Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
It’s a wrap
Wrap your head around these gift papers and cards
So many of us try to be ecofriendly for much of the year, sorting our recyclables, making sustainable choices and going green whenever possible.
Then comes the holiday season, and all of that goes out the window in favor of colorful packages topped with foil bows, elaborately greeting cards and fancy gift bags.
Simply put, it’s not the most wonderful time of the year for the environment, as millions embrace non-recyclable products that leave sizable footprints on the planet. In fact, Americans produce an additional 7 million pounds of waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s day — for a total of 25 million tons of garbage over those five weeks — according to the Peninsula Sanitary Service and Stanford Recycling Center, Palo Alto, Calif.
That’s why there’s often a twinge of guilt that comes from opening gifts, as we looks at all the colorful waste lying on the floor.
Yet there are ways to make the gift-giving experience more ecofriendly. And many of them have to do with the way we package and present that new tie/toaster/ TV to our loved ones.
Here’s eco-friendly solutions worth considering: Recyclable wrapping paper
Typically wrapping paper can’t be recycled, due to the heavy amounts of dye, laminate, glitter and other materials used in its creation. That translates to hundreds of thousands of miles’ worth of wrapping paper thrown away each holiday season. Yet there are some eco-friendly alternatives, one of which comes courtesy of the Hawaii-based company Wrappily.
“The burden of the waste of gift wrap is what drove me to found my business and kind of innovate this greener model for wrapping paper,” says Sarah Smith, founder.
Departing from the industry norm, Wrappily shuns additives and uses newsprint for its paper. Its products can be recycled in the same way as newspapers. “The benefit is that it is 100 percent recyclable,” said Smith. “Newspapers are recycled everywhere.
They are the most widely accepted recyclable material. Humble newsprint (is) like a rock star when it comes to wrapping paper, because the fiber can actually be broken down and recycled up to seven times.”
For more information about Wrappily products, visit wrappily.com.
Eco-friendly cards
The same rules for picking eco-friendly wrapping paper apply to the cards, too. “The tip I can give to your readers is… to avoid cards with glitter or foil embellishment,” says Mackenzie Jeans, “anything that has that kind of material on it makes it not recyclable. Sticking to your regular card stock is the best way to go … to be eco-friendly.”
Jeans is the president of Allport editions in Portland. The company, which got its start in San Francisco, works to reduce scrap (by using entire paper sheets) and recycles all of its waste. It also prints with veggie-based inks and uses sustainable-harvest pulp for its paper.
“Recycled content is a really great thing, and it’s not standard,” Jeans says. “If you see anything that says it contains recycled content, then you know that company went out of its way to make sure its papers included recycled content.”
For more information, visit www.allport.com.
Repurposing
It’s a simple concept that can make a big difference. Instead of buying something new, use something you already have when packaging gifts this season.
“I’m a big fan of repurposing,” Smith says. “My goto when I’m wrapping (is) to look at what I have around and get creative with ways to gussy it up a little bit. You can take an old shoe box and make it into a gift box.”
Other examples include reusing previously read newspapers as wrapping paper, tying it with old twine instead of new ribbon and turning paper scraps into bows and other decorations.
“That way you’re not actually using any new materials,” Smith says. “You’re up-cycling.”
Nature’s beauty
There’s also a groovy alternative to bows, ribbons and paper adornments, and it’s right outside your door.
“Got out into nature, wherever you are, and take a sprig of a plant or an evergreen or an interesting seed pod,” Smith recommends. “I like to use those as gift toppers, rather than the acrylic bows or big plastic hay ribbons,” which are not bio-degradable.
“Even a stick could be interesting — you could paint it. Succulent clippings are super easy and always look great. In the case of succulents, the cool thing is that people can just stick it in some dirt or water, and it will propagate itself. “So … you’ve got a whole ‘nother plant out of that.”
Biodegradable ribbon
Ribbons sure look nice on packages. But they can also be tough on the environment.
“Most ribbon is … sourced in Asia,” says Eric Crawford, owner of Cream City Ribbon. The Milwaukee company’s unwoven fabric ribbons are made from U.S. grown cotton yarn, and they’re biodegradable. You can simply toss them into the compost bin when you’re done with them. Or they can be reused for things like tying up plants in the garden.
For more information, visit creamcityribbon.com.
Shape the future
The choices we make today have a big impact on tomorrow. Consumers vote with their dollars, which tell companies what products to manufacture in the years to come. Consider that cause-effect principle the next time you select gift wrap. It’s not just about 2017 — it’s about expanding the marketplace for eco-friendly packaging in the future.
“If people keep buying wrapping paper with tons of foil in it, then that’s what is going to be created every year,” Jeans says. “The best thing that you can possibly do is buy wrapping paper that doesn’t have foil in it, doesn’t have glitter and is recyclable. Then that’s what is going to be created next year and the year after that and the year after that.”