First there was the video of the turtle with the straw up its nose that went viral, then there was the Drowning in Plastic documentary, and the Stacey Dooley documentary about fast fashion. Last month ‘single-use’ was named Word Of The Year by Collins Dictionary, (‘plogging’ – the activity of picking up litter whilst jogging – was another contender for that title), and ‘microbead’ was also recently added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Environmental issues have been at the forefront of people’s minds and consciousness in 2018 – and about blinkin’ time too.

So when a friend mentioned to me that she intended to use eco-friendly wrapping for her Christmas presents this year, I kicked myself for never having even considered this. A little more research taught me that:

– Wrapping paper which contains foil or glitter or is a bit sheen-y can’t be recycled.
– The test is to scrunch the paper into a ball. If it stays scrunched, it can probably be recycled.
– Sellotape isn’t recyclable either. So you might want to use a biodegradable tape such as this one.

Here are some eco-friendly alternatives that I’ll be using to pretty up my prezzies this year.

Eco-Friendly Christmas Wrapping Idea #1 {Kraft paper}

Kraft paper has been my go-to wrapping paper for years. And it’s recyclable! YESSS. I think there’s nothing chic-er than a load of brown paper packages tied up with string/jute/posh ribbon. (No-one’s gonna chuck a posh ribbon). Pop on an acorn, a pinecone, a sprig of eucalyptus or a Christmas tree clipping and ta-da, super stylish but planet-friendly presents. Or if you’ve got kids, get them to help you decorate the kraft paper with potato stamps or blobs of colourful paint dotted on with a cotton wool bud. (Biodegradable ones, obvs). For more inspiration of how to prettify that brown paper, I blogged about it a couple of years back in this post.

Eco-Friendly Christmas Wrapping Idea #2 {Furoshiki}

Furoshiki is the Japanese art of fabric wrapping, which requires no Sellotape. You’d think being half Japanese I’d know about this, but the first I heard of it was this year when I noticed this post on Occasional Home Store’s gorgeous insta feed. I’ve got a load of pretty bits of fabric that would be ideal for this, and then that same fabric can be used again and again.

Eco-Friendly Christmas Wrapping Idea #3 {Jute Bags}

Instead of wrapping presents, pop them in a jute bag with a bit of tissue paper. (Tissue paper passes the scrunch test and as such is recyclable). I spotted these jute carriers whilst prepping for our DIY project with Hobbycraft and thought they’d make lovely gift bags.

Eco-Friendly Christmas Wrapping Idea #4 {Christmas Stockings}

Last year my friend gave me a load of small but thoughtful presents inside a stocking (nail polish, posh chocolates etc) – it made me feel like a kid again and the stocking was an extra present in itself. (Whilst we’re talking stocking fillers, how cute are these Ping for Gin and Press for Prosecco bells? (They would also make a great Secret Santa gift, as they’re only a fiver. You’re welcome).

Oh, and if you’re going to sprinkle reindeer dust in your garden with the littles on Christmas Eve (porridge oats and glitter), then you might want to use the biodegradable stuff.

Have you done all your Christmas shopping/wrapping yet? Have you got any more ideas to add to the list?