Gift wrapping the sustainable way

As a paper craft lover I obviously find great pleasure in wrapping gifts. I have noticed over the years a growing awareness of the environmental impacts of gifting and gift wrapping.

Some statistics say that 5 million tonnes of wrapping paper end up in landfill in the UK every year, and 75% of that is from Christmas. More and more retailers are now selling gift wrap that is biodegradable, recyclable and/or plastic free.

This trend is to be welcomed, but it won't move the needle if we don't also do our bit, so here is some food for thought on this:

Why is some gift wrap not recyclable?

Certain types of wrapping paper cannot be recycled because they contain substances other than paper - for example paper that has been coated with plastic or metallic foil to make it shiny, or paper that is glittery. These substances make the paper unsuitable for recycling.

Papers that are very thin, like tissue paper, are surprisingly also unsuitable for recycling. This is because the paper fibres are too short to make it suitable for the recycling process. These papers (so long as they are not glitter or plastic coated) are still a good option because they can be composted.

It’s important to note that even 100% paper recyclable gift wrap can only be recycled if any plastic sticky tape has been removed. Even adhesives like glue make the paper un-recyclable. Removing sticky-tape from paper is time consuming and requires a good deal of patience, so why not try some of these plastic-tape free wrapping methods:

How to wrap presents without plastic sticky tape

Don’t stick, just tuck!

This Japanese gift wrapping technique can be done without the use of any tape or glue whatsoever. It works only for presents that have a cuboid shape and is ideal for books or gift boxes. You place the present on top of the paper diagonally and then wrap the paper around a present one side at a time, creating creases that ultimately hold the paper together. It looks lovely embellished with a ribbon.

Washi tape or paper tape

Washi tape is a decorative Japanese sticky tape made of rice paper or other natural fibres like bamboo, making it eco-friendly. The downside of it is that it is much less sticky than plastic tape because it is designed to decorate journals rather than hold together gift wrap.

Adhesive putty

When I first moved to the UK I was bemused by the use of what I thought was chewing gum to stick posters on walls. Of course I was quickly enlightened about the amazing thing that is adhesive putty (commonly known as BluTak). You can mould it, stick it, remove it and re-use it. Use small bits of this to stick down flaps of paper to make your wrapping paper stay in place around your gift.

To re-use or not to re-use gift wrap?

There are two categories of people: one that opens presents carefully, removes all the tape and folds it neatly to be re-used, and one that rips the paper off and puts it in the bin (recycling or otherwise).

I am firmly in the first category, and always have been. I mean, there are wrapping papers that are just too beautiful not to be re-used. Someone has after all lovingly designed that paper and it’s only respectful to let it live and be enjoyed by as many people as possible - which doesn’t mean you won’t buy paper to support those designers. I sometimes use pre-loved wrapping paper to cover a journal or a cardboard box, and that way I can enjoy it for even longer.

I know some people have a thing about ripping a present open - to them, half of the excitement of unwrapping a present comes from the sensation and the sound of tearing the paper - I understand that, and there should be a place for that too even in eco-conscious households. This is where a sustainable paper choice comes in. If paper is torn up and cannot be reused, it should at least be able to be recycled.

So what wrapping material should you choose?

I can't say it enough, but I love brown kraft paper. It's plain, it's durable, it's versatile, and it's biodegradable, i.e. it will compost. In other words, it doesn't get much more sustainable than kraft paper, but here are some other sustainable gift wrapping options you may enjoy:

Fabric instead of paper - the Japanese art of Furoshiki

Obviously not an option for those who love ripping open a present, whereas fabric lovers, craft lovers and gift-wrap re-users will definitely appreciate this one.

The Japanese call the practice of wrapping a present in a fabric bundle Furoshiki (pronounced 'furosh-ki'). A present is enclosed in a piece of fabric and tied up with a beautiful knot - no ribbons or tape needed - and the fabric itself becomes an additional gift to what is wrapped inside.

While Furoshiki uses beautiful square scarves and there are tutorials about how to sew your own double-sided Furoshiki squares, you can also be creative with this: I have used fat quarters (which are not square) with raw edges that can be re-used for small sewing projects. If the fabric you have is not long or wide enough you can also use string or ribbon to tie it all together - a variation of Furoshiki.

Lokta paper

This traditional Nepalese paper is a beautiful botanical paper that is almost fabric like in its feel and in the way it behaves. It is highly durable and doesn’t tear easily, which means it can be re-used over and over again.

Lokta paper is made from the bark of the Lokta plant, a shrub-like plant native to the Himalayas that only grows at an altitude between 2,000 and 4,000 metres. It is harvested by coppicing, i.e. stems are cut down to the ground leaving the root system intact and allowing new shoots to flourish - this practice enhances carbon sequestration and makes this type of paper very sustainable.

Lokta paper is best suited to being wrapped with ribbon. It does not hold creases well, so it wouldn’t be suitable for origami-type wrapping techniques. Furthermore, because of its fibrous texture sticky tape does not adhere to it well, although to put sticky tape on Lokta paper would be sacrilege in any event.

There are many other botanical handmade papers, such as Khadi, Mulberry or hemp paper - all of them are durable and have a beautiful texture with visible plant fibres.

Ribbons and trimmings

As much as I used to love running a shiny ribbon between my thumb and the blade of my scissors to watch it curl, these ribbons are 100% plastic and will not biodegrade.

I now choose either fabric ribbons (that can be reused), raffia, hemp cords and twine.

Brown paper with brown hemp twine can look a bit bland, so it's a nice touch to add a sprig of rosemary, lavender or another plant that is happy out of the water. You can also buy kraft paper in different colours, and adding a folded paper tape in a contrasting colour can also add interest to a gift.

Whether gift giver or recipient, we all play a part

As with all recycling, we can do our bit, but what the next person in the chain does is out of our hands - we don’t know if the gift recipient will go to the effort of picking off adhesive putty before putting the paper into the recycling bin, or if they re-use or recycle the paper at all. But we can do our bit by spreading the word about sustainable gift wrapping, and using recyclable and biodegradable materials for the gifts we give.