The Best-Dressed Present

How to give attractive gifts and still help save the planet.

December 11, 2011

Health and Life Magazine,

Half the fun of giving a gift lies in the pretty presentation. But those brightly wrapped holiday packages can be so eco-unfriendly.

Wrapping paper is typically non-recyclable because it’s dyed, laminated and often contains metallic coloring or glitter.

So, how to give attractive gifts and still help save the planet?

Try these ideas:

1. Open gifts carefully so you can reuse bows, wrapping paper, gift bags and tissue. Instead of buying gift boxes, reuse shoe boxes and other boxes you have around the house.

2. Consider wrapping or containers that are part of the gift: a scarf, beach towel, a mug, watering can, baby blanket, mixing bowl and so on.

3. Buy squares of beautiful fabrics, cloth bags (check out ecowrap.com, bobowrap.com and wrapnatural.com) and cloth ribbons that can be reused each year.

4. Purchase only wrapping paper and packaging made with mostly or entirely recycled paper. Gorgeous options abound online; check out olivepaper. com, nashvillewraps.com and snailspacepaper.com.