Twelve Days of Conscious Christmas: Day 8, Swap Your Wrapping Paper

This is the week! Time time get those gifts out of closets and attics and get wrapping! :)

It may be time to start rethinking what you use to wrap those gifts though. Did you know: 227,000 miles of wrapping paper is used each year, or the equivalent of 30 million trees? Crazy! And depending on the type of paper, much of it isn't recyclable.

Here are some options to not add to the problem: 

1) Use what you have: If you already have paper, you may as well use it or donate it. No sense in swapping something that already exists for an alternative. 

2) Purchase paper with recycled content. Simply add recycled to your search terms or look at specialty sites like Green Field Paper.

3) Purchase paper that's recyclable. This one is harder, because you need to check your local rules to avoid "wishcycling". In general, avoid glitter and foil. You've probably seen some amazing beautiful packages with simple brown kraft paper. 

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4) Use alternative papers. Do you still read a physical newspaper? Paper grocery bags? Or have outdated paper maps? They can make a fun alternative wrapping. One of my great joys each year, is my friend Andrew, who makes his holiday card and envelopes out of old maps. 

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5) Try the furoshiki wrapping method, where you wrap the gift in fabric. You can have specific wrapping fabrics that you reuse each year, or make part of the gift into the wrapping, like a scarf. Here I used a tea towel.

6) Make reusable fabric gift bags. Again, these can become part of the present, or be re-exchanged with your family and friends each year. 

Each of these will also save you $$$. The tea towel for my furoshiki wrapping? Since it was part of the gift, I paid $0 for wrapping. A fabric reusable gift bag? Costs the same or less than a paper gift bag, and lasts for many more uses.

Happy Wrapping!