A Guide to Recycling Holiday Gift Wrapping

Did you know that not all wrapping paper is recyclable? Or that tissue paper is not recyclable in most areas? 

In this post, we’re going to talk about the proper way to recycle your holiday gift wrapping this year.

According to a statistic posted by Stanford, Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than any other time of year. 

And who knows how this number will increase this year with COVID-19 shaking up how we do the holidays.

Learning how to recycle correctly is essential. 

Many people try to recycle every year but are not paying attention to how they’re recycling. 

Improper recycling habits can lead to batches of perfectly recyclable items being thrown into a landfill. 

For example, Earth911 estimates that approximately 4.6 million lbs. of wrapping paper are produced in the U.S. each year and about 50% of it ends up in landfills. 

You can make a huge difference this holiday season by being more mindful of how you’re wrapping, sending, and discarding gifts. 

In this post, we’re going to cover how to recycle/discard the following holiday gift wrapping essentials:

• Wrapping paper
• Gift bags
• Tissue paper
• Bows
• Ribbon
• Bubble wrap
• Cardboard boxes
• Holiday cards
• Gift receipts
• BONUS: Amazon packages
• BONUS: Christmas trees!

So, let’s get into how to recycle this gift giving season!

Related Post: Creative Ways to Celebrate the Holiday Season This Year

Wrapping paper

I love me some cute wrapping paper rolls that you buy in those packs – but not all of it is recyclable! 🙁 

This is important to keep in mind because if you mix all paper, you risk the entire batch getting thrown in a landfill instead of recycled. 

Plain wrapping paper is recyclable, but anything with glitter, velvet, metallic, or texture is not. Shiny laminated paper is also not recyclable. 

Plain paper is the best type of paper to use, and there are some cute options out there! 

• Check out this company, Wrappily, who prints their paper on recycled newsprint, which can be recycled multiple times! 
• Or, even big companies like Hallmark have sustainable wrapping paper options. 

Lastly, for those wondering, it’s OK to leave the tape on the wrapping paper. Recyclers will be able to handle it on their end. 

Gift bags

Gift bags are great alternatives to using wrapping paper because they are reusable.

You can recycle the paper only ones.

But, gift bags made with plastic, plastic-coated paper, fabric, and other materials will likely need to go in the trash can. 

Or, you could always remove the tags and save the bags for next year! 

Tissue paper 

Tissue paper is made from low-grade paper materials and is NOT recyclable in most areas. (This was shocking to me!)

Definitely check your area to find out if they have ways to recycle tissue paper before you go sticking a bunch of it into the recycle bin. 

In some cases, you can compost tissue paper, but again, make sure to check your local area for what’s possible. 

Bows 

The plastic paper composite and the glue on the adhesive make bows un-recyclable. 

BUT! You can reuse bows until they wear out. 

So, save them and use double-sided tape next year. 

Ribbon

Ribbons (or anything string-like, like twine) are nightmares for recycling centers.

Think about how hair gets wrapped around your vacuum cleaner – it’s hard to clean and slows down the system for maintenance. 

If you’re a ribbon lover, consider reusing ribbons or buying better quality ones to use over and over again.

Bubble wrap 

Many people will be sending and receiving gifts by mail this year – so, in comes the bubble wrap!

Don’t put bubble wrap into the blue recycling bin. 

It can be recycled, but either at a recycling center that accepts bubble wrap or at those special plastic bag drop-offs in grocery stores. 

NOTE: you need to pop all bubbles before you drop them off at a recycling center. 

Bubble mailers with paper can be recycled if you separate the bubble from the paper. Then you recycle the paper in a blue bin and the bubble in the trash or at a special center. 

Bubble wrap is good to keep reusing repeatedly. I’d recommend reusing it to wrap another fragile gift or use it to keep items safe when you move. 

Cardboard boxes

Cardboard boxes are easy to recycle, but all packages must be broken down and laid flat. 

If you don’t break down boxes, it takes up room in the truck, and they need to make more trips. 

What’s the rule about tape?

• Packages with paper tape – only need to be flattened.
• Packages with single strip plastic tape – OK to just be flattened
• Packages with lots of plastic tape – recommend removing the tape to make it easier, but it’s OK if you can’t get all plastic off the boxes. The recycling center should be able to take care of the rest. 

Holiday cards 

Holiday cards need to be sorted by the types of material they’re printed on. 

Plain paper cards are recyclable. 

But, shiny cards printed on photo paper, ones with lots of metallic embossing, and ones with glitter need to go into the trash. 

Gift receipts 

Did you know that around 50% of the receipts we receive are printed on shiny thermal paper?

This material makes it non-recyclable because it’s impossible to separate. 

So, throw your receipts in the trash unless the paper states it’s recyclable. 

Nowadays, the best solution is not to have stores print your receipts and have them sent to you via email. 

This will allow you to print the receipt at home on recyclable paper if needed. 

BONUS: Amazon Packages

It’s no secret how the convenience of Amazon delivery has helped get us through 2020.  

 For those of you ordering a lot from Amazon, I recommend checking out this article from Mashable that goes over how to recycle the different types of Amazon packaging. 

BONUS: Christmas Trees

Artificial trees are non-recyclable, so those can go in the trash, or you can consider donating. 

You can recycle live trees, but it needs to be done in a certain way. 

First, you need to remove all decorations, tinsel, etc. Then cut the tree into pieces to fit into a green bin. 

If you don’t have a green bin, you can take it to a recycling center that takes Christmas trees or call your city to schedule a pickup.

Additionally, you can check your local city’s online resources for other drop-off places. 

Here’s a link to resources (fire stations, parks, mulching facilities, etc.) for all my Los Angeles friends!

Related Post: 7 Smart Holiday Shopping Hacks & Tips

Summary

It’s crucial for us to be mindful of the impact we’re leaving on our environment to ensure a bright future here on earth. 

Recycling your gift wrapping properly is a small step to make a positive impact. 

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind this season: 

• Be conscious of the materials you’re choosing to wrap your presents. Even though it’s cute, you may be creating more waste. 
• Avoid glitter, metallics, or anything that will make the item non-recyclable. 
• When in doubt, put it in the trash. It’s better to know and fill your bins with known recyclable items than risk the entire load being thrown into a landfill. 

Leave a comment

Are you trying to be more mindful of your holiday waste/packaging this year? Let me know in the comments how you’re trying to be more sustainable!

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