Wrapping your holiday gifts in an eco-friendly way
- by Guest Contributor
- December 20, 2023
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Tips from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)
The holiday season is here! No matter how you choose to celebrate, everyone can choose sustainability this season.
Wrapping paper, gift bags, tape, and tags often get tossed after their first use.
Here are some ways to help make your gift wrapping and gift giving more eco-friendly:
Image: A photo from Stephanie Distler from when she created and presented the Key to the PA Wilds at the 2022 PA Wilds Champion Awards and Dinner. See her products at the Stephanie Distler Studios’ storefront on the PA Wilds Marketplace.
Wrap it up
Use newspaper, magazines, scrap fabric, reusable bags, or even your child’s drawings to wrap gifts. Get creative! String, twine, or yarn can be used to hold everything together. You can find templates to make gift bags, gift boxes, and more out of pretty much anything you have lying around.
Save the scraps
Save scraps of string, yarn, gift bags, and wrapping paper you receive to use next year. Use small bits of trimmings left over from your Christmas tree or other greenery as accents on your gifts or decor.
Reuse your cards
Save your holiday cards to be reused or repurposed. Cut the back off of a card to use it as a post card, or create a custom shaped gift tag. Envelopes are another great source of craft paper for name cards, etc. Some charities also accept donations of used holiday cards.
Look for sustainable options
Can’t let go of your patterned wrapping paper? There are some recyclable and compostable wrapping paper and ribbons available.
Find more tips to make your holidays more sustainable from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
What’s inside that gift wrap? Shop local for your gifts!
Now that you know how to wrap your gifts in an eco-friendly way… think about what’s inside that wrapping paper! Shopping local is more sustainable than buying from a big box store or a major online retailer.
If you can walk to a small, locally owned business in a town’s downtown area, you’re being more environmentally friendly and contributing less to congestion, pollution and habitat loss. Even if you choose to order these products online from a small business, you’ll often find that there is still a reduction in your carbon footprint. The products likely won’t have to be shipped as far.
And if you choose a product that was sourced locally in the PA Wilds (such holiday ornaments made from Pennsylvania Wilds wood or a PA Wilds Outdoor Discovery Atlas that was printed on paper from our region), you’re reducing your environmental impact even further by making sure that those products don’t have to be shipped from literally the other side of the planet.
When you purchase at a small business rather than a big box store, more money stays within that local community. In fact, a survey released in 2018 by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) found that about 67 cents of every dollar spent at a small business remains in the community. Those dollars are often reinvested in the local economy, with those businesses then spending that money at other farms, service providers and companies throughout the region. Your dollar bills will be happy to spend more time in the PA Wilds!
Check out the PA Wilds Marketplace to buy from artisans within the region, or buy a Shop the PA Wilds Digital Gift Card that can be used at more than 85 different locations throughout the area!
About DCNR:
Established on July 1, 1995, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is charged with maintaining and protecting 121 state parks; managing 2.2 million acres of state forest land; providing information on the state’s ecological and geologic resources; and establishing community conservation partnerships with grants and technical assistance to benefit rivers, trails, greenways, local parks and recreation, regional heritage parks, open space, and natural areas. DCNR’s mission is to conserve and sustain Pennsylvania’s natural resources for present and future generations’ use and enjoyment. Learn more at DCNR.pa.gov.
