Wrapping you can’t rip
It’s the thought that counts. But so does the wrapping. And yet, the latter has just a fleeting existence, here one moment, ripped apart the next. For those concerned about the amount of waste this generates, sustainable gift-wrapping start-ups are now offering upcycled and recyclable options ranging from (really pretty) scrap cloth to colourful newspaper, old posters, and bits of textile waste.
Raahul Khadaliya’s The Second Life (thesecondlife.co) is focused on sustainable design. His signature product is a range of block-printed gift-wrapping made from newspaper. He works with artisans who create floral patterns in bright colours on newspaper and movie posters. The company also turns discarded paper, cardboard, cloth, and tyre tubes into planners, lanterns and stationery. “We want to utilise waste such that it does not need to be recycled,” Khadaliya said. Pune-based Amruta Walvekar, a giftwrapping specialist and founder of Wrapistry, put out three videos featuring sustainable gift-wrapping ideas last May.
Her techniques involved fashioning surplus toilet paper and old magazine pages into flowers. The gifts can be covered in brown paper, wrapped in string, with the paper blooms pasted in a corner, along with a leaf or two from the garden.
For rip-resistant wraps, look east. Furoshiki, the 17th-century Japanese method of wrapping a gift with fabric and decorative knots was traditionally used to pack goods for transport. Eco-conscious Indian companies now have lines of Furoshiki gift-wrapping. Aeshaane, a fashion label by Chennaibased Neesha Amrish, offers cloth wraps in striking block-printed cottons and silks. Oh Scrap Madras, which specialises in upcycling waste fabric, launched their line of Furoshiki products in time for Diwali, in October.
Once you’ve placed your order, WhatsApp instructions follow on how to wrap the cloth in different styles. There are also instructional videos on their Instagram page, @ohscrapmadras.
The wraps can eventually become part of the gift, doubling as a scarf or neckerchief until they are needed to wrap another gift and are passed on.