There are a lot of eco-friendly ways to wrap gifts that are actually cheaper than traditional gift wrapping methods, or even free.
These eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas include repurposing items or using materials that you may just have laying around your house.
Usually, the go-to method for wrapping presents is to go straight for beautifully designed wrapping paper and then holding it together with tape. However, it’s pretty wasteful, and these fancy types of wrapping paper and plastic tape aren’t recyclable.
Instead, you can be greener when deciding on gift-wrapping methods, especially during a holiday that’s filled with presents like Christmas.
This blog post will share eco-friendly gift wrapping tips where everything is either compostable, reusable or prolongs the lifespan of gift wrapping materials.
And you can use these gift wrapping methods for a friend or family member, and for birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s day – anything!
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Here are 15 sustainable gift wrap ideas.
1. Wrap gifts with brown paper
The easiest and most straightforward eco-friendly gift wrapping idea is to just use brown kraft paper.
Your typical wrapping paper and a lot of tissue paper usually can’t be recycled because it’s often dyed, laminated or may contain gold/silver designs or glitter, all of which are not recyclable.
Plain paper is more eco-friendly than traditional wrapping paper, especially during the holiday season, because it can be composted or added to your recycling bin.
However, if you can reuse the brown paper instead of composting it, do it! You can reuse the recyclable paper to wrap more presents or use it for crafts, scrapbooking, or making labels for more gifts.
If you have kids, or if you like to get creative, make it an activity to draw on the brown paper prior to wrapping the gift.
It can help liven up the wrapping paper, especially if you don’t care for the solid brown and it’ll be fun! Use natural crayons like these all-natural beeswax eco-crayons so you can still compost the paper.
2. Wrap presents with newspaper
There are a few ways that you can wrap presents without even buying storebought wrapping paper.
A great idea is to wrap gifts in old newspapers instead of wrapping paper, which is a great way to reuse newspaper and it will make your gift unique.
Newspaper not your thing? Try using old books, sheet music, magazines, or a drawing you made that you wouldn’t mind using as gift wrap.
3. Reuse wrapping paper & gift bags
If you receive presents in gift bags with tissue paper or wrapped in wrapping paper that can’t be recycled, hold on to them!
Stockpile used gift wrapping paper (if it’s salvageable), gift bags, ribbons, etc. and reuse them for future gifting to lower your environmental impact.
Reusing wrapping paper and gift bags for future gifts instead of throwing it into the trash is a great way to be more sustainable and help reduce waste.
4. Wrap presents with eco-friendly tape
All your eco-friendly wrapping efforts will be for nothing if you wrap your gift with plastic tape.
Scotch tape is the norm for taping up wrapping paper for gifting, but it’s plastic and can’t be recycled with paper. The plastic tape would need to be taken off the wrapping paper before the paper can be recycled.
You can use Washi tape that’s biodegradable because it’s made from natural materials like bamboo or hemp. Get Christmas-themed Washi tape here.
5. Don’t wrap gifts with plastic tape
Another environmentally friendly option you can do when wrapping gifts is to not use plastic tape. When wrapping your presents with brown paper or newspaper, you don’t need to use tape because it folds super easily.
With the proper folding techniques that you can learn about here and securing the gift with a bit of twine or a piece of cloth ribbon, you got the perfect tape-free gift wrapping.
6. Repurpose cardboard boxes into gift boxes
If your gift is oddly shaped and you need a box to put it in before wrapping it, repurpose a box you received from a purchase you’ve made from a local store or online.
I have a box of boxes in storage that I refer to when it’s time to wrap presents for Christmas or birthdays and they always come in handy.
It’s a great way to reuse cardboard boxes and save money by not having to buy new boxes for gifts.
7. Use decorative gift boxes
An awesome eco-friendly gift wrapping idea, especially if you’re feeling lazy is to use decorative boxes.
Using decorative boxes for gifting purposes is an awesome way to reduce gift wrapping waste. And the best part is that boxes can be reused over and over again, whether for regifting or for storage.
Boxes are also pretty durable, so they will last years and years with proper care.
8. Use jars to hold small gifts
Another zero-waste gift wrapping idea and also a creative one, is to repurpose an old glass jar. If you don’t have any on hand, check our your local thrift store!
You can store certain gifts in old jars like mason jars, glass jars, baby food jars, etc. Small jars can be used for jewelry where bigger jars can hold food-related gifts.
This is a perfect zero-waste gift wrap because there’s nothing to throw away. The gift recipient can reuse the jar for their own needs.
READ MORE: 30 ways to reuse glass jars at home.
9. Skip the plastic ribbon
An eco-friendly and budget-friendly tip for wrapping gifts is to skip plastic ribbons. The sticky adhesive doesn’t usually last long and may fall off your present before you even have a chance to give it. They’re also not easy to reuse.
Use fabric ribbons that can be reused year after year, or use twine or yarn which can easily be kept and reused for years to come.
Twine and other types of rope are more eco-friendly because they’re made with natural materials, making them biodegradable and therefore compostable should they fray too much.
Another eco-friendly ribbon option is to use paper ribbons, which are also compostable.
10. Decorate presents with nature
A creative and super cheap eco-friendly gift wrapping idea is to decorate your present with nature. Give your present a touch of nature by applying elements of the earth as decoration such as leaves, branches, flowers, acorns, pine cones, and berries.
It makes a gift look that much more special, and is a perfect gift accent for nature lovers, especially under Christmas trees!
11. Decorate gifts with ornaments
Another great way to decorate your gift is to apply small ornaments that the person your gift is for can keep and cherish, or that they can use for decorating their own gifts. You can also just tell them to give it back if they don’t want it. Nothing wrong with that!
The ornament can even be something that they can then put on their Christmas tree and keep forever, making it a great personal touch to any present.
READ MORE: how to have a more sustainable Christmas.
12. Don’t use sticker labels on gifts
For labelling presents, a common method is to purchase stickers that you stick on the gift and write who your gift is for. However, those gift labels aren’t recyclable because of the sticky adhesive.
Instead, label your presents using brown or colored paper tags and attach them to the gift with twine. It’s more eco-friendly and honestly, it looks so much prettier!
13. Put presents in brown paper bags
If you would like to put your gift in a bag but don’t have any to reuse, use a brown paper bag. It’s better than buying a decorated gift bag that may have glitter or plastic details making it unrecyclable.
Like brown paper wrap, paper bags can also be composted and/or reused for future regifting. Brown paper bags are also a great way to get a kid’s creativity flowing by decorating the bags with eco-friendly crayons.
14. Use fabric gift bags
Reusable gift bags or even tote bags are a great zero-waste gift wrapping method and probably the easiest way to wrap gifts with less waste. The person receiving the gift can reuse the bag for more gifts, therefore the bag becomes part of the gift.
They are usually made with fabric, making them machine-washable and therefore can be used for many gifts.
Reusable gift bags are a great way to reduce waste. You can usually find them in local stores, or make your own – this tutorial uses an old sweater!
15. Wrap presents using Furoshiki method
Furoshiki is the art of Japanese gift wrapping, which involves using new or old fabrics such as a scarf or a handkerchief.
The fabric is folded and tied, making it a creative and minimalist way to wrap a gift. The giftee can also keep the fabric and reuse it!
Learn how to use the Furoshiki method to wrap your gift by Marie Kondo herself.
Final thoughts on these eco-friendly gift wrap ideas
As you can see, there are a bunch of ways to wrap gifts while avoiding plastic, that still look beautiful.
It’s important to keep the three “Rs” in mind – reduce, reuse, and recycle, especially during the holidays where food, paper, and plastic waste is plentiful.
For holidays like Christmas, make sure to pair your sustainably wrapped gifts with a sustainable Christmas tree!
Want more sustainable living tips? Check out this post with 30 tips to help you create an eco-friendly home.
Eco-friendly gift wrapping is such a simple way to reduce waste this year. Thanks for creating this amazing list!
What an extensive list! You gave me ideas I had never thought about before.