Is the amount of waste created by conventional paper gift wrapping starting to give you the ick? Want to save a bit of money in the long run by getting away from disposables? It’s absolutely do-able. You’ve got this! Read on for Something Different Upcycled’s How-To: Low-Waste and Zero-Waste Gift Wrap Guide! I’ve included some answers to common questions at the bottom (spoiler: one of them involves the phrase ‘what about the children?!?’). Feel free to add your own in the comments, send me a message, or share it with me on Instagram!
Where to Start
Low-waste and zero-waste gift wrapping really come down to a few simple principles (like most things that have to do with reducing the amount of waste that you produce): preparation and planning, care and maintenance, and establishing routines. And these all work for pretty much any occasion that you might have to wrap something to give to someone.
Side note: Save all of the paper gift bags, packing paper, and various ribbons that you receive throughout the year. If they’re in good shape, pass them along as gift wrap to folks outside of your regular gift-giving circle. Salvage useful parts from more beat-up items for use as smaller bag, gift tags, or as shorter ribbons. I recently learned that not everyone does this, so I thought I’d mention it. It’s a really easy way to build up your low-waste gift wrapping kit.
And DYK that you can create your own designs on packing paper? Personalize it, let your children decorate it, or leave it classically brown, as it ‘brown paper packages tied up with string.’
If you need to buy…
And, dear readers, I want to let you know that there are plenty of Something Different Upcycled reusable cloth gift bags available in 5 sizes at Homemade Community Shoppe in Chilllwack, BC. Other Metro Van/Fraser Valley folks, get in touch if you’d like some too. Send me a message to know more about the available sizes and fabrics (what I have with me is different than what’s at Homemade).
My Etsy shop is still on vacation as of the time of posting, but together we can probably figure out a way to get your gift bags to you in time for Christmas! Because I love a good zero-waste swap, there’s better than 50/50 chance that I’ll personally deliver it for free, too. 😉
Low-waste vs. Zero-waste
I’d say there are two main differences between low-waste gift wrapping and zero-waste gift wrapping. The first is where you get the things to wrap with and the second is what you do with them afterward. Low-waste might be more about upcycling packing paper that can then be recycled afterward. Zero-waste removes the wrapping from the waste stream altogether. For example, using a tea towel as both wrapping and part of the gift eliminates the need for disposable wrapping paper.
Got a different take on this distinction? Please share in the comments below!
Preparation and Planning
Leaving it to the last minute to wrap gifts is not a great idea, at least for the first year you go low- or zero-waste. This is especially true if you plan to further reduce the waste you create by choosing secondhand first. This time of year is busy for everyone, so give yourself a bit of time. If you happen to thrift a little too much, you can hang onto it for next year, help out a friend who’s perhaps run out of gift wrapping supplies, or offer it to a charity gift wrapping drive.
Don’t panic if you HAVE left it to the last minute! Newspapers, brown paper that comes as cushioning in some online orders, and repurposed boxes are all great ways to wrap things, as are towels, blankets, and scarves.
Some things to search for online after you’ve finished this post: furoshiki wrapping and DIY fabric ribbon. The first is a wonderful zero-waste Japanese practice of wrapping in flat pieces of fabric (not bags), and the other is a way of creating ribbon from discarded fabrics.
You’ll need to know:
a) what you have to wrap (at minimum the rough sizes, but knowing the recipient is also helpful for choosing a style, if you’re so inclined);
b) what zero-waste supplies you already have to wrap those things with,
and you’ll be left with
c) what you need to make, buy, or borrow to complete your zero-waste wrapping kit.
Again, choosing secondhand is great way to do this. Look for pillowcases, sheets, tablecloths, and even pre-made gift bags to add to your supplies. Check the fabric section of your local secondhand shop all year round for festive quilting cottons and other fabrics in the off-season. Give yourself enough time to properly clean everything you buy secondhand before wrapping gifts in it.
Care and Maintenance
You might want to wash your zero-waste gift wrap before you put it away for the off-season, if you’ve chosen fabric reusables. Use your best judgement about the kinds of fabric that you have. Most fabrics will be fine with at least gentle cold wash and air dry. No need to iron, unless that’s something you enjoy.
In general, though, you want to make sure that the things you plan to use from year to year are kept in good condition throughout the off-season. Fold carefully and store in a clean and dry place. Choose somewhere that you’ll remember!
Make note of any shortfalls you had in your zero-waste gift wrap kit this year as you’re putting your supplies away. That way, you’ll have a good idea of what you’re looking for to prepare for next year.
Establishing Routines
Once you’ve begun to use low- or zero-waste gift wrap, it’s easier as you go forward. You’re re-using things from year to year, so I’d argue that it’s less stress than needing to buy disposable supplies every year. And, over time, it’s certainly less expensive.
You’ll need to establish some routines that involve others, which will go a long way toward normalizing low-waste and zero-waste gift wrap. What do you want recipients in your regular gift-giving circle to do with the re-usable wrapping? This might involve having them separate reusable ribbons (and almost all ribbon is reusable) from fabric wraps and bags. This will help with the care and maintenance of your reusables since the fabrics are probably washable but maybe not the ribbons.
If you want the recipient – say, a friend or coworker – to pass along the reusable wrapping, you’ll need to tell them that. Be prepared for them to return it to you instead. Having the physical space in your home or desire to store things that are only used for a short time once a year is something that many people simply do not have.
You’ll need a routine for putting things away, too, so consider how and where you want to store your low-waste and zero-waste gift wrap in the off season.
Some Questions and Answers
What about the children?!? Paper wrapping is fun. IT’S TRADITION!!! Really? An important part of giving a child a gift is the action of them tearing paper? I disagree. Kids have a wonderful way of accepting the world as it is presented to them. I’d guess that most kids won’t care one way or the other about what their presents are wrapped in. You know your child(ren) best, so of course do what works for yours.
Take a moment before reaching for the paper, though, to really think about whether the attachment to ripping paper is rooted in your own childhood. Ask older children how they feel about creating more sustainable traditions around the holidays. Grandparents, this could extend to asking your own children how they want to approach gift wrap for their children.
And yes, I really do believe that reusables can become part of valued traditions, something to be anticipated and welcomed back each year. When I see the fabric gift wrap that I made more than 20 years ago, I remember all of the people who have shared holidays with me over the years. The gift wrap holds as much value to me as the ornaments on my tree. And none of them were chosen for ‘style’ – they all have meaning or a story behind them.
TL;DR: There’s no need to teach kids that a creating waste – especially if wrapping cannot be reused or recycled – is part of a cherished holiday.
I like to have everything coordinated. I choose one or two patterns of gift paper every year and that’s it.
OR: I like to have all the same wrap for each person.
Choose patterns that are classic for you. Ones that you’ve chosen variations of pretty frequently. And then look for fabric or reusable options that are similar. Use those for years to come!
One way I’ve seen people do this is to choose reusable gift wrap in patterns that are distinct for each recipient, and that are used year after year. Reusable cloth bags are one easy way to go zero-waste, but you might also choose a specific fabric or bold ribbon for each person. Then, each year, that person’s gift goes in that bag or is wrapped in that cloth or with that ribbon.
You might choose to personalize the bag or the wrap with an embroidered name or initials but it isn’t necessary and reduces it’s usefulness for other purposes/people. This is a great idea for a group of people who regularly exchange gifts amongst themselves, like a family or friend group.
You could also change the frequency with which you change up the wrapping patterns. Instead of every year, why not work on every 3 or 5 years? Pass along the old gift bags and reusable wrapping to recipients outside of your family or friend regular gifting group, or offer them to a charity Christmas wrapping program or your local BuyNothing group.
I only use post-consumer recycled and recyclable wrapping paper anyway so what’s the point of making this switch?
That’s great! Being aware of where your gift wrap has come from and what will happen to it once you’ve finished with it is commendable, especially if you’ve deliberately made the choice to buy only this kind of product.
Consider, though, the tremendous amounts of resources required to both make the recycled paper and then to recycle it at the end of its use. That includes the transportation required to both bring it to you and take it away, the energy required to make the paper and to break it down again, and a LOT of water on both ends.
And how are you fastening it together when you wrap? Clear tape (sellotape, scotch tape, packing tape, etc.) is a sticky, difficult to recycle plastic, so that’s an additional consideration. Good on you if you’re using a biodegradable flour glue, or just reusable ribbons or string!
What about trying to upcycle the brown paper that comes in many deliveries of online orders? Or using something else that already exists?
I don’t want to store STUFF but I want to get away from disposable gift paper. What can I do?
I completely understand this feeling. I have a few suggestions. One is to look for reusables that form part of the gift. Tea towels, tote bags, and fun pillowcases are great ideas if they make sense for your recipient. You might also consider using newspaper or brown packing paper. Another suggestion is to check out thrift stores and buy nothing groups for leftover/unused wrapping supplies. Both of these require hanging on to things for a little bit of time, but not all year.
Gifting experiences rather than physical gifts is probably the ultimate low-waste gift, though. Cooking classes, axe throwing, aquarium visits, self-care treatments, art lessons…the list is endless but does work best if you know your recipient at least a little bit. Gift cards for local cafes and restaurants work for everyone and are price-adjustable but are less personal – perfect for co-workers!
Holy twinkle lights, did this post ever get long! I hope I covered most of what you need to know to make the shift to low-waste or zero-waste gift wrap, but let me know in the comments below or send me a message if you have additional questions. I’d love to help.