This is the first holiday season since I made a serious commitment to making my life more sustainable. According to Treehugger, there’s a 25% increase in the amount of waste this time of year. Not surprising when I recall the mountain of wrapping paper that filled my family’s living room last Christmas. So I’ve decided this year to try wrapping all of my gifts in reusable or recyclable materials. Last night I pulled out some newspaper from the recycling, bought some bargain-bin ribbons, and had a go with the first batch of presents.

Quite frankly, it wasn’t much different than wrapping with commercial paper. I double layered the newspaper to ensure opacity, but it had about the same weight and handled the same. One full sheet is enough to wrap a large book, and I used two sheets to cover the larger box without much difficulty.
The ribbon is key. I was a little worried about my family’s reaction to newspaper gift wrap, but a bit of color and texture goes a long way. My mother even called the gifts “beautiful.” My one splurge was the wide red ribbon with wire edges; it wasn’t from the bargain-bin, but it was worth it. The best results came from mixing two ribbons together and encircling the presents in both directions. But you don’t have to be Martha Stewart to make this look good. All of the bows are the same as the one I use to tie my sneakers.

How sustainable is this? I’m reusing the newspaper, but taking a risk that my gift recipient will throw it away, along with the first-use ribbon. However, most of my friends and family recycle their newspapers, so as long as they take a second to separate it from the commercial gift wrap, it should work out. I cut the ribbon long enough that it can be reused and picked solid colors that will work beyond Christmas, so it’ll be pretty tempting to save. Theoretically all of the trimmings here can avoid the landfill!

There is one thing to remember when wrapping with newspaper. You must check the paper you’re using to make sure it’s appropriate. Don’t accidentally wrap your grandma’s mittens with yesterday’s obituaries! Also, be on the lookout for adult-themed advertisements, controversial editorials, and overly depressing news stories. I found the life section to be the safest bet for most gifts.

The Naib recently invited me to start posting a bit for The Sietch Blog, and I’m excited to be contributing to a community I admire. Check out my personal blog GreenDweller if you like what I’ve done and want to read more like it :)