Wrapping Paper is a Waste of our Earth's Resources!
@Masihi (4413)
Canada
December 26, 2010 3:55pm CST
This may seem like a rant, but this year, our family was the recipient of a government agency who supplied us with plenty of gifts - and wrapping paper - for our children. On top of it all, my children's itinarent teacher (for a special needs organisation) surprised us with a package from Santa even though I said that I had enough - all wrapped in Wrapping Paper.
Long story short, on Christmas Day, we ended up filling a large box full of wrapping paper and bows! Not to mention the other stuff like packaging and wires and plastic and goodness-knows-what! *sigh*
I wouldn't purchase Wrapping Paper under any condition. I see that it's only a huge waste of our Earth's resources and that there's plenty of other ways to wrap up gifts if we're creative. My favourite method is to stitch together old materials complete with drawstrings and make cloth gift bags. That way they're reusable and won't go to waste. This is way different from the paper gift bags, as people still tend to throw away those as well.
This year I'll concentrate on making more of the cloth gift bags and if I am to receive government assistance next year, I'll request not to have wrapping paper included, as I already have gift bags made.
Anyway, that's just my opinion, but I certainly hope others will follow this idea and reduce waste as well.
3 people like this
10 responses
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
26 Dec 10
I am very big on recycling and preserving. With Christmas though I have to, just have to have my gifts to my recipients in gift wrap. Gift wrapping by gifts gives them a special tough, shows my recipients that I put in a great deal of effort.
Here is what I do after they open they gifts in my home. I fold as much of it as possible and re-use. I cut out pieces later and create labels. I cut out as much also to re-wrap. This is my way of recycling.. Although I use it I preserve it after.
So for me to give it up, I simply can't. I cannot give my gifts in gift bags, as I do not like to do so. Also I am not crafty to create my own bags. I have been recycling mine for years and have special Christmas bins I put my wrapping paper in.
It is my way of recycling and preserving. 
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (157674)
• United States
27 Dec 10
Paper is one more thing to have to store. I am working through the rest of it and using it up as I can. I have not used bows in years except for the kind that can be retied and reused, because they crush so easily. Wal Mart had some adorable felt bags this year, but I would not want to buy bags like everyone else has. I have a wedding to attend in a week. I have purchased a cookbook with a red plaid cover. As a wrapper, I want to make a red plaid shopping bag. I just think it would be cute. Over the years I have put wedding gifts in plastic trash cans and laundry baskets, wrapped kitchen items in dish towels, and baby gifts in blankets. It just makes sense to me. I can understand what you are saying. When my nephews lived with me I got them legos one year and made cloth bags to store the legos in.
2 people like this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
27 Dec 10
I have a stash of wrapping paper that I've been working on using for over 10 years. I reuse it and the paper others wrap their gifts to us in. I also reuse bows and ribbon. It's surprising how long paper will last with a little care. It can be used for different things, too, like covering ugly containers for storage or starting fires in a fireplace. I know that many people waste it unnecessarily, though.
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
27 Dec 10
Firestarters! Now why didn't I think of that? lol We do have a few bonfires throughout the year, even in the wintertime, next time I'll put them into our fire paper box. Too late this year, they're up in the garbage room in the apartment building.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
27 Dec 10
Hi Masihi,
I hate wrapping gifts anyway and was thinking on those same lines this year. I admit that I did wrap a few gifts for the grandkids because I had some left over paper from last year but I did not spend a dime on gift wrap this year. Instead I took some sturdy cardboard boxes with lids and painted them up really cool and with colors that I knew the person would like. I put the gifts in these boxes. I tied a ribbon around them with the name tag on it and called it done. The boxes can be re-used as gift boxes or used to organize a closet or cupboard etc. Oh and those paper gift bags...I do reuse them. I do like your idea of the cloth bags. I sew so I think I might make some up for next year. Thanks for the great idea!
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
28 Dec 10
And so cheap...wish I had a camera so I could show you cuz they came out really good. There is also decopage where you cover a box in scraps of paper and seal it in....fun project and looks very cool. Paints can be bought in walmart for under 2.00 ea.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
27 Dec 10
Wow, painting boxes with vibrant colours sound like a good idea! :-)
@gdesjardin (1918)
• United States
28 Dec 10
What a brilliant idea Masihi! I made a bunch of recycled bags to put my groceries in, but I can't believe I never thought of wrapping presents in them. Handmade bags are right up my alley, as I hate wrapping presents. I usually buy gift bags and just put the presents in those. I do have a bunch of clothes that have tears in the jeans and stuff, which I usually make rag quilts out of those, but I can make some gift bags just as easily. Thanks for the great idea!!!
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
28 Dec 10
That is an excellent idea about the grocery bag part as well, thanks for sharing that as well :-)
@marguicha (215894)
• Chile
28 Dec 10
In my country, during Christmas, most stores wrap everything in Christmas Wrapping paper before you know it. I have become the "paper and ribbon lady" in my family for Christmas. I make piles (good paper, torn paper, ribbons) to use later. As I make most of my gifts, I recycle that paper. Sometimes it needs a little ironing, but it has a good second or third use. I wrap with them the recycled jars where I have placed my jams and relishes to give as presents. A shoebox covered with that paper is a good place to give out the homemade cookies.
Old nmaterials are SO handy. I save the most beautiful to use for jar tops.
Take care!
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
28 Dec 10
In my country there are stations in the malls where volunteers wrap up gifts for a donation to the charity they're representing, and usually when I used to go to the mall, I used to give one or two gifts for them to wrap just to give a donation, it's usually for the local children's hosptial, and I know my kids have had excellent care for their specialist needs there. That was about three or four years ago now.
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
27 Dec 10
We reuse gift bags in our family. While some gifts still get gift wrapped, birthday gifts are given in bags and then the bags and tissue paper get reused. It's funny to see the bags again, actually.
@ganeshprabhuk (1722)
• India
27 Dec 10
I would like to ban plastic.The way paper and polythene used to waste is very painful nowadays. Plastic to be banned in every sense and so with paper. Everything to be banned.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
27 Dec 10
There are bio-degradeable plastic bags that I see being used in health-food stores and other eco-friendly-oriented stores, I think the reason why the regular market hasn't adopted them as a whole yet is because they're more expensive.
@daliaj (5674)
• India
28 Dec 10
I do agree with you that wrapping paper is a waste of our resources. I don't know if anybody will stop using that and start using newspaper. I think a lot of these wrapping papers are made from recycled paper, which is good. Also, the gifts look good covered with nice wrapping paper. I had the same feeling when we opened the gifts yesterday. Paper is made from trees. One remedy is to start growing more trees.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
18 Jan 11
That is awesome the way that you make bags for gifts. 
I agree with you that it is a complete waste of paper and when you consider that a lot of it ends up in land fill, it is the completely wrong thing to do.
My wife loves gift wrapping, but I think it is a waste. We recycle all of our wrapping as we do with any paper or cardboard that comes into our house. As we have an online store and send products all over Australia, we are always in need of packaging materials. These are always used, even the bubble wrap that we get has been used before and we encourage our customers to keep on re-using them wherever they can.
I agree with you that it is a complete waste of paper and when you consider that a lot of it ends up in land fill, it is the completely wrong thing to do.
My wife loves gift wrapping, but I think it is a waste. We recycle all of our wrapping as we do with any paper or cardboard that comes into our house. As we have an online store and send products all over Australia, we are always in need of packaging materials. These are always used, even the bubble wrap that we get has been used before and we encourage our customers to keep on re-using them wherever they can.