5 Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas

Did you know that every holiday season Canadians toss about 500,000 tonnes of wrapping paper and gift bags in the trash? Landfill waste increases by 25 per cent at this time of year here and in the United States. If you’re trying to reduce your environmental footprint this holiday season we have some beautiful wrapping options that are easy on the environment and your pocketbook. Some of these zero-waste options are even more stunning than traditional gift wrap.

Cloth Wrapping

Also known as Furoshiki, this is a beautiful way to wrap your holiday gifts. Not only is it eco-friendly and convenient, but the beautiful wrapping becomes a part of the gift itself! Want to be sure the cloth gets used again? Include wrapping instructions with their gift. This helps to prevent the cloth wrap from just sitting at the bottom of a drawer somewhere. If you’re feeling extra crafty, you can even decorate your own Furoshiki cloth. Learn more about Furoshiki.

Fabric Gift Bags

Fabric gift bags might just be your new favourite holiday tradition. They can be as simple as a square or rectangle with a drawstring. Feeling a bit adventurous? A quick search on Pinterest will turn up lots of wonderful and unique tutorials for fabric gift bags. If you’re not the crafty type or you simply don’t have time, you can find loads of beautiful bags on Etsy. Bonus: The gift-receiver can save them and use them again.

Unusual Paper

Old maps, drawings by your children, your own artwork or even interesting newspaper can make extraordinary gift wrap! Have a look around your home and you’ll likely find a few gems.

Reusable Jars and Tins

Reusable jars are great for packaging edible gifts. Simply tie a little ribbon around the top and you’re good to go. Tins are also great for giving baked goods, jewelry and more. Tip: Don’t feel like just because a tin or jar isn’t decorated with snowflakes or Santa that they can’t be used for the holidays. Simple, minimalist patterns or colours can be just as festive. Don’t have many tins or jars lying around? The thrift store is a great option to find some of these containers very affordably.

Repurposed Bags

If you’re like us, you come home from a shopping trip with at least one bag that is beautiful. Or many retailers wrap up your purchase in a plain, brown bag. How perfect! If you’ve been saving these bags, the holidays are a perfect time to give them a second life. Tuck your gift inside with some festive tissue paper and voila!

This year, why not start a new holiday tradition and wrap up your gifts with love and something that’s a little better for our planet. Already have some wonderful eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas? We’d love to hear about them!