Gift giving is a generous act that often comes with generous amounts of wrapping paper, plastic tape, colorful ribbons, and all kinds of packaging materials that pile up and get pushed into black garbage bags. All this waste takes away from the beauty of the moment and can be avoided with some simple swaps. This holiday season we’ve compiled some of the most interesting and affordable plastic-free packaging tips to guide you through this holiday season.
Step 1: Get Creative with the Wrapping Materials
Reuse:
Swap out disposable paper and plastic for a beautiful reusable alternative! A Furoshiki like this is a fun and elegant way to wrap presents without creating any trash. They can be wrapped in various ways and are super versatile as they easily fit all kinds of shapes. Made simply with cotton, they are machine washable and can be reused for years to come. After the holidays, use them for lunches as placements or to carry some snacks! This large furoshiki is double-sided with two different patterns.
Similarly, there is also the option of using holiday-themed fabrics which are commonly used in Germany! The idea is much like conventional wrapping paper except you swap disposable plastic wrapping paper for reusable fabric, and swap plastic tape for safety pins. Either ask for the fabric back or leave it with the received to use themselves. Who know, maybe your eco-friendly thriftiness will catch on! A friend of LWP has been using the same fabrics with her family for over 28 years!
One idea we absolutely LOVE is to make the container be the gift itself! Just look how nice a fresh batch of cookies looks in a shiny reusable food container or tiffin. Fill it with baking, bulk treats, or whatever goodies you think they will love and after the treats are gone, they will have a wonderful reusable gift that will keep on giving. Checkout some nifty containers in all different sizes here! Or you could DIY one of those lovely mason jars with layers of ingredients for the gift receiver to make themselves!
Repurpose:
Another idea that we love is to look around the house and re-purpose items like
- Newspapers
- Maps
- Sheet music
- Tins
- Boxes
- Old gift bags & tissue paper
This way these items get a second life before going to the bin.
Step 2: Avoid Plastic Tape
Plastic tape is used excessively during the holiday season and in reality it wont be recycled so naturally, we have solutions for that! One of our team’s go-to alternative is non-reinforced gummed paper tape which is 100% recyclable. This water activated tape has a natural latex glue adhesive on a natural kraft paper which becomes sticky when moistened. The tape LWP offers is up to 25% post consumer recycled content and has a maize starch-based adhesive.
For a clear look, we use compostable cellulose tape .This tape is made from a wood pulp base with a high tack natural rubber adhesive. It even has a paper ring interior to avoid as much waste as possible!
Aside from tape, we can always go back to basics and use glue, even just a bit of all natural glue like the lovely Coccoina glue paste below, which is scented with almond essence and made in Italy.
Step 3: Natural Decorations
Looking to bring your gift to the next level? Try decorating your presents with compostable things over plastic this year. For example, twine looks beautiful and rustic wrapped around kraft paper and you can always glam it up with a pine cone or fresh bunch of rosemary or a of pine sprig from your own tree.
Step 4: Support Companies With Plastic-Free Packaging
At Life Without Plastic, we agree that plastic-free packaging is an essential part of the Earth-friendly gift giving experience. We are proud to ship our products using recyclable and compostable materials like cardboard boxes, kraft gummed paper tape, and paper filling materials.
Our last suggestion is the easiest and most affordable of all! There is always the option of fully embracing a zero-waste approach and just skipping the wrapping all together!
Hope these Earth-friendly wrapping tips provide some inspiration for any upcoming wrapping pursuits!
Wishing you all a very happy and plastic-free holiday season!
Author: Sarah W