7 Quick and Easy Ways to Avoid Gift Wrapper Waste

We don’t think much about it, but as a country, we waste a whole lot of wrapping paper each year. And, given that we spend over $10 billion annually just on wrapping paper, maybe it’s time to consider how to avoid waste in the future so that we can be more cost-efficient moving forward. In fact, one way to give back to the Earth this year, and every year going forward, is to practice sustainable gift-wrapping.

How to Wrap Those Gifts Like a Pro and Reduce Waste While Doing So

While nobody out there is about to give up wrapping presents entirely, as you will see, there are some simple ways to avoid as much wrapping paper waste as possible.

Tip #1: Be Precise with Your Sizing

Perhaps the biggest cause of wrapping paper waste is failing to use the right amount of paper per gift. Either we cut too small of a piece, only to throw it out and have to start over, or we cut way too big of a piece, resulting in a lot of unusable trimmed pieces that go straight into the garbage. It’s best to make more of an effort by positioning your gift onto the paper and folding the paper over prior to cutting it to make sure your size is right.

Tip #2: Buy More Paper Per Roll

Buying more paper per roll can leave you with less waste in terms of the cardboard cylinder in the center, as well as the paper itself. The more wrapping paper per roll, the more surface area we have to work with to ensure that we can fit even those large gifts all onto a single roll of paper.

Tip #3: Put Awkwardly Shaped Items in a Box

Awkwardly shaped gifts like those that are cylindrical and those that are asymmetrical can be wrapped, but they do require more paper to do so, to compensate for unusual edges or curves. Instead, consider placing your item into a box that just fits the gift, and wrapping that instead.  

Tip #4: Don’t Use Too Large of a Box, Either 

We know that most gifts go best in a box, and that this makes for an easier time wrapping. But, avoid putting a gift in a box that’s too large, or you’ll use far more wrapping paper than is necessary.

Tip #5: Save Leftover Paper for Next Year

After a busy gift-giving holiday, it’s tempting to throw out all of the extra wrapping paper that’s leftover to clear more space in our closet. But actually, this is going to end up being pretty wasteful. Try to designate a small space in your home to wrapping paper, so that you can get by without buying more each year.

Tip #6: Go for More Neutral Designs

The more specific the wrapping paper design is to a certain occasion, the more limited you’ll be when it comes to how often you can use it. We recommend buying some more neutral wrapping paper that isn’t necessarily associated with any one occasion, so that you can get more use out of it instead of having to throw it out after wrapping a single gift.

Tip #7: Stack Multiple Gifts Together (if Possible)

If you can, consider wrapping multiple gifts together – such as two similarly sized, short boxes that can be stacked on top of one another. This way, you’re using a little less than half the wrapping paper you’d use to wrap each gift separately.

Avoid Waste for a More Responsible Way to Gift-Wrap 

Wasted wrapping paper ends up costing us more in the long run, so consider these tips to maximize each roll that you have. Better yet, stick to the recyclable and biodegradable wrapping paper at Waterleaf Paper to not only minimize wasted paper at home, but to ensure that if there’s any wasted paper, it won’t cause any harm to the environment.