It is December! Most people absolutely love this month because of the holidays. To get in the Christmas spirit, people tend to buy colourful wrapping paper for their presents. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Virtually all wrapping paper is pretty, but not all of it is recyclable. It will thus end up in landfill or at incineration plants You could consider reusing last year’s textile gift bags or wrapping paper. Has someone written on it already? Simply cover it with a sticker. Ribbons can easily be reused too, or made at home by curling some paper with a pair fo scissors.

What not to buy?

If you want to opt for sustainable packaging, you should steer clear of anything with glitter. Also, you can’t put foil into your recycling bin. And please avoid thick, glossy gift wrapping paper too as it may be laminated,

On Christmas Day, it is possible to tell if the used gift wrapping paper from the presents you have been given is recyclable or not. Use the scrunch test for this. Try to make a ball of the used paper and then let go. Does the ball stay crunched? In this case, the gift wrapping paper is in fact recyclable. Non-recyclable wrapping paper will open out. This will need to be added to the general waste.

However, before you add wrapping paper to the recycling bin you need to remove any sticky tape first. Do you want to stop using tape completely when preparing your gifts? No problem; simply use a paper-based tape. Picture framer tape does the trick. 

What about recyclable options?

There is some good news. Recyclable gift wrapping paper is becoming easier to find. High street retailer John Lewis is selling Kraft gift wrap, for example. These rolls are not just recyclable, they are also made from recycled fibre. Are you looking for patterned gift wrapping paper? These can be purchased on Amazon. In case you haven’t heard yet, eco-friendly gift wrapping company Re-Wrapped sells recyclable gift wrapping paper as well.

Eco-energy label?

By the way, December is about more than just Christmas. It is also the month you would be wise to consider your energy consumption. These days, there are quite a number of eco-friendly providers, too. Check out the latest deals here.

Het bericht What you should know about recyclable gift wrapping paper verscheen eerst op Recycling International.

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