During the Christmas season, everyone is giving and receiving gifts – all wrapped in pretty papers or stored in paper bags. However, as fun as it is to receive a gift, there is still the matter of what to do with the packaging after. You can recycle them, but not many people do that. Still, it’s the step in the right direction. To protect the environment during the holiday season, here are some things you can do:
Give unwrapped gifts
If you really want to give a gift in a sustainable way, don’t bother wrapping the gift at all. You can either buy a gift that looks lovely without wrapping such as a luxurious shampoo bar or you can simply tie a reusable ribbon on the gift. Even though the surprise has been taken out, you can at least rest knowing that you helped save a few trees and decreased your carbon footprint. If you still want it to be a surprise, why not take the gift out once it’s time to exchange presents.
Reuse the paper bags used for gifts
Sturdy paper bags, like the ones given out at retail shops, can be reused as grocery bags. You can also redesign them by painting over them or pasting colored paper over the bag. That way you can use it to give a gift out next Christmas. Don’t forget to leave a note reminding the person to reuse the bag the way you did. Once a bag is worn out, it is best to put it in the recycling bin so the waste disposal companies can put it to good use.
Use scratch paper to wrap gifts
If you look around your house, you will find that there are a lot of pieces of paper that have already been used and no longer have any purpose for you… except for wrapping gifts on Christmas! Barring receipts or any important documents of any kind, you can use your old notes or work documents as wrapping paper. To protect your privacy, it is best to dye the paper or paint over it or use magic markers to add your own design. You can even make a day of it with your kids or your nieces and nephews.
Find a retailer that wraps gifts in recyclable materials
You may not have the time to do some of the things mentioned above, which is why it is best to look for a retailer that has the gift you want to give as well as environment-friendly wrapping options. Once you take a look around, you will find many shops and online stores that promote sustainable gift-wrapping practices. They may use recyclable materials or reusable bags when wrapping gifts. Either way, they should ensure that the gift wraps will not harm the environment.
Use a real tree
Aside from gift-wrapping, you may want to use a real Christmas tree for your home. Even though many plastic trees are sold during the Christmas season, tree sellers say that cutting down trees from their farms is all right because they are not affecting the natural flora. Even though plastic trees can last decades, they are still thrown out and can add to the junk that cannot be degraded by nature. Real trees on the other hand are widely available in the United States because they are imported from rural areas that have tree farms. After using them, they can be recycled and a new tree grows in its place.
Make your own ornaments
Another way for you to save the environment is to spend less on materials that are not sustainable, such as plastic ornaments. It’s a small step to decreasing your carbon footprint, but every act counts, especially if it can help change how the world works in small ways. To make Christmas ornaments, you can use household items such as paper, glue, and old paint. The internet is full of ideas, so make the most of your time by creating ornaments with your loved ones.
Now that you have some idea on how to save the environment on Christmas, are you ready to take a leap of faith in your newfound sustainable practices?