At this time of the year we often think ahead to wrapping gifts in readiness for Christmas. What we don’t always think about is that much of the paper we use for gift-wrapping is not recyclable and gift wrap constitutes a vast amount of the paper we use. So we add here some helpful thoughts for wrapping gifts this year as we seek to find small and practical ways to care for God’s gift of the Earth just as we care for one another.

Re-use and recycle what you already have at home
Consider using plain white or brown paper or newspaper that is recyclable and decorate with small re-usable items
Use brown paper bags
Use your original artwork or your children’s artwork for paper and decoration
Make cloth bags for gifts or wrap gifts in cloths such as serviettes, kitchen towels or other household linen that can form part of your gift
Make some of your own gifts in the kitchen and use decorative tins that can be re-used or bottles and jars decorated with your home-made labels

Every small step counts and through this creative and sustainable approach to gift-wrapping people will know you care!