When we are being bombarded so early by big retailers, corner shops, charity shops etc, our thoughts cannot help but be pole vaulted to Christmas! With 227,000 miles of wrapping paper used at Christmas in the UK, plus 6 million rolls of sellotape, that’s an awful lot of waste generated. Sellotape is single-use plastic and much of the gift paper on sale cannot be recycled kerbside because it contains plastic and/or foil – well, many of us do like a bit of bling on our paper! Much of the wrapping paper is quite thin too and doesn’t have the quality for successful recycling.
Fabric gift bags with a drawstring, make great eco-friendly alternatives for presents. Those folks who are handy with a sewing machine could be a helpful source of supply to family, friends and neighbours! Re-use year after year and perhaps make it a family tradition. Christmassy, recyclable, brown wrapping paper is readily available too. Many people are already using plain brown or white paper, decorated by their own fair hands for a personal touch. Or, why not try your skills at using a scarf bought from a charity shop to wrap a gift? For handy hints on the ‘how to’, look up ‘Furoshiki’ on YouTube! It is the art of Japanese gift wrapping. The recipient will be really impressed!
There are great alternatives to sellotape too, such as string, raffia and printed brown paper tape. Patterned or plain Washi paper tape can be widely purchased, in narrow or wider widths. Could you tszuj up your parcels with a sprig of mistletoe, heather or holly, a fir cone, or a piece of evergreen tree?
Whatever we can do to reduce our waste at this time of year can only be good for the planet. Every small change makes a big difference.
[Take a look at this small Devon business https://www.wragwrap.com/ . Ed]
