Looking at the wrapping paper that's filling up three trash bags of freshly-shredded gift wrap lying on your living room floor?
Whether you're a Christmas-tree-hugger or you just hate to waste resources, you're probably feeling a little guilty about all that wasted Christmas wrapping paper.
It seems like such a shame to waste as much as half of the 85 million tons of paper products Americans consume every year goes toward packaging, wrapping and decorating goods. Also, wrapping paper and shopping bags alone account for about 4 million tons of trash annually in the U.S., according to Earth911.com -- especially when you only managed to wrap those gifts a couple of hours before they were opened (like me).
Good news! The Green River recycling program has been getting smart about reducing our community's holiday footprint and -- much like the Christmas tree composting efforts – now the recycling program offers wrapping paper recycling.
Now, can you just recycle your gift wrap in the regular paper bin and go about your merry way? Here in Green River the answer is most likely yes.
However, there are a number of steps you can take to green your gift wrapping and holiday cards. Below are some green gift wrapping tips:
Buy your wrapping materials with the recycling process in mind.
• The most common wrapping papers to avoid are those that contain pretty metallic or foil decorations.
• Go with 100% recycled gift wrap whenever possible. It's greener to start with and chances are, if it's made from recycled materials, it can be recycled again.
• If you don't mind the fact that your wrap isn't Christmas-specific, use the funny pages -- it's a proven, time-honored practice and more fun to read than regular wrapping paper.
• If you wanna get all crafty, wrap you gifts in butcher paper and decorate them with original masterpieces.
• Lastly, you can move away from the whole wrapping paper thing altogether. Reusable gift bags and organic cotton gift wraps (aka kitchen towels) look just as awesome and can last a lifetime of Christmas holidays.