Every year one of the things I look forward to most is wrapping Christmas presents.
I can no longer remember how it started, but I do remember wrapping presents for all my family members (except myself), leaving my presents the plainest under the tree. But I loved it!
My mom used to work at a department store and sometimes I'd help them wrap presents in the back. That's where I learned measuring my paper so there's enough to cover the sides, folding in and over on the sides instead of taping the top down to the bottom, and edging the sides for a crisper look.
This year as I looked at my stash (low on green and white bows, plenty of everything else), I started to consider the waste my beautifully wrapped presents generate and I've come to a big decision.
I have a lot of stock (wrapping paper, ribbons, bows), but I am going to start whittling it down and using less. And when I'll run out, I'll get creative.
People wrapped presents long before the modern "disposable" wrap and I feel called to return to that.
It's for the paths through the forests and the clean water I used to drink right out of the creek at the top of the hill on Ratliff's Creek.
It may be to late, but I don't have to keep hurting the environment on purpose.
I mixed and matched scraps to wrap presents this year.
This is a silver and striped paper combo.
I kept all the bows and ribbons I could salvage from presents and cut out big sections of paper, after we'd unwrapped, for use next year.
I then picked out all the recyclable scraps and put them in our recycling bin.
After choosing what to reuse and to recycle, I only had about two handfuls of waste.
I like to look for Christmas cards at thrift stores and plan to look for other materials for wrapping (ribbon, scarfs, handkerchiefs).
I bought some vintage wrapping paper at an estate sale (uses existing stock instead creating need for more production).
With much of the climate change movement being led by young adults, you may be able to enlist their help dividing your piles of wrapping paper and helping you reuse and recycle it.