Give your gifts a Good Wrap
Don't give your gifts a bad wrap.
Conventional wrapping paper cannot be recycled because it contains too much coloured ink and dye and is a fire hazard if burned (because it reaches too high a temperature too quickly) — which means most wrapping paper is garbage and ends up in landfill.
PREFER RE-USABLE OR RECYCLABLE GIFT WRAP
Wrapping presents is all about the moment of surprise when the gift is revealed. Using a recyclable or reusable wrap offers an opportunity to add thoughtfulness and/or surprise to your gift. Try one of these ideas to give your gifts a good wrap:
- Fabric or paper gift bags that can be re-used.
- Brown paper wrapping. Get your kids to draw on it to dress it up (painted paper cannot be recycled). The paper can then be recycled.
- Gift boxes.
- Make the wrap part of the gift: wrap a piece of jewellery inside a new pair of socks, hide a pair of slippers inside pyjamas, pillow case or sheet, or roll a new kitchen gizmo in a table-cloth.
- Use newspaper — the comics section or the crossword puzzles make a great wrap.
- Get really creative: wrap gifts in old calendars, magazines, road or marine maps — choose a recyclable wrap that speaks to the personality of the gift's recipient.
BUY LESS PACKAGING
Less packaging means less garbage. When possible, choose gifts that use little or no packaging.
