1. Wrapping paper that is either textured, metallic, has particles of glitter, or foil, or has a waxy and shiny coating probably cannot be recycled.

Or else, it’s extremely difficult to recycle due to the mix of materials present and will end up discarded in a landfill anyway.

Experts over at the Wasteserv plant had created a guide to an eco-friendly Christmas back in 2020, appealing for the public to skip the shiny and glittery wrapping paper and ribbons.

2. Buying brown paper or reusing paper shopping bags for wrapping is the most effective way of making sure that it can be recycled.

Old magazines and newspapers can also be used to creatively wrap your gifts, making the wrapping one-of-a-kind and sustainable.

3. If you want to skip the paper altogether, you can reuse unwanted fabric to wrap your gifts in, such as scarves, old curtains, tea towels, and handkerchiefs. 

Think of your nanna’s old dresses, or your children’s old clothes that they’ve grown out of… or those curtains that you’ve been meaning to throw away.

Now – is there a quick and easy (if not foolproof) way of indicating if the wrapping paper is even recyclable?

Wasteserv suggests scrunching the paper up – if it doesn’t open back up again, that means it’s probably recyclable. However, this is not a totally reliable method and is more useful in a general sense.

In America, around one million kilograms of wrapping paper ends up in landfill each year – making the time of year a nightmare for waste separation facilities.

It’s time for us to be more aware of the amount of waste we generate collectively, and take small but meaningful steps toward a more sustainable life.

Tag someone that needs to take a more sustainable approach to Christmas