Sustainable solutions this holiday season

25 million tons of trash are generated during the winter holiday. Even with your best intentions around recycling those bags and bags of gift wrap, be warned: not all wrapping paper is recyclable.

In December, there is a 23 percent increase in tons of waste generated by Americans, according to the Center for Biological Diversity in a 2021 study, and more wrapping paper goes to the landfill than you would expect.

What type of wrapping paper is recyclable? The short answer is that it depends on what materials make up, or stick to, the paper. Here is a quick primer to help you choose recyclable packaging for your presents and make this holiday season a more sustainable one.

If it’s shiny, watch out!

Paper is a highly recycled material, but contaminants often enter the process, unbeknownst to consumers, rendering the paper unrecyclable.

Dr. Sam Winslow is the senior director of commercial strategy for Arnasi, a product development company creating next-generation biomedical and CPG brands by leveraging proprietary technology to enhance sustainability and product experience. Winslow guides packaging development at Arnasi and he issues this warning about wrapping paper: If it’s shiny, watch out!

“Unfortunately, what you have to watch out for are any adornments that add a shine or sparkle,” Winslow said. “Metallic, glittery, shiny; these are all indications of a layer of non-recyclable material added to the paper.”

Winslow also suggests looking for paper that has been sustainably sourced, marked with an FSC label.

Proper recycling techniques

Most mixed materials are not recyclable, including foam peanuts, ribbons, bows, string, bubble wrap, sticky labels, metallic cards, and cards printed on photo paper. These materials should be repurposed instead.

Still not sure if your wrapping paper can be recycled? Do a scrunch test! Crinkle wrapping paper in your hand; paper that bounces back cannot be recycled.

Packaging alternatives

There are plenty of eco-friendly and multi-use wrapping solutions to forego traditional wrapping paper altogether.

A creative list of alternative wrapping solutions:

• A scarf or piece of fabric
• Newspaper
• Paper grocery bags
• An old map
• Children's artwork
• Sheet Music

These are creative materials that might be lying around your house already, so you can save money and time this season while minimizing your footprint on the planet.

Put the “Reuse” in “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”

Winslow notes that the above principles for wrapping paper selection help decontaminate the recycling stream but if you can’t recycle what you have, reuse it next year instead and together we can work to reduce that 25 million tons of annual holiday trash.

Recapping some sustainable holiday gift wrap tips and tricks:

1. If it’s shiny, watch out!
2. Remember to remove all contaminants. That includes tape, ribbon, and bows.
3. Get creative with wrapping alternatives
4. If it can’t be recycled, save it for next year’s wrapping.

To give the planet the best holiday gift this season, make informed decisions when choosing how to wrap your gifts. Happy holidays and happy wrapping!