As Christmas approaches you can feel the excitement in the air as kids and adults start to dream about the gifts and presents they hope to receive during the holidays. While Christmas lights are hung, Christmas trees are decorated, holiday treats are baked, and parties are planned there are children making wish lists and family, friends, and significant others planning and plotting joyous surprises for their loved ones making this one of the happiest times of the year. Always a time of joy and cheer for people during the holidays the environment might not agree as food is wasted, fuel is used more heavily, natural resource production increases, and paper trash piles up around the world. 

During Christmas, one thing is a guarantee and that is brick and mortars, local small businesses, festivals, bakeries, and online retailers will be occupied by eager shoppers ready to buy packaged gifts that will be wrapped with paper and placed under a Christmas tree, in a Christmas stocking or exchanged at a party, workplace, or family gathering. This point is easily proven by the fact that the United States single handily produces over 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper each year. 

While this is a scary realization for Mother Nature the good news is by taking a more paperless and environmentally friendly approach to gift-giving and wrapping paper we can make a positive impact on the earth’s natural resources. Think about this. If every American family opted for reusable paper for just three gifts, it would save 45,000 football fields worth of paper.  With this statistic in mind let’s take a look at some of the gift-wrapping options we have to encourage and create a happier paperless holiday season.

Environmentally Friendly Gift Wrapping Option #1: Recyclable, Compostable, and Reversible Wrapping Paper Made From Recycled Plastic

If you do have to use wrapping this type checks off all 3 boxes when it comes to being environmental. You can easily get rid of it in recycling bins, it will bio-degrade to not impose on landfills and is reversible so it can be re-used if taken care of for years to come.

Environmentally Friendly Gift Wrapping Option #2: Machine Washable and Made From Recycled Plastic Wrapping Paper

This type of wrapping paper product is not only paperless but can be repurposed as something like a stylish tote bag, head wrap, or scarf. Not only is this holiday necessity paperless but you can tie it avoiding having to worry about tape and scissors as well.

Environmentally Friendly Gift Wrapping Option #3: Cotton Wraps and Linen Laundry Bags Made From Recycled Fabrics and Textiles

The paperless plus here in regard to gift wrapping is that 100% cotton wraps can make the perfect reusable gift wrapping choice while also doubling down as a bag, scarf, or handkerchief after the gift is unwrapped. Handmade linen laundry bags that are not only perfect for use at home or when traveling but they also perform well as a quick, easy, and colorful way to quickly wrap a gift during the holiday season.

Regardless of how you wrap your gifts this holiday season, the idea is to try and use a little less paper while also integrating environmentally friendly products so that the stress on the earth’s resources is reduced. As we head into the New Year let this article be the perfect reminder that going paperless has benefits and value in a wide variety of aspects of life. How will you be reducing your carbon footprint in both your personal and professional life in 2023?