Sustainable gift-wrapping solutions to adore!

The amount of wrapping paper thrown away in the UK alone, is enough to reach the moon! That is equivalent to 384,400 km.

Shocking enough?

Every holiday season, US households throw away 25% more trash than any other time of the year. A big part of this daunting number includes the materials used for gift wrapping. The shiny and glittery wrapping paper, ribbons, and plastic bows can’t be recycled and end up in landfills. When you get down to gift-wrapping, start by looking for reusable material at home. If you don't have anything, you can always check for cute materials at second-hand shops.

Let’s start wrapping!

1. Furoshiki

Furoshiki is a Japanese wrapping cloth traditionally used to carry around belongings, but has now become a popular eco-friendly gift wrapping method in other cultures as well. To wrap a gift in furoshiki, all you need is a two-sided square cloth and some basic folding skills. Here’s a simple way to wrap a gift in furoshiki:

Source: Invaluable

There are also plenty of other furoshiki gift wrapping ideas out there that cover various kinds of gift types and forms. To get the most out of it, use a piece of cloth you already own—look for forgotten gems in your closet or scarf drawer. Tip: To make the wrapping fancier and add some nice rustling sound, wrap the gift in leftover tissue paper under the cloth.

If you want to keep it as simple as possible or just don’t have the patience for decorating, furoshiki is the right choice for you. When wrapping a gift in furoshiki, you’ll see that no decorations are needed. Just find a nice cloth, perhaps with a festive pattern, and you’re good to go.

2. Kraft paper

Most types of wrapping paper can’t be recycled. The shiny, laminated paper, and anything glossy, glittery, and metallic-looking contaminates the whole batch if thrown together with recyclable paper. This is where kraft paper comes in—it’s biodegradable and recyclable. 

Let your creativity shine when decorating a gift wrapped in kraft paper. To complement the rustic look of the paper, decorate the gifts with some natural materials like pinecones, dried plants, or dried orange slices. Tip: Remember to go tape-free to keep it eco-friendly.

3. Gift bags

Finding eco-friendly gift bags is easier than you think. First off, you can use a multi-purpose bag as a gift bag. I’d love receiving a gift wrapped in an eco-friendly tote. Or even better, create personalized tote bag or a personalised drawstring bag that can be used for years. If you’re into crafts, there are ways how you can create reusable and eco-friendly fabric gift bags yourself. Look through your closet for pillow cases, scarves, sweaters you don’t wear anymore, and anything else that can be reused, but doesn’t look old and washed out yet. Tip: Sweater sleeves make great gift bags for wine bottles.

Save up all the gift bags, gift sachets, and drawstring bags you get and you won’t have to worry about buying new ones and creating more waste. But if you decide to buy a gift bag after all, make sure you purchase something reusable or recyclable.

4. Newspaper & magazines

While more people are switching from printed newspapers to digital news, there are still 28.6 million copies of newspapers printed daily. And many of us have our own share of newspapers and magazines lying around at home waiting to be reused and recycled. 

There are quite a few ways to make this simple and thrifty idea into something meaningful. For example, go through your stack of newspapers and look for an interesting or funny article that complements the gift you’re giving. Or find an unsolved crossword puzzle and use it as a place to write your holiday greetings.

Ask your friends or family to share some of the newspapers they don’t use anymore, and in exchange, share your gift wrapping idea with them. They might try it out as well! 

5. Carton boxes

This is the time for you to rattle through all your saved up gift boxes and any other reusable boxes you have (for example, cardboard delivery boxes). If they don’t look as good anymore, there are ways to freshen them up. Use eco-friendly colors, kraft paper, newspapers, or saved up tissue paper to make gift boxes look like new.

But there’s also a way to make an eco-friendly gift box yourself. All you need is the inside of a paper towel or toilet paper roll. What’s great about this gift wrapping idea is that you can leave it to the kids to wrap small gifts as well. It’s quick, easy, and you won’t even need scissors or tape. Just fold both ends of the roll and you’re all done. 

With the right eco-friendly decoration of some leftover ribbons, pine tree sprigs, or anything else you find, it’ll be hard to tell how the gift box was made. (Although, you can always make the receiver guess, and spread the word about eco-friendly gift wrapping at the same time!)

6. Glass jars

This is another adorable gift wrapping idea where all you need is to look through your shelves to find a glass jar waiting to be reused. If you don’t have any jars at home, remember to save up jars from pickled goods the next time you eat them. Or, again, just ask around—your family and friends will definitely have some spare jars you can use.

Add a personal touch by decorating the jar with some cinnamon sticks, candy canes, eucalyptus leaves, or carved wooden decors. If you have some leftover pieces of cloth from furoshiki wrapping, use them to cover the top of the jar and tie it up with twine. Tip: If you’re short on gift ideas that fit in a jar, try some homemade goods, like jam or eggnog, or small DIY kits.

Sustainable gift-wrapping station at the Christmas Green Fair

We thought it would be handy and convenient to offer visitors at the Green Fair sustainable gift-wrapping. You can shop over 40 stalls, all selling approved eco-friendly and sustainably-made products, and we'll wrap your gifts in some of the methods mentioned above. 

The Christmas Green Fair is on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November at The Veg Box and Majjistral Nature Park, Manikata. Only 3 minutes walk from Golden Bay. 

Besides eco gifts, you will find vegan and vegetarian food and the many delicious Christmas treats, vegan wines & beers, ice-cream and chai. The popular Kids4Kids Market will be happening too - plus several fun workshops! 

The agenda looks like this:

• Saturday 19 November
• 10.00hrs – Permaculture Workshop
• 12.00hrs – Kids Workshop: Make your own Santa Stocking
• 13.30hrs – Plant-based Nutrition Talk & Recipes
• 15.00hrs – The Elves Workshop
• 16.30hrs – BEE-Aware Workshop
• Ongoing – Kids4Kids Market, Sustainable gift wrapping, thrifting and face-painting
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• Sunday 20 November
• 10.00hrs – Finger puppet show 
• 12.00hrs – Kids Workshop: Make your own Advent Calendar
• 13.30hrs – Kids Yoga
• 15.00hrs – The Elves Worksop
• 16.30hrs – Sunset Yoga
• Ongoing – Kids4Kids Market, Sustainable gift wrapping, thrifting and face-painting
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Visit the Event Page for more info.

This year, let's choose local, mindfully and sustainably!