Gift wrapping has a significant impact on the environment, but there are simple ways you can rethink your gift wrapping for the good of the planet.
A hobbyist sparked interest on Reddit’s r/ZeroWaste after sharing his frugal, eco-friendly wrapping paper hack.
“I always wrap gifts with old sheet music and tape reused from other wrappings!” wrote the Reddit user who shared the post.
Reddit users liked the look of the sheet music as wrapping paper and were keen to try it out at home.
“I love how this looks,” one user replied.
“I love it too,” commented another Redditor. “I’m a huge fan of using whatever you have on hand as packaging. I usually use old road maps and pages from atlases and fabric.”
An Instagram video showed another crafter using silk scarves as an alternative to disposable gift wrap. Commenters agreed that not only are the scarves a beautiful way to wrap gifts, but they’re also a great way to give two gifts in one.
Reusing old paper like newspapers, magazines, old calendars or sheet music is an easy way to save money on wrapping paper. Plus, it’s a great way to reduce waste and minimize your carbon footprint.
In the USA alone, 1.0 million kilograms of wrapping paper end up in landfills, releasing pollutants that contribute to global temperature rise.
In addition, shiny wrapping paper decorated with glitter is even more harmful to the environment because it cannot be decomposed, according to an article published in All Things Supply Chain. This type of wrapping paper contains toxic chemicals and can release microplastics into the environment.
You can also reduce your environmental impact by supporting organizations that promote sustainability. After you’ve decluttered your home, you can send your unwanted items to For Days, ThredUp, or GotSneakers. These are all organizations that reuse old clothes and shoes.
Reddit users continued to discuss the ingenious gift wrapping hack.
“Great idea,” wrote one user. “I use paper wrappings from packages and just stamp pictures/words on them using inks and stamps I already had.”
Subscribe to our free newsletter for simple tips on save more And waste lessand don’t miss this cool list of simple ways you can help yourself and the planet at the same time.
