6 Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas That Are Beautiful and Sustainable

Lower the environmental impact of your celebrations—without lowering your wrapping standards.

Nothing makes a celebratory get-together feel more festive than a pile of brightly wrapped presents waiting to be opened. But even if your family keeps its gift-giving low-key, the combined environmental impact of gift wrapping and supplies adds up in a decidedly un-merry way. Unfortunately, a pile of gifts comes with a pile of gift-wrap trash.

"The United States produces 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper every year, and half of that—approximately 2.3 million pounds—winds up in landfills," says Andrea Zoellner, co-founder of Keiko Furoshiki reusable gift wrap. While the paper industry's impact on biodiversity and local communities is a year-round issue, says Zoellner, it's especially pertinent during the holidays. "With the holiday season, the demand for virgin fiber specifically—as opposed to recycled—increases, since new material is easier to turn into the kind of glossy, colorful wrapping paper customers want."

Still, you don't have to sacrifice the look of your perfectly wrapped presents—and we argue that sustainable options are even more creative and beautiful. Ready to start thinking outside of the box? Ahead, read Zoellner's eco-minded alternatives, which range from wrapping with luxurious fabrics or regiftable tote bags to sourcing recyclable wrapping paper and reusing last year's bows in the prettiest ways possible.

Traditional Japanese furoshiki are sheets of fabric in varying sizes, colors, and patterns that can be used to create simple—or detailed—wraps. "Furoshiki are perfect precisely because they can be reused over and over again—and for so much more than just gifts," says Zoellner. "Plus, you don’t need tape, just a few knots and a little inspiration."

When you wrap your gifts in furoshiki, the fabric itself can become part of the gift—which means you're cutting down on future wrapping paper waste, too. But non-custom fabrics work just as well: "You don’t need a furoshiki specifically," says Zoellner. "You can use a decorative scarf found at a thrift store or gift a printed bandana you know your recipient will love." Using tea towels is another way to add a bonus to the gift.

For best results, she recommends using fabric with enough give that you can easily tie but that's sturdy enough to withstand multiple occasions. The right size is important, too: If you're short on fabric, you won't be able to create a bow; if you have too much extra, the floppy ends will distract from the overall effect. When it doubt, err on the larger side, says Zoellner. "You can fix it by getting creative with your wrapping technique and tying the excess fabric into fun bows and decorative knots," she says.

Wrapping paper made from recycled material has less of a carbon footprint than new by about half, says Zoellner, but the best option is to use paper that is both recycled and recyclable. "It’s a common misconception that all wrapping paper is recyclable, when the truth is, very little of it is," she says. "Paper with a glossy coating, texture, metallic or glitter finish is not recyclable. And unfortunately, depending on where you live, not separating non-recyclable wrapping paper from your bin may result in your whole load being labeled as trash."

If you're looking for recyclable options, unwaxed paper and kraft paper are simple and easy to customize. "Kraft is easy to find and is recyclable up to seven times, as long as you don’t add too much paint, any stickers, or glitter paint," says Zoellner. (If you're not sure whether your paper is waxed, Zoellner recommends crumpling it into ball; if it bounces back, it's probably not recyclable.) "It’s a bit more of an investment, but consider paper that uses soy-based ink and that is sourced from forests managed sustainably, such as those endorsed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an organization that establishes criteria for socially and environmentally responsible forestry," she says.

Odd-shaped or oversized gifts are most easily wrapped in a gift bag. "One way to level-up is to wrap a gift in a fabric bag," says Zoellner. "You can buy these or make them yourself from scraps of fabric and encourage your gift recipient to pass them on with their next gift. For a no-sew version, use hemming tape to bind the fabric."

You can also invest in nylon or cotton totes ("preferably ones made from recycled materials," says Zoellner) that your recipient can pass on next year. "This ensures the bag will have a second, third, and fourth life … and beyond," she says.

Clear plastic tape is not recyclable and—even worse—it can turn a pile of otherwise recyclable paper into traditional trash. Zoellner recommends replacing your clear tape with washi tape or another paper option. "Most washi tapes are manufactured using eco-friendly processes, incorporating rubber adhesive and biodegradable paper backings," she says. (Bonus: The patterned tape is even prettier than its plastic counterpart.)

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Glossy paper bows and ribbons also can't be disposed of with your recyclables. "Most bows and ribbons are not recyclable, as they are made with the same plastic-paper composite as mass-produced wrapping paper," says Zoellner. "A better alternative to ribbon is raffia, which is biodegradable; you can also make your own recycled and recyclable tags, bows, and adornments using paper. Wrapping with fabric is great because you don’t need any ribbons or bows."

If you have a stash of paper, gift bags, bows, and ribbons—or if you can't get your family on board with giving up single-use products—then save whatever you can find for future gift-giving. "The best is to reuse as much as you can from previous years," says Zoellner. "It will be nearly impossible to not receive a gift wrapped in some form of disposable wrapping, but if you can extend its life by using it again, that’s already a step in the right direction."

Get creative by cutting up patterned bags to make bows, shredding magazines and newspaper to use as box filler, or cutting apart boxes and reassembling them inside out to expose the plain surface. "The most creative ideas come from using what you already have," she says.