Nicole PamaniComment

Guilt-Free Gift Wrapping

Nicole PamaniComment
Guilt-Free Gift Wrapping

Over the holidays, about 227,000 miles worth of wrapping paper get thrown away.

That’s enough to circle the world 9 times!

Earlier this year I did a poll of my friends and colleagues to find out what their biggest sustainability pet peeve was about the holidays. An overwhelming number of people responded with ‘wrapping paper waste.’ My first reaction was YES I HAVE FOUND MY PEOPLE. My second reaction was to dig into why this is such a huge pain point around the holidays and what the opportunity is for a more sustainable solution. Here’s what I found:

  • Most wrapping paper cannot be recycled because it has been dyed, laminated, or contains non-paper additives like glitter or foil

  • Wrapping paper and shopping bags alone account for about 4 million tons of trash annually in the U.S. alone

  • In 2017, Americans spent a total of $12.7 billion on gift wrap, including wrapping paper, tissue paper and gift bags

As an American who has grown up attending birthday parties, holiday gatherings, graduations, anniversaries, weddings, baby showers - I always knew that wrapping paper was a huge creator of waste, but I had no idea just how much money we were throwing away every year for that fleeting moment of joy.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that wrapping gifts is not for the receiver - it is for the giver. There is something so special about taking the time to beautifully adorn a hand-selected gift for a loved one. And to be completely honest, it’s a dopamine hit that I’m not fully ready to give up.

That’s why I was delighted to have Sara Smith, founder of Wrappily, as this week’s guest for Do What You Can For The People. Wrappily is a company that makes and sells gift wrapping printed on 100% recyclable newsprint. And y’all… the designs are SO CUTE. In the episode Sara and I chat about why this issue matters to us personally, how Wrappily has created a more sustainable solution while reinvigorating a struggling industry, and some fun alternatives to using wrapping entirely. We hope that this episode inspires you to think a bit more creatively and consciously this year. The holidays are a time for joy and laughter and warm, fuzzy feelings - things that we shouldn’t have to compromise on! But if we can find a way to maintain our traditions while reducing our guilt, I am HERE for it.