The Climate Change Collective is an initiative where the blogging community unites behind a common goal. Today, Jamie from JamieAdStories tackles one of my gift-giving pet peeves—wrapping! Christmas may be over for another year, but resolving to choose sustainable gift wrap all year round would be a big win for the Earth.
Resolve to choose sustainable gift wrap this year
The holiday season may be behind us for another year, but this month’s Climate Change Collective post comes at a time when many are setting new year’s resolutions or goals. Make this the year you resolve to choose sustainable gift wrap!
In recent years, I’ve worked hard to reduce the amount of single-use gift wrap we use at Christmas and year round. When I saw Jamie’s post, I was happy to see him take on this topic. Shifting to sustainable gift wrap will save trees, reduce tons of waste (literally), and spare marine life from a diet of plastic glitter.
As I read the post, I shook my head at Jamie’s comments about gift bags. I do love gift bags, and we have some that have been making the rounds for years. Jamie calls into question how ridiculous it is to put an already-wrapped gift inside a shiny, glittery gift bag. Why? In addition to being reusable, the main value of gift bags is they save time wrapping. What is the point of wrapping and then using a gift bag? Sustainability aside, that’s just a waste of time and money!
While I haven’t bought wrapping paper in years, I’d like to add another to the list of annoying things about that pretty coloured paper. As I’ve been using up old rolls of gift wrap, I want to scream when I see plastic-wrapped tubes of wrapping paper, inside a bigger plastic-wrapped package. Yet another reason to strike wrapping paper off your shopping list.
I encourage you to read Jamie’s post to learn more about why gift wrapping is a problem. And check out Green your holidays with 10 low-waste gift wrap ideas for creative ideas to make your gift giving more sustainable.
It should be the thought that matters and the consideration that went into the present buying, not the sparkly packaging.
Jamie Adams, JamieAdStories
Wrapping Up Doesn’t Have to Be a Waste
Let’s keep in touch! Join my mailing list and I’ll email you when I add a new post.
About the Climate Change Collective
The Climate Change Collective was born out of an exchange that took place when I left a comment on a blog post by Jamie Ad Stories. Jamie and I wanted to find a way to keep the climate change message top of mind for everyone, so I put out a tweet to see what kind of interest there would be in a climate-change-related blogging collaboration. The Climate Change Collective was born!
The members of the collective take turns writing a monthly blog post sharing their unique perspective about climate change. After the post is published, the rest of the group keeps the conversation going by sharing a link to the post on their blogs along with their thoughts and ideas.
If you’re a like-minded blogger and would like to join our collective, please get in touch. More voices joining the conversation means more attention to the problems plaguing our planet!
More Climate Change Collective posts
If you missed any of the other posts in the series, here they are:
- How climate change impacts your health…and your wallet
- Understanding how climate action redefines our future – Molly, Transatlantic Notes
- Travel with climate change – Jamie, JamieAdStories
- How climate change impacts animals – Caroline, Enviroline Blog
- How our need to shop is ruining our planet – A Sustainably Simple Life
- Residential solar panels: 2022 year in review– A Sustainably Simple Life
- How you can reduce your energy consumption and save money by saving the planet – Crisbie Coach
- 6 ways to reduce the environmental cost of experiences
- Returning to past habits – Smelly Socks And Garden Peas
- How green spaces help our planet A Sustainably Simple Life
- The benefits of active travel – Could it save you and the planet? – Midlife on Earth
- A Greener World – Debunking Myths About Climate Change – Molly, Transatlantic Notes
- Microforests – A tiny idea with big potential
- The impact climate change has on food security and how to help – Caroline, Enviroline Blog
- Reconnecting with nature and self by disconnecting from the world – A Sustainably Simple Life
- Wrapping Up Doesn’t Have to Be a Waste – Jamie, JamieAdStories
- It’s cold outside – The difference between weather and climate
- Our climate action does not need to be perfect – Molly, Transatlantic Notes
Thanks to Jamie for being part of our Climate Change Collective and for sharing his thoughts on wasteful gift wrapping.
Do you have other ideas to make gift giving more sustainable? Tell me your thoughts below.
Other than re-used wrapping paper, I haven’t used wrapping paper in years. I’m with you on the fact that it’s not needed at all. Personally I find it fun to get creative with wrapping paper options–like old sheet music or newspaper. I wrapped a friend’s presents for them to give to their family this Christmas and all they had to use was this plasticky paper. It was pretty, but UGH! I cringed the entire time haha.
When I think back to when my kids were small and we celebrated with my in-laws, we had bags and bags of paper at the end of Christmas Day. This year, my sister-in-law and I carefully folded all the tissue paper and gift bags and there was very little waste. We really have made progress.
What a fabulous reminder with which to start the new year! I always enjoy reusing wrapping paper, using newspaper, or using and reusing gift bags. 🙂
Yes! Newspaper is great. I also smooth out and save plain packing paper that comes in some online shipments.
My oldest made fabric bags with drawstrings a few years ago. Stuff things in there, draw it closed and ready to give. They come back after the gift is given to reuse over and over.
That is such a terrific idea, Deb. I have reusable bags and decorative boxes that have been making the rounds for years.
Ah yes it is the combination that annoys me. Seeing a wrapped gift inside a gift bag is like two lots of waste instead of one. If I do get gift bags I use them as many times as possible then separate out the bits that can be recycled. Great post!
Thanks Jamie! Yes, there are so many other examples of packaging inside packaging. UGH.
I definitely need to better at finding alternative ways to wrap Christmas presents! We have some gift bags that have been used for years and will last a bit longer (hopefully), but there are still some things we wrap that don’t really need it. We will change things up from now on as it really is a waste!
Yes, gift bags are the best. And now there are a lot of gift bags made with plain brown paper. I picked a few up in the Boxing Day sales this year.