December 15, 2013, by Helen Whitehead

Advent calendar #15: Sustainable gift-wrapping

There are many ways to wrap Christmas gifts in a sustainable way. Key principles of sustainability are reduce, re-use, recycle, and these can readily be applied to gift wrap. A good start is to ensure all gift paper is recycled. Other ideas include:

• Wrap gifts in fabric and ribbon – the fabric can be re-used next year or can even be part of the gift, e.g., teatowels.
• Reduce the need for buying new wrap: keep a gift box and each year place the gift inside, tie with ribbon and add a tag.  When the gift has been opened, keep the box for re-use next year
• In our family it’s a tradition to open the presents as carefully as possible, and re-use the paper next year. Metallic papers are best, as sellotape easily peels off…
• Colourful newspapers or magazines especially near Christmas can be used to wrap presents and the paper then recycled as usual.

Share your own ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’ tips during The University of Nottingham MOOC Sustainability, Society and You which starts on January 6th. Sign up now for free on the FutureLearn website.

Image ©  scrappyannie on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/14903992@N08/3919626932/ edited for size

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on LinkedIn