Furman Greenbelt Sustainable Living Community

What’s better than plastic? Paper! As the world finally starts to appreciate the environmental consequences of decades worth of plastic being dumped into oceans and landfills, there’s been a rise in the production of single-use paper products. Over the course of one year the world uses over 400 million tons worth of paper products – anything from napkins, paper plates, newspaper, cardboard, to cash – to be used and eventually thrown away or recycled. Compared to 400+ years it takes for a single piece of plastic to break down, paper has a much more sustainable life cycle, one that ends in anywhere from 4-6 weeks’ worth of decomposition or shipment to a recycling plant.

Although industrial paper recycling reduces a significant percentage of the carbon emissions and environmental degradation associated with new paper production and manufacturing, it doesn’t mean there are NO negative impacts associated with this process. I know that sounds incredibly disheartening and you’re probably left wondering things like: What am I supposed to do as a consumer if recycling isn’t a perfect solution to solving the climate crisis? and What can I do to be more sustainable while still consuming single use paper products? Well, the most effective solution is to decrease the amount of single use products you consume. But for most people, drastically reducing personal waste isn’t particularly feasible, so here’s one example of a fun and easy way to reduce the amount of paper you send to recycling centers and landfills without having to cut down on consumption:

Make Your Own Paper! (Using old, “pre-loved” paper):

Recycling paper at home is extremely accessible and doesn’t take much time, money, or effort. I was inspired to make my own paper after watching a TikTok video last year in my dorm room. It seemed like a sustainable excuse to write sweet, homemade notes to my new college buddies without spending money at the store AND it gave my old notebooks and scrap paper a new purpose (other than filling up my shelves and recycling bin)! This is a great activity to do with friends and can be done outside or even in your dorm room. 

 

MATERIALS:

• Mould and deckle (i.e., tool for straining the paper pulp and shaping your pages)
  • Pro Tip: buy one from a craft store or from Amazon OR head to your local secondhand store and pick up two wooden picture frames of the same size. Cut a piece, a few inches larger than your frames, out of an old pair of stockings (or any fabric material you have access to that would easily let water drain from it – the more porous the better). Lay the fabric over one of the frames and staple it down.
• Medium sized bin/storage container 
• 2 gallons of water 
• Scrap paper (newspaper, notes, egg cartons, cardstock, etc.)
• 1 small bed sheet
• Blender

STEPS:

1. Rip up all the paper you intend on using – I typically use the equivalent of 1 newspaper per batch of homemade paper – into small pieces.
2. Fill about a ⅓ of the blender with the shredded paper and the rest with lukewarm water. 
3. Blend the paper until the water and paper become a smooth pulpy paste. 
4. Fill the bin/storage container with the 2 gallons of water and pour in the blended paper pulp. Stir the mixture until the pulp is evenly distributed in the water. 
   • Pro Tip: add a few drops of natural fabric dye or a splash of coffee to change the color of the paper. Get creative with it!
5. Place the mould and deckle (or your makeshift one) horizontally into the water with the fabric side on the bottom. Slowly lift the mould and deckle out of the water, making sure to let the water drain from the pulp left on the fabric.
6. Take the still horizontal mould and deckle to the sheet, – which should be laid on a flat surface – remove the top frame and press the page-shaped pulp face down on the sheet. The page-shaped pulp should be left flat on the sheet.
7. Repeat the process until the pulp becomes too thin in the water to form pages or until you have made the desired number of pages.
8. Let the pages, now laying on the bed sheet, dry for at least 48 hours before gently peeling them off the sheet.
9. And that’s it! Now you have homemade paper for writing anything from love letters to organic chemistry notes!

 

With the holidays just around the corner, make sure to tie a piece of ribbon or twine around a stack of your beautiful, handmade paper and gift it to a loved one. I’m sure they will adore your practical and sustainable present! Have fun crafting!!

 

 

Citations:

“Is Paper Better than Plastic?” BBC News, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/made-on-earth/how-paper-is-making-a-comeback/.

Parker, Laura. “Plastic Pollution Facts and Information.” Environment, National Geographic, 3 May 2021, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution.

Pullen, Kate. “Create Your Own Handmade Papers from Recycled Card.” The Spruce Crafts, The Spruce Crafts, 30 July 2020, https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/make-unique-handmade-paper-by-recycling-2905566.

Many of us know the basics of sustainability and/or caring for the environment– less carbon dioxide emissions, more renewable energy sources, eat less meat, eat locally, etc. This being said, the question must be asked: how many of us actually have a practical solution to address any of these issues or goals? If you don’t have a degree in Sustainability Sciences, you might not have a solution. After all, it is difficult to account for the advancement of every single person in an environmental, economic, and social sense. However, one doesn’t need an advanced degree to understand the basics of farming. Working at Oak Hill Cafe and Farm this past summer taught me everything I needed to know.

Oak Hill Cafe and Farm is a farm-to-table restaurant on Poinsett Highway in between Furman University and downtown Greenville. Taking a quick glance at Oak Hill from the outside, it looks rather unassuming. After all, it is situated right next to a gas station on the right, Hakim Persian Rugs on the left, and an old apartment complex behind it. However, once I actually visited for the first time, I found that it was more of a quaint, urban-style restaurant with a small farm in the backyard.

I originally chose to work at Oak Hill Cafe to find something to do over the summer, as summers in Myrtle Beach can get quite a bit dull. However, I was unprepared for everything I would experience during my time there. I spent long hours and longer days tilling soil, weeding, planting new seedlings, harvesting old ones, washing vegetables, and fending off ant bites, often alongside my fellow Greenbelter Kerry Black. I might sound as if I’m making out my experience at Greenbelt to be negative, but I have learned very valuable lessons from my internship! This has led me to believe that farming done sustainably is arguably the most effective strategy to make a positive environmental impact on the world.

 

Why, you might ask?

It’s easy! This type of farming without use of harmful elements like pesticides and insecticides, also called subsistence farming, has been around since circa 8,000 B.C. (NatGeo), so it’s not like this is a relatively new concept. However, its popularity is starting to be revived after a decades long period of near insignificance due to the domination of big agribusiness. It is inspiring to know that there are an increasing amount of “pockets” of sustainability that exist where it previously seemed impossible, as my mentor Haley Disinger recalled. One would not expect a space wedged in between a gas station and a rug store to house a well-operated and sustainable cafe and farm, but Oak Hill Cafe and Farm is making it happen. It is my hope that other creative thinkers– not just those with a college degree– become inspired to act in a sustainable fashion just as I have!

The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race, at least regarding the lasting effects of carbon emissions. Sure, industrialization it gave us fancy clothes, cool cars, and YikYak, but it behooves us to acknowledge the impact carbon emissions and fossil fuels have on our planet. The main harm carbon emissions, or CO2, pose is the greenhouse effect. 

This is essentially when the CO2 in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun from leaving, making the planet hotter. Our atmosphere is does have to conserve some heat from the Sun, or else Earth would always have sub-zero temperatures, similar to Mars, which has a very thin atmosphere. But the Earth is not designed to heat up as much as it is, as quickly as it is. So, in an age of discovery and innovation, how can we continue to progress, while cutting carbon emissions as much as we can? 

One solution has been solar power, which sounds cool, but not many people know its benefits/drawbacks. Obviously, the sun is very powerful and generates a lot of energy; the amount of sunlight that covers the Earth’s surface for an hour and a half is sufficient to power the world’s energy consumption for a whole year. So why don’t we just put a bunch of solar panels in the desert, where no one lives? Well, unfortunately with the way we currently harness energy from the Sun, a large solar power plant would pale in comparison to a plant of different energy, say nuclear or otherwise, with regard to both energy production and cost efficiency.

So, it is more likely to use solar energy for personal use, on top of your home. This can either power portions of your home, or, depending on your energy usage, power your entire home! The installation of solar panels is costly, but it most definitely pays for itself over the years, as you save money and energy the longer you have them up.

It seems we’ve solved the climate problem then, yes? Simply put up solar panels! Well, no. Electricity production makes up only 25% of greenhouse gas emissions (2019), where the transportation sector is responsible for 29%. On average, the daily miles driven by a given car in the US is roughly 25.9 (2017). Provided that the car is taken out more than once, we can assume a trip is less than 13 miles (13 miles there and back is roughly the average of 26). Given the average biker clocks 15mph on an hour-long ride, biking to your locations, especially urban, is very possible, and more sustainable than driving, both for power and cost. If biking is not feasible, you can always save up for a hybrid or electric car, too, to lessen your carbon footprint. Of course, sustainability is all about practice, not perfection, so trying to implement these and other practices into your routine, even a little, will make you feel more fulfilled and ready to combat climate change. Simply turning off the water and the lights when you’re not using them can make a difference, and are a catalyst for bigger changes in your life. And once you’ve done all you can to live sustainably, the only thing left to do is encourage corporations to do the same.

 

References:

Kazmeyer, Milton. “Is CO2 Bad for the Planet?” Sciencing, 2 Mar. 2019, https://sciencing.com/co2-bad-planet-4876.html.

Coffee is arguably one of the most prevalent drugs in america, over 150 million americans are regular coffee drinkers, and lately during the pandemic around 85% of people have at least one cup of coffee at home. I personally have a cup every morning, partly for the energy but mostly for the routine. I’ve been doing so for a few years, and as a consequence have learned a lot about what it means to know where your beans came from. Many people don’t think twice about it, likely not even once. They just take their cup and keep walking. Many, however, do care about holding accountable the hands that deliver us our joe, and that’s led to a large movement in the past few decades towards keeping those hands clean. Today, we can deliberate over wide selections of coffee, varying in roast depth, flavor notes, origin, acidity levels, even the specific process by which the beans were roasted. Along with these often is information about how sustainable the farms and roasters are, allowing consumers to make informed decisions about their java.

First, we must understand the path of a coffee bean from crop to cup. Coffee trees actually come from the same beans we roast, and they take about 3-4 years to bear crop. They’re harvested either by hand or by machine, depending on the landscape, and if by hand, they can also be harvested selectively or all at once. They’re then either dried as they are, or processed with water to remove the pulp from the cherry that surrounds the bean. If processed wet they must still be dried after. The beans are then milled to remove the parchment layer, and sorted by weight and size. Then they’re shipped off and roasted in the importing countries, at about 550 degrees fahrenheit. Then they’re either packaged whole bean or ground, bought by consumers, and brewed (if packaged whole bean the consumer will grind it themselves). So, where is there room for sustainability?

Where the coffee plant is grown, all agricultural tenets of sustainability apply, such as avoiding unsafe pesticides and herbicides, conserving water, and supporting surrounding ecosystems. Where the beans are processed, dry processing helps to conserve water, though it may take more time. After imported, most beans go to cafes or commercial roasters and grinders, and it almost goes without arguing that large scale production is usually unsustainable. Once in your hands, you can brew them however you want, and some methods such as espresso machines and french presses are less wasteful then methods that require paper filters. Yet if you do use paper filters, most filters are compostable. Either way, you should try to find a way to compost your grounds, as they are relatively rich with nutrients for your compost.

It may feel like you don’t have much control over what happens before beans end up on the shelf, but you do. Aside from choosing companies that are green certified, fair trade, or organic, you can also choose coffee companies that dedicate themselves to furthering sustainable efforts in ways that you as a consumer may not be able to. Counter Culture Coffee, for example, publishes a transparency report every year that opens the windows on everything they’re doing to put stuff in your mug that you can feel good about. Not only does this keep them accountable, but it holds a higher standard for other companies who may not be honest about how sustainable they are.

There are lots of ways to be sustainable in your life, coffee is just one way. Yet the ability of consumers to hold big companies accountable for their actions is something that the coffee community does very well. We should all do our part to maintain a focus on our future.

 

Works Cited

National Coffee Association. NCA. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://www.ncausa.org/about-coffee/10-steps-from-seed-to-cup.

The semester is coming to an end, which means it’s almost time for Christmas! As you begin your holiday preparations, it’s important to keep in mind the environmental impact of your Christmas celebration. Here are just a few ways you can have a sustainable Christmas.

One of the most important parts of any holiday celebration is food, however we have a tendency to overeat during the holiday season. A study in the UK found that 80 percent more food is consumed over the Christmas period than any other time of year (Jessop). All of this food can not possibly be eaten, so much of it ends up getting thrown away. There are several things you can do to prevent holiday food waste. First, determine how many people you will be cooking for and then calculate how much food you need to feed that exact number of people and no more. If there is still food left over after the meal, make sure you pack up the leftovers so they can be eaten later. Christmas dinner in my family often lasts for three days because there is so much left-over food. If you don’t want all of that food for yourself, ask all of your guests to bring Tupperware so everyone can take their fair share of the leftovers.

Another way to make your meal more environmentally friendly is to cut back on the amount of meat and dairy. It is widely known that animal products require much more energy and water to produce than fruits and vegetables. Bonus points if you buy locally grown produce in order to limit the amount of fuel used to transport your Christmas meal.

The Christmas tree is another important part of the celebration, but some Christmas trees are better than others. The best thing you can do is to get a tree from a Christmas tree farm and then replant it when you are done. You could also try composting your tree. Try not to cut down a wild tree though. “Those trees could grow to be 50 to 100 years old if left alone, and they’re helping the planed by sequestering carbon” (Shade). If you’re like my family and insist on an artificial tree, try to get an already used tree and reuse it many times. Research shows that you have to reuse your artificial tree anywhere from 4-10 years before it has a lower environmental impact than a real tree (CDEnviro). In our Greenbelt class this semester we learned to make sustainable crafts, which are a fun way to make decorations, including Christmas trees! My favorite design is the book tree, which allows you to make use of the books collecting dust on your shelf. If you want to hang lights on your tree, make sure they are LEDs as they are more efficient, and try to put your lights on a timer so they don’t run all night.

Let’s WRAP this up by talking about wrapping paper. It’s easy to see how wasteful wrapping paper is. It does not serve a huge purpose, and it is thrown away almost immediately. This year, try a tip from my aunt who is famous for using old newspapers, magazines, cookie tins, or anything else she can find that is not wrapping paper. If you really want to use wrapping paper, make sure it is recyclable. A lot of wrapping paper can’t be recycled, especially if it has tape or glitter. Check out this tutorial on how to wrap gifts without using tape at all. Elena wrote a great post about this back in October, scroll down a few and check it out!

This Christmas, I challenge you to try at least one of the sustainability strategies I mentioned here.

Happy Holidays!

 

Works Cited

CDEnviro. “Christmas, the Most Wasteful Time Of The Year.” CDEnviro, https://www.cdenviro.com/news/2019/december/christmas-the-most-wasteful-time-of-the-year. Accessed 28 November 2021.

Jessop, Andy. “Why It Is Important To Have An Eco-Friendly Christmas.” Commercialwaste, https://commercialwaste.trade/the-true-cost-of-christmas/.  Accessed 28 November 2021.

Shade, Martha. “How To Have a Stylish, Sustainable Christmas.” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/18/us/how-to-have-sustainable-christmas-iyw-trnd/index.html. Accessed 28 November 2021.

 

Images:

Caroline. Christmas Dinner For One, Feed Your Sole, 25 December 2020, https://feed-your-sole.com/christmas-dinner-for-one/.

Gibbs, Miranda. 17 DIY Instructions and Ideas to Make a Christmas Tree with Books, Guide Patterns, 9 November 2015, https://www.guidepatterns.com/17-diy-instructions-and-ideas-to-make-a-christmas-tree-with-books.php.

 

 

It’s the week after Halloween, and for some people that means finishing off the rest of their Halloween candy, putting up Thanksgiving decor, or — for some crazy people — listening to Christmas music. One of the longest standing Halloween traditions is pumpkin carving, and for good reason: it’s something fun and creative you can do with friends and family, and you get to put them out as decorations when you’re done! But come November 1st, what do you do? By now, your pumpkins are close to rotting, and you’re ready for the Thanksgiving season. So, where do our pumpkins go? 

Well, it turns out that out “of the nearly 2 billion pounds of pumpkin grown in the United States in 2014, an estimated 1.3 billion pounds were simply trashed” (sciencealert.com). One point three BILLION pounds!!! This number is so big that it’s hard to visualize, so here are some comparisons. One point three billion pounds of pumpkins equals a little over eight Washington Monuments of pumpkins in our landfills. That’s almost 12.5 Titanics of pumpkins. In terms of elephants, that’s 86,666 male elephants worth of pumpkins in our landfills.

If these massive numbers don’t disturb you on their own, it’s also been discovered that once pumpkins decompose, they contribute to climate change by releasing methane. Clearly, something needs to change. So, what can you do instead of contributing to the thousands of elephants worth of pumpkins in our landfills? Lots of things! Here are a few:

• Eat the seeds! You may be thinking that seeds only contribute to a fraction of the waste, but every pound matters!! It’s okay to start small! Some of my favorite post-Halloween memories are of eating pumpkin seeds that my mom baked in the oven. There are so many delicious, easy recipes for pumpkin seeds. Feeling savory? Try this awesome recipe that involves Worcestershire sauce. Feeling sweet? Try this mouth-watering recipe that uses cinnamon and sugar. If you want something simpler, just sprinkle some salt on them, and throw them in the oven, just like my mom used to!

• Exfoliate your skin! Pumpkins are great for your skin, and there are lots of ways you can incorporate the fall vegetable into your skincare routine. Try one of these five DIY pumpkin based skin care products to reuse your pumpkin and have your own at-home-spa! If a recipe calls for pumpkin puree, there’s your opportunity to turn your old pumpkin into something new!
• Compost! If you’re not into eating your pumpkin or putting it on your skin, get rid of it and give back to the earth it came from. By composting your pumpkin instead of simply throwing it in the garbage, “the biomass can be recycled for nutrients, instead of traveling straight to landfill” (sciencealert.com). 

 

One reason many people shy away from sustainable living is because they are under this daunting impression that they have to change their entire lifestyle in order to make an impact. But that’s not true: simple changes like recycling your pumpkins after Halloween can make a real difference! So when you’re getting ready for the coming holiday seasons, be intentional with what you do with those pumpkins on your front porch that served you so well for Fall. And encourage your neighbors to do the same!

Sources:

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/millions-of-pumpkins-are-wasted-during-halloween/

https://www.sciencealert.com/an-astonishing-number-of-pumpkins-are-wasted-for-halloween-each-year

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/239621/cinnamon-toast-pumpkin-seeds/

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/55091/savory-toasted-pumpkin-seeds/

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/how-to-use-pumpkin-on-your-skin/

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-54725980

https://www.scarce.org/pumpkins/

 

 

 

 

 

In the world of consumerism, providing “eco-friendly” brands and products has become extremely popular and these products are being advertised to persuade customers that their companies are environmentally conscious. However, with this rise of awareness has come greenwashing. Greenwashing occurs when companies mislead buyers by making them believe that their products or company as a whole are environmentally conscious and actively sustainable when they are not.

This marketing strategy allows buyers to continue to consume products with a less guilty conscience because the products they are buying appear to be not as harmful to the environment as others. This misleading branding can occur in a variety of businesses, however, is proved most prominent in the fashion industry. Brands such as Natural Life and Free People may brand themselves as being kind to the Earth through the type of products they sell, and have priced their items extremely high because of this false reputation.

 

Although brands are beginning to label themselves with phrases such as “eco-friendly, recycle, sustainable, non-toxic, or environmentally-conscious,” there is no evidence to support these claims. This exploitation of being sustainable is extremely misleading to the consumer and allows for the company to charge more for a product because it is deemed better for the environment.

One way to avoid greenwashing is to research a product before buying. Include ingredients and manufacturers in your research to ensure you are buying from a brand that is truly environmentally conscious. Another solution is buying products such as clothing second-hand from places such as local thrift stores or online second-hand stores such as Depop and Poshmark. Buying locally produced food can also ensure that greenwashing in the food industry is avoided. Genuinely eco-friendly products will often have widely available facts and proof of their eco-consciousness that are readily available for consumers; all you need to do is research! Being an informed consumer will help guarantee that you are making truly sustainable decisions when shopping for new products.

 

Sources:

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/greenwashing.asp

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/how-to-identify-greenwashing/

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10946-greenwashing.html

Each year, the average American family wastes 9,400 gallons of water. This waste of water has major impacts on both the economy and the environment. Wasted water must be treated in a plant, using up extra energy. This increases costs for both the plant and the shower user. This also harms the environment, as the unneeded consumption of water depletes freshwater sources and disrupts ecosystems. Water heaters also use fossil fuels, and extra burning further harms the environment. 2,920 gallons of this wasted water are due to the shower alone. Being more sustainable in the shower can greatly help save energy and the environment.

Waiting for water to heat up is a major waste of water. An average shower (8.2 minutes using 17.2 gallons of water) wastes 3.44 gallons of water each use. Replacing a tank water heater with a tankless hot water heater can help with this water waste. It produces hot water on demand, cutting out the time needed to wait for the water to get hot. It is also more energy-efficient and only costs $15-40 per month. However, installation may be costly, around $400-1000. If one is willing to pay the steep up-front cost, they will save money in the future, around $15-25 a month.

If one is not able to purchase a tankless water heater, there are other ways to limit water waste. One way to lower water costs would be to limit showers to five minutes. There are many ways one can check their time. In the Greenbelt community, some people have hourglasses that can stick to the shower wall. Setting phone timers, playing a five-minute song, or counting backward from 300 also works. I have used both the hourglass and phone timers which are both very useful.

Another way someone can be more sustainable is in the shampoo or soap one uses. Shampoos can contain harmful chemicals that hurt both the user and the environment. These chemicals can be harmful on their own, but also how they are extracted. For example, some companies extract palm oil by clearing out rainforests. Other chemicals, such are triclosan, directly affect human hormone systems and harm aquatic life. Using alternatives such as organic shampoos are very beneficial. They will also be great for health in the long run, as they are less irritating and are better for one’s skin. The website “ethical consumer” has a lot of great information on ethical shampoo if you want to learn more.

Changing the way one showers is a simple yet effective way to be sustainable. It does not have to be expensive. In fact, limiting the time one showers will lower the water bill. Changes such as tankless water heaters and organic shampoos may seem expensive short term but may help save a lot of money long term. In Greenbelt, some of us have experimented with green shampoos and have worked on limiting our time in the shower. It does not matter if you are very wealthy or are lower income, we can all do our part to go green while getting clean!

 

Works Cited:

4 Ways to Measure a 5 Minute Shower | Sustainability at Harvard

Dissecting the Average Shower and Its Impact on the Planet: An Invitation to Collaborate — Part One: Human Water Usage and Global Impact « Journal of Sustainability Education (susted.com)

Ethical Shampoo Brands | Shopping guide from Ethical Consumer

How Much Water Does the Average American Waste? (myheatworks.com)

Is a tankless water heater worth it? – Help Advisor Reviews (helpadvisors.org)

Is Taking Long Showers Bad for the Environment? | Impactful Ninja

Statistics and Facts | US EPA

 

The present-day world we live in is seeing a boom in the exploitation of resources that industries crave to grow financially. The phenomenon of mass production is fixated on tending to people’s year-round needs which are constantly evolving at a rapid pace. 

Having to provide for millions of people and satisfying new trends means high demand rates, and thus the need for accommodating a heap of supply. New eye-catching products are being rolled out weekly and there is no sign of manufacturers and brands taking a step back. 

Aesthetics and presentation play an important role in our consuming habits and there is an often overlooked industry that makes everything more attractive: the gift wrapping industry. 

This specific industry is tied to an important matter: sustainability. Shopping and gift-giving is an exciting activity as humans naturally gravitate towards gifting and receiving. There is an environmentally costly race for “presentation” due to the widespread use of new, eye-catching wrapping supplies (specially during the holiday season) such as wrapping paper, ribbons, and other single-use non-recyclable materials to be able to package a plethora of trendy items. 

According to an article by Grand View Research on the statistics and trends on gift wrapping products in the US, “Product innovation in gift wrapping products is the major factor contributing to the growth of this industry. Furthermore, the rise in purchasing power has increased the demand for elegant and customized gifting options” (2019). 

The next two figures by Grand View Research show the packaging products expected to have the highest demand projecting numbers until 2025, and the general upwards trend for the demand of gifting supplies, and thus show where sustainable gift wrapping options could be implemented.

Wrapping paper is the main culprit for wasteful gift-giving, as it is used disproportionately in large amounts. Reasons explaining how wrapping paper is detrimental to the environment are summarized in an article from Wheelie Bin Solutions, whose goal is to reach out to the community about promoting recycling and making changes in the waste bin industry. The author also states that wrapping paper creates enormous tons of waste each year, enough to tear down many forests since it uses “virgin paper”, and most often has components and decorations attached that cannot be recycled (Pryce 2020). 

Image from https://shop.tokki.com/blogs/tokkigifting/is-wrapping-paper-recyclable-the-truth-might-surprise-you

There is currently an active movement going around to oppose this issue called “Green Gifting” (Tokki 2020). Companies are starting to look into recycled wrapping paper options, and they are certainly on the rise. More importantly,  people have found creative eco-friendly gift wrapping solutions that are making their way to social media. Most techniques tackle the paper-waste aspect of traditional gift-wrapping and repurpose toilet paper rolls, paper bags, newspaper, and textiles. Other ideas show how to substitute or find alternatives to single-use items such as tape, cards and envelopes. 

Let’s do our part and start being conscious of what we can use and how we use our resources, especially with the holiday season is around the corner. This is the season to start reducing, recycling and repurposing what we already have. Scroll through the images below to find ideas on how to implement “Green Gifting,” and well…. that’s a wrap!

         

Fabric wrapping (Japanese Furoshiki technique)

https://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/fabric-gift-wrap

Paper bag bows

https://shop.tokki.com/blogs/tokkigifting/is-wrapping-paper-recyclable-the-truth-might-surprise-you

Eco Friendly wrapping paper from Earth Greetings (Aussie brand)

https://thegreenhubonline.com/2020/12/01/eco-friendly-sustainable-christmas-gift-wrapping-ideas/

 

Additional sources:

https://www.allthingssupplychain.com/the-wrapping-paper-waste-problem-and-what-can-be-done-about-it/

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/gift-wrapping-products-market

https://wheeliebinsolutions.co.uk/blogs/recycling/the-shocking-environmental-impact-of-wrapping-paper

https://shop.tokki.com/blogs/tokkigifting/is-wrapping-paper-recyclable-the-truth-might-surprise-you