_

Hello beautiful wrapping, goodbye sticky tape 🎁 #12daysofxmas #holidaytok #christmaswrapping

♬ Holly Jolly Christmas (Trap Remix) - Trap Remix Guys

4. Wrapping Without Sticky Tape Hacks

Sticky tape makes wrapping easy but it is also a plastic. You can try some of these no-sticky-tape hacks here or see Mama Mila's hack above.

If you don't want to do this kind of wrapping there are also some eco friendly biodegradable sticky tapes! These are perfect for short term sticking and we use it here at Merino Country. You can try the tape we use in our office here.

5. Use a Reusable Fabric

 Use what you have before buying new! Have a look around the house for some unused fabric pieces or tea towels. There is an eco-friendly Japanese wrapping technique called Furoshiki. This is an old technique handed down for many generations. You can see how to wrap in this art form here.

6. Bonus Tip

 As many of us are spending another Christmas far away from loved ones we may choose to post gifts instead. So if you're posting a gift this year choose a mailing bag that is home compostable or recyclable. Here at Merino Country we wrap our products in tissue paper for protection and post our orders out in home compostable biodegradable bags.