Wrap It in Green- Tips on Wrapping with the Environment in Mind

You have thought of and then bought, made or found the perfect gift, and now it is time to wrap it! Of course you know the usual suspects of piles tissue paper and reams of wrapping paper, but have you thought of some greener alternatives? Metro Vancouver has shared some amazingly stunning and sustainable ways to wrap your presents of all types, shapes and sizes through their “Make Memories, Not Garbage” campaign this year. They have broken up wrapping into three categories for materials: recycled options, reusable vessels, and simply ways to use less when wrapping.

1. Recycled Options: Wrapping with materials that have been reused or repurposed is a great way to cut down on holiday waste. It can be as simple as re-using the same bows as the year before or you can get super creative, using things like road maps and newspaper! Some great materials to use include fabric scraps, brown paper bags, and even old calendars!

2. Reusable Vessels: Wrapping is most of the time simply a way to transport your gifts and keep the contents a secret and then all of the pieces end up in the trash. Another option is to choose your wrapping so that the person receiving the present will be able to use again. This is a great idea especially for those of use giving baking and other homemade goodies. Try jars and food storage containers, they are practical for these types of gifts and are always a welcome addition to someone’s food storage collection (now if only we could solve the problem of never being able to find the right lid when we need it!) Other reusable options include using coffee tins, mugs and decorative plates.

3. Just Use Less: Simply cutting down on the amount of wrapping used on each of the gifts we give will make a significant difference! For example, a lot of us uses boxes for our presents and then wrap those perfectly sleek and stylish boxes in paper, why not let the box be the star and maybe add a recycled fabric ribbon for extra flare. Other great ways to wrap with less are through using gift bags without the added tissue and a great bonus is that these things can be used year after year!

Be bold with your holiday wrapping this season and test out some of these great alternatives to the traditional and wasteful ways of the past! Not only do your gifts turn out looking super unique and personal by using these green techniques, it may also inspire those receiving your beautifully adorned presents to try wrapping with waste in mind! Find Metro Vancouver’s complete list of tips and videos here.