Posted by rene.bross on 13. November 2011 14:36
Buying all that disposable wrapping paper during the holidays is not only expensive, but takes a toll on our landfill and the environment. Just think of all that trash that is gathered up late Christmas morning after all the presents have been unwrapped. Wrapping paper from holiday gifts is largely to blame for a 25 percent spike in curbside trash volume between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to the EPA. Fortunately, there are pretty and festive alternatives to paper wrapping.
GreenGiftWrapping.com offers pre-sized fabric wraps that assemble easily with the pull of a ribbon. The fabric wraps can be re-used dozens of times and can even be laundered if necessary. Japanese Furoshiki is a beautiful way to wrap a gift and the wrap actually is a gift in and of itself. Learn the art of Furoshiki here. For an extra shiny effect and a different twist on recycled paper, recycled aluminum foil adds shiny happiness. Tie on some colorful raffia or a reusable fabric ribbon to finish the look or tie on a compact flourescent bulb instead of a bow. Decorate your packages with found elements in your backyard such as pine cones, pine sprigs, berries or other greenery. If you still want to go the paper gift wrap route, make sure it's made of 100% recycled paper and printed with soy-based inks. With these tips, cutting down on holiday waste should be easy- now if we can only get the toy manufacturers to do the same!
