An article of useful ideas is for life, not just for Christmas…
No matter what the season or celebration, the time of year or occasion, gift giving presents a conundrum.
Because giving a carefully chosen gift can be a wonderful, deeply thoughtful gesture, and when it’s wrapped beautifully….well, isn’t that just the cherry on the cake? But in recent years, the conscious gift giver has become ever more aware of the detrimental impact to the environment that their packaging and wrapping could be causing.
Indeed, the vast majority of wrapping paper ends up being single-use; simply torn and discarded right after opening. If you’re keen to buck the trend, save money and do your bit for the environment in the process, then with the help of packagingworld.co.uk, here are 6 DIY eco-friendly gift packaging ideas.
REUSE OLD WRAPPING PAPER
The first tip is perhaps the most simple; whenever you receive a present that’s beautifully wrapped or nicely placed in a gift bag, keep the packaging.
When it’s your turn to give gifts, you can reuse the packaging, with the receiver hopefully reusing it, too. Because of the cyclical nature of reusing and recycling, you might even receive the same wrapping paper several years down the line! And there’s something kind of neat about that, right?
NEWSPAPERS
Newspapers used as wrapping paper are one of the simplest and easiest ways to recycle paper that would’ve otherwise just been shredded or thrown away. Don’t think of this as unattractive or be afraid of appearing cheap; if you carefully curate the newspaper story to be appropriate to the receiver’s life, you can even add an extra layer of thoughtfulness to your gift!
What’s more, by using old newspapers to wrap your gifts, you’ll be setting a good example, potentially inspiring the receiver to put their stash of old newspapers to good use, too.
Along similar lines, you could also use old sheet music if you’ve got musicians at home or even repurpose pages of old books you’re no longer using. When you think outside the gift box, suddenly the possibilities are endless!
PARCHMENT OR KRAFT PAPER
If you take a trip down to your local stationery provider or the bookstore, you may come across rolls of brown, kraft paper that’s made of recycled paper. This is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to wrap gifts.
Like newspapers, kraft paper can be pretty, too, as it’s easy to personalise, with its utilitarian nature appealing to those with a pragmatic sensibility.
BASKETS
Everyone loves a nice rattan gift basket, don’t they? We certainly do. So, instead of wrapping your gift, why not place it in a basket and then finish it off with a simple tag and ribbon? What’s more, the basket will feel like a gift in and of itself as it’s also something the receiver can reuse for all kinds of purposes about the home. In doing so, they’ll be reminded of you each and every day – it’s up to you to decide whether that’s a good thing or not!
OLD CLOTHES
Clothing as gift wrappers is becoming increasingly popular as an eco-friendly way to use old clothes that no longer fit and aren’t appropriate for the charity shop.
If you don’t have old clothes to use as wrapping ‘paper’, then perhaps you have blankets, table cloths, table runners, and other items you no longer use that could be redeployed?
BREAD BAGS
You know those brown paper bags that you weigh your vegetables and fruit in at the supermarket? Or, the ones that hold a freshly baked loaf of bread? Well, you know where we’re going with this one, right…
If those brown bags haven’t been dirtied by your groceries, then you can give them a new lease of life as wrapping paper. You could even leave a few crumbs at the bottom of the bag as a tasty extra treat for the receiver.
THE BOTTOM LINE
During Christmas alone, the UK throws away 227,000 miles of wrapping paper. To put this in context, that amount is enough to stretch 90 percent of the way to the moon. If you’re keen to reduce your contribution to landfill back down on earth, then consider the eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas we’ve listed above. We can’t wait to receive something from you soon!