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
• 
  
• 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
• 
  

Visit the Event Page for more info.

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

10 environmentally-friendly Christmas gift ideas

Christmas is coming and we all know it represents a moment of joy, sharing and gifts. Often, the consumption produced during the Christmas holidays have a heavy impact on the environment, so why not give, through conscious choices, something sustainable that can reduce the impact on the environment? Let's see some examples that you can buy from our sustainable and ethical e-commerce platform Coral. With every order, we plant a tree in your name.

Mock Layer Top Banjo (3-8 Years)

Usually clothes are one on the most frequent gifts, many of them are much more polluting than we can imagine, so why not give a different shirt made of organic cotton and suitable for the whole season?

BUY HERE

Cobalt blue tied fabric necklace

It is a sustainable piece of jewelry for every season, soft to the touch and lightweight, to be worn comfortably over casual or business attire. Uniquely designed and meticulously sewn, this handcrafted piece of jewellery enhances minimal clothing. Add our necklace to your everyday outfit or for an occasion, you’re sure to receive many compliments for your originality and sensitivity to the environment, perhaps setting an example for others.

BUY HERE

Home diffuser: Ivi May - Pomegranate e Cassis

This fruity blend of blackcurrant (cassis) and pomegranate brings together two unexpected fruity scents, emitting a vibrant, sweet aroma that brightens and uplifts the spirits. it is a bamboo product,  a combination of non-toxic, non-flammable and eco friendly ingredients which have the ability to carry the fragrances over a long period of time. Nonetheless All the packaging is fully recyclable and environmentally-friendly.

BUY HERE

Barbology London Vegan Mens Survival Gift Set (4 piece set)

A perfect gift for him, an incredible set consisting of a shampoo, an oil, a conditioner and face mosturizer plus a comb. These are products with natural ingredients such as tee tre oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, suitable for any skin, a multipurpose cleanser that helps to wash away dandruff and impurities in hair or beard.

BUY HERE

Shopper 

A bag may seem like a very common gift, not very innovative, in reality we are sure that it will always be nice to receive a new one to show off, especially if eco-sustainable.

BUY HERE

TAPP Water Ecopro Compact Water Filter

With the TAPP EcoPro Compact easy-to-install water filter, you will instantly get pure, healthy and great tasting water straight from your tap, knowing that your drinking water is free from contaminants, chemicals, micro-plastics and that healthy minerals have been retained.

BUY HERE

Triclimb

Perfectly formed to encourage children to stand, climb and conquer at their own pace. Triclimb naturally inspires confidence and builds strength in your little ones as they reach new developmental stages. Each step on the ladder signals a new achievement and a new goal.

BUY HERE

Warner's UK premium botanical gin - Harrington Dry

All ingredients are natural and no artificial products have been used to produce this product. Warner’s have an Environmental Policy in place to ensure we safeguard the services nature provides and examine our environmental footprint as a business.

BUY HERE

Double Chocolate CheeZecake

A dessert is always pleasing to everyone, from the smallest to the oldest, so why not give a super nutritious cake, made exclusively with natural products, to conclude perhaps the Christmas lunch or dinner?

BUY HERE

Maltese Honey Full Body Avanced Pack

This Maltese Honey Full body Advanced is a unique, all-in-one package containing facial and body cream moisturiser, face toner, face cleanser and face mask. Made with Maltese Honey and combined with the benefits of the beautiful Maltese islands nature, they will leave your skin feeling refreshed and rejuvenated!

BUY HERE

These are just some of our tips for a sustainable Christmas, but on coral you can find many other innovative gift ideas, interesting for all types of people and above all eco friendly.

The ultimate checklist for a Sustainable Christmas

Christmas is a time of giving, of joy and of warm fuzzy feelings. At least, that is how we imagine it. In reality, today, Christmas is the most unsustainable festive event in the world. What once began as a religious holiday and a jolly celebration of life has now become a season of spending, splurging and over-indulgence. 

These shocking facts highlight the extend of Christmas waste worldwide:

Just imagine...

* The amount of (unrecyclable) wrapping paper used is enough to go around the globe - 9 times!

* 1 billion Christmas card end up in the bin each year!

* The equivalent of 2 million turkeys, 74 million mince pies and 5 million puddings end up in the bin each year!

* 1 in 10 unwanted gifts end up in the landfill!

* More than 1.6 billion tonnes of food is wasted each Christmas!

* 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging is discarded during December worldwide!

* 100 million black bags full of Christmas packaging are discarded each year in Christimas time!

Sadly, it is evident that Christmas has gotten a little bit out of hand and from an environmental perspective, the holiday season is quite a disaster. So, how do we make changes that can result in a more sustainable Christmas? We have prepared a list for you to consider and check, to help you make your celebrations even more meaningful and special:

1. Choose decorations that will last a lifetime

Not all plastic is bad - if it can be reused over and over again, you don't need to shy away from a pretty plastic decoration. Opt for sturdy decorations, or make your own! Objects such as wood, twigs, ribbons, make great decor items and you'll enjoy them for years to come.

2. Switch to sustainable/reusable wrapping

You can wrap gifts in plain brown paper, something that can easily be reused and recycled. If you are looking for more colourful and fancy alternatives, get your hands on reusable fabric wrapping and check out all the elegant ways in which it can be used.

3. Buy memories over things

Research show that an experiences result in longer-lasting happiness than material possessions. A sight seeing jet flight, a cooking lesson, a pampering day at the Spa, a hobby course, the options are endless! Gifting experiences is memorable, and produces less waste. 

4. It's ok to gift second-hand items

Let's get something straight, 'second-hand' is NOT a dirty word! It is a great trend in a new eco-sustainable, less consumerist world. It is an inspired choice, and usually quite personal and thoughtful. Vintage and pre-loved are cool!

5. Support business that give back

Whether its a business that plants a tree with every order, or donate a % of the profits to a worthy cause, your purchase will have a ripple effect and in true Christmas spirit, you will feel good by doing good.

6. Shop local

When you buy local, you are helping your local community to grow and create more jobs. Shopping local also means tastier, fresher and healthier food options. Buying from a local small business usually means a better and more personalised service. Plus, local products carry a much lower carbon footprint relating to packaging and transporation.

7. Go for LED lights

LED lighting provides many environmental advantages including being energy efficient, producing zero toxic elements, requiring less light fixtures and having a longer life span - meaning they are good for your pocket as well.

8. Plan meals in advance to avoid food waste

People are getting pretty good at finding creative ways to use left-overs and that's good! But to avoid food waste, simply buy less fresh stuff that goes bad and more stuff that can be opend if needed or consumed months later. Rest assured that nobody's going to leave hungry!

9. Reuse everything!

Gift boxes, filler paper, Christmas cards, advent calendar, crackers... everything can be reused and repurposed. If you have kids, you'll probably re-use them for crafts or projects. The trick is to be considerate of what you throw away and use your imagination to turn trash into treasure.

10. Remember the true meaning of Christmas

What is truly important at Christmas? It is not the gifts, the clothes, the excess food or the sparkly decorations. Its all about spending time with loved ones, and reflecting on the year passed and the year ahead, on your personal evolution, on your life goals, on your dreams - and most importantly, Christmas is a time to be grateful for what you already have!

We want to take the opportunity to wish all Eco Market Malta fans, partners, collaborators, supporters, customers, volunteers and all our precious friends a Joyful Merry Christmas and a meaningful New Year 2022! May next year bring more awareness and action towards the most important things in life! 

Love from us at Eco Market!