Christmas | Sustainable Gift Wrapping

December 11, 2019

Make the Nice List this Christmas by Choosing Sustainable Gift Wrapping

The festive season is meant for spending time with loved ones, which can include the exchanging of gifts. Amidst the excitement, we often neglect to consider what happens to all that gift wrap and packaging after we’re through with it. According to the GWP Group, a UK packaging company, consumers in the UK use approximately 227,000 miles of wrapping paper each year, with over 83km2 heading directly to the bin. Many local authorities don’t accept wrapping paper for recycling due to the additives included, such as dye, lamination, and glitter. This abundance of gift wrapping can’t be fixed in place without loads of non recyclable sticky tape - 40 million rolls to be exact. Luckily, having a sustainable Christmas morning is easier to achieve than you might think.

Here at Artisans & Adventurers and Hiro + Wolf, we’re working towards creating a waste-free future. By using recycled brown paper, paper tape and string for our gift wrapping (and customer orders online!), we’re helping to keep waste out of landfills and hopefully inspire others to do the same. With ethics and sustainability high on our list of values, we feel as though it’s important to share what we know in order to help  all of us have a more eco-friendly holiday season.

Other companies have also taken part in promoting sustainable gift-wrapping year round. Wrag Wrap is a recycled fabric gift wrap company in the UK that offers both ethical and fashionable wrapping paper alternatives. Their new range of re-usable wrap is made using 100% recycled plastic bottles. With easy-to-use drawstrings and a range of sizes, it works wonders for those of us who are less skilled at gift wrapping as well for tackling those awkward shaped gifts.

Featured- Wrag Wrap Crackle Wrap in Victorian Jungle

We've written a handy list of tips and tricks for you to use this festive season;

• Reuse paper, bags, and other materials where possible. It’s good for the environment and your wallet!
• Try out dual purpose wrapping - if you are gifting a tea towel (see our wonderful selection of ARTHOUSE Unlimited illustrated tea towels), for example, try using it as wrapping for another gift!
• Tie your packages with string or paper tape instead of plastic sellotape. 
• Using herbs like rosemary as gift decorations instead of bows and ribbons not only adds a unique touch, but makes your present smell amazing. Just tie a small bundle onto the top of your parcel and voila!

Lastly, If you are not sure whether or not your wrapping materials, or any household materials, are recyclable, www.recyclenow.com is a great resource for understanding how to properly dispose of waste. 

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