Each year, Canadians produce 545,000 tonnes of waste from gift wrap and shopping bags. Help reduce this amount by following these take-action tips.
Skip the wrapping
If a gift already comes in a nice box or bag, no need to add more wrapping. Add a reusable bow or make a gift tags from old Christmas cards for some flair.
Reusable wrapping
Wrap gifts in a reusable material like a scarf or reusable gift bag or box.
Furoshiki
Try the art of Furoshiki, a Japanese cloth-folding technique that allows you to wrap objects of various shapes and sizes in a single piece of cloth.
No tape? No problem!
You can also do Furoshiki using wrapping paper. No tape or bows required.
Save and reuse
Keep decorations, wrapping paper, gift bags, and cards for next year. Tip: gently remove tape and fold wrapping paper to keep it looking new!
Use recyclable wrapping paper
Metallic and glossy wrapping paper is not accepted in most municipal recycling programs. Avoid glossy and metallic paper and choose recyclable paper that contains recycled content instead. Tip: kraft paper, old newspaper, maps, and pages from books can make a great eco-friendly wrapping paper.
DIY
Get creative and make your own wrapping paper, bows, and gift tags. There’s lots of cool ideas using recycled or upcycled material such as: gift bags from old maps and books, old christmas cards, or fabric gift bags using old textiles. Check out Waste Reduction Week in Canada’s Holiday Pinterest board for more ideas!