When we think of Christmas, we don’t normally associate it with being the most sustainable time of year. However, there are several small steps that you can take to make your Christmas a little bit greener this year, for example considering whether your wrapping paper is recyclable or reusable.
Is wrapping paper recyclable?
The short answer to this question is, no. Most wrapping paper is not recyclable and this is because it is often not paper. Often wrapping paper is partially made of plastic, foil, or covered in glitter which means that it cannot be recycled. If your paper does not contain glitter, foil or plastic to your knowledge, then the best way to test whether or not it is recyclable is to scrunch it into a tight ball. If it scrunches and stays scrunched, then chances are it’s recyclable! Treehugger has some more information on this test and a brilliant animation that demonstrates what you’re looking for in the scrunch test if you want more details!
Plastic Free Wrapping Paper
Plastic free wrapping paper is usually recyclable and if it is not recyclable, then it is often reusable. Because plastic free, paper wrapping paper is usually thicker and better quality than the thinner, laminated paper, it is often reasonably easy to salvage it from the unwrapping chaos and use it again. Additionally, with the world becoming more and more eco-conscious there are plenty of reusable wrapping papers available on the market. For example, cloth wrapping paper that can simply be tied around your present and then used again.
Plastic Free Ribbon
Of course, if we’re talking about plastic free wrapping paper then it is also worth mentioning ribbon. Plastic ribbon itself cannot be recycled and can be extremely harmful to wildlife if it is not disposed of properly. However, there are plenty of natural or reusable options when it comes to ribbon as well as wrapping paper. Perhaps the most obvious option is cloth ribbon which can be reused over and over again for all sorts of things other than just wrapping. As I am writing I actually have an old ribbon from a Christmas cracker several years ago masquerading as a curtain tie! Another alternative, and a favourite at Valley Mist, is natural raffia ribbon. Using raffia adds a lovely natural and rustic feel to your wrapping, especially if paired with brown paper and dried orange decorations!
Valley Mist Gift Boxes
All of our Valley Mist gift boxes come ready presented in a plastic free box with a raffia bow. So, if you would like to take all of the extra thought out of preparing your plastic free Christmas, a Valley Mist gift box is an excellent option! Alternatively, if you would prefer to create your own sustainable gift boxes then we also have natural kraft magnetic gift boxes available on our website, for you to fill. These are available in both a smaller and a larger size to suit your needs.
I hope that you find these tips useful – together we can try and make Christmas a little greener this year!
