We've got Christmas all wrapped up!
Want to spice up your Christmas wrapping game? Bethany Cassé provides some eco-friendly ideas.
When you hear the word ‘Christmas’, what do you picture? Perhaps, like many of us, you see a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, under which many colourfully wrapped presents lie, all covered in glitter and shiny bows and then the smiling face of a loved one as they rip the paper off to see what’s inside. For many people, presents are an incredibly important part of their Christmas celebrations. However, one thing that we don’t usually consider when doing our Christmas shopping is what will happen to the wrapping paper. It’s estimated that consumers in the UK will use around 227,000 miles of wrapping paper this year – this is roughly enough to wrap the entire island of Guernsey in festive paper! What’s concerning about this is that a large proportion of this paper will end up in landfill. This is because many wrapping papers contain plastic: they are covered with laminates or decorated using glitter and shiny foil which means they are not easy to recycle. This is especially problematic considering the environmental effects the |
production of wrapping paper has. Research by Greenpeace suggests that the production process emits more than 3kg of carbon dioxide for every 1kg of paper produced.
So, what is the solution to our paper problem? Luckily, the power is in our hands to make a change. There are many different ways to give gifts to loved ones this year that are more eco-friendly. If you are up for a challenge, why not ditch paper completely? There are plenty of different options out there. For example, you could invest in some reusable fabric wrapping cloths. Known as Furoshiki, they originate from Japanese tradition. There are many different Furoshiki patterns and colours available including festive designs, and there are lots of online tutorials to teach you different ways to wrap gifts using them. Alternatively, you could simply use things that you may already have at home. Maybe you could reuse a gift bag or present box that was given to you. Or, you could be more traditional and simply tie a ribbon around your present - there are lots of different bow types that you could experiment with.
If you can’t avoid using wrapping paper completely, that's ok too. There are many types that can be easily recycled - not just plain brown parcel paper as you might imagine. When shopping, look out for paper that has a black recyclable symbol on it and has no glitter or shiny details on it.
When wrapping, also bear in mind the tape that you are using. Ordinary tape contains plastic and can take up to a thousand years to decompose when put into landfill. However, there are now plastic free options that are readily available that are fully biodegradable. Or, if you prefer, you could use a small amount of glue to stick down the sides of the paper.
When receiving presents from others, a simple way to work out if wrapping paper is recyclable or not is the scrunch test. Scrunch the paper in your hand - if it remains 'scrunched' it can be recycled; if it springs back it probably contains plastic and is not recyclable. Make sure to remove all tape and labels before putting it in the recycling bin as the paper is the only bit that can be recycled.
However you are planning to spend this festive season, I hope that (if you can) you will make a few changes to make your gift-giving habits more sustainable. Even small things like switching to plastic-free tape and recycling all that you can this Christmas will make a difference.
Bethany Cassé, Y12
So, what is the solution to our paper problem? Luckily, the power is in our hands to make a change. There are many different ways to give gifts to loved ones this year that are more eco-friendly. If you are up for a challenge, why not ditch paper completely? There are plenty of different options out there. For example, you could invest in some reusable fabric wrapping cloths. Known as Furoshiki, they originate from Japanese tradition. There are many different Furoshiki patterns and colours available including festive designs, and there are lots of online tutorials to teach you different ways to wrap gifts using them. Alternatively, you could simply use things that you may already have at home. Maybe you could reuse a gift bag or present box that was given to you. Or, you could be more traditional and simply tie a ribbon around your present - there are lots of different bow types that you could experiment with.
If you can’t avoid using wrapping paper completely, that's ok too. There are many types that can be easily recycled - not just plain brown parcel paper as you might imagine. When shopping, look out for paper that has a black recyclable symbol on it and has no glitter or shiny details on it.
When wrapping, also bear in mind the tape that you are using. Ordinary tape contains plastic and can take up to a thousand years to decompose when put into landfill. However, there are now plastic free options that are readily available that are fully biodegradable. Or, if you prefer, you could use a small amount of glue to stick down the sides of the paper.
When receiving presents from others, a simple way to work out if wrapping paper is recyclable or not is the scrunch test. Scrunch the paper in your hand - if it remains 'scrunched' it can be recycled; if it springs back it probably contains plastic and is not recyclable. Make sure to remove all tape and labels before putting it in the recycling bin as the paper is the only bit that can be recycled.
However you are planning to spend this festive season, I hope that (if you can) you will make a few changes to make your gift-giving habits more sustainable. Even small things like switching to plastic-free tape and recycling all that you can this Christmas will make a difference.
Bethany Cassé, Y12