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Try these plastic-free gift packaging alternatives in the environmental season

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We look for reusable and recyclable materials, and consider packaging and value for money

There is a lot of joy during the festival, but there is no doubt that there is also a lot of potential waste. Think of wrapping paper over a meter long (not all recyclable), then to bows, ribbons, gift wrapping, unwanted gifts and food waste-everything starts to increase. In fact, according to the GWP organization, the waste rate in the UK during the holiday season is estimated to be 30% higher. After Christmas, more than 100 million bags of garbage are sent to landfills.

Although more sustainable methods can be applied to many areas of the festival, a careful study of the materials we use for gift packaging seems to be an obvious choice. After all, in the UK, we throw away about 227,000 miles of wrapping paper every Christmas. This is not only harmful to the environment, but the government also needs to spend huge amounts of money to dispose of our holiday garbage.

So, if you don’t want to completely avoid the holiday tradition of beautifully packaged gifts, what can you do to be more environmentally friendly? First, choose your packaging materials wisely. You might think that any old wrapping paper can be put in the recycling bin, but this is not the case. Those decorated with foil, glitter, heavy dyeing or lamination, not to mention paper covered with plastic tape, will inevitably go to landfill. Recycle Now recommends trying the "kneading test": if the paper is crumpled and kept intact, it is considered recyclable, because thinner paper is said to contain less high-quality fibers. They also recommend removing any tape, labels and decorations, as these are usually not recyclable.

Choosing something simple and clear, such as brown kraft paper, decorated with some twine or ribbon, is a good choice, but if you want something more interesting, there are other ideas. Plantable seed paper, reusable fabric wraps, and boxes that can be used for a long time after Christmas are just a few other options. In order to find more environmentally friendly alternatives during this holiday season, we looked for the best environmentally friendly and plastic-free gift packaging ideas for gifts of various shapes and sizes.

In our mission to find the best environmentally friendly and plastic-free Christmas packaging options, we searched around to find and test various products that fit this profile. We look for packaging ideas that are recyclable or reusable. Materials and packaging are important in our assessment, if any disposable plastic comes in at the time of delivery, we have tried our best to pay attention to this.

In addition to checking the sustainability and environmental protection of the packaging concept, we also considered other key factors: quality, value for money, ease of use and design. We understand the importance of making more environmentally friendly choices, but we also understand the desire for beautifully packaged gifts at Christmas, so we try to find products that meet both criteria and are easy to use. After all, there is enough to do on Christmas Eve without having to worry about all the packaging.

Ecovibe, an environmentally conscious retailer, is a pure treasure trove of green necessities, whether it's toiletries, cleaning products or gift packaging. Its 3x3 meter paper rolls are made of low-key brown kraft paper with a "Merry Christmas" message, or with festive red and gold leaf prints. The wrapping paper is made of recycled paper from the United Kingdom, which is also fully recyclable without any disposable plastic covering. It has also passed FSC certification and is an official partner of Woodland Carbon.

We think this paper is of good quality: it is easy to wrap, but not too thin to accidentally tear. Wrapped and decorated with ribbons, the design has traditional charm and is suitable for people of different ages. A convenient cutting grid is also printed on the back, so you can make sure that your gift packaging is as simple and neat as possible.

Curlicue was founded by Hema Chauhan in 2019. After Chauhan was frustrated with her non-recyclable packaging paper bags after Christmas, she hoped to find environmentally friendly and beautiful gift wrapping paper with a low carbon footprint. Curlicue undoubtedly meets the standard with its stunning design and sustainable reputation: all paper used is 100% recyclable, plastic-free and recyclable. The brand also uses only plant-based inks and uses water-free and chemical-free printing processes. More importantly, it also uses British printers to print on paper to reduce its carbon footprint as much as possible. Oh, did we mention that it is plastic-free from manufacturing to transportation?

With so many gorgeous designs, it is difficult to pick only one favorite, but we especially like the "Twilight Stars" wrapping paper. It is fresh and vibrant-an excellent alternative to traditional festival colors and characters. As expected, the quality of the paper is also very good, which adds to its luxurious effect.

Best: a luxurious feel

Following the successful cooperation of face masks with the British Fashion Council, the sustainable development brand Bags of Ethics has now turned its attention to packaging bags.

There are three designs in the series, from two great British designers Giles Deacon and Preen by Thornton Bregazzi. Although all the choices are beautiful enough to be placed under any Christmas tree, we also like the fact that after the holidays, fashionable prints will not look out of place. Choose Giles Deacon's vibrant "cosmic phoenix" or calm "Moon Meadow" print, or Preen (our personal favorite) black and floral tailoring style. Bags of Ethics are produced in India's own ethical factory and are made by 90% of the female labor force.

Each design is printed on organic cotton satin with non-toxic water-based ink, and comes with three pouches: one medium and two small, and three recyclable paper gift tags. Although the pouch is quite large, the medium size is good enough to fit and can be said to be a pair of comfortable shoes.

We also like the silky ribbon tie, which adds luxury to the reusable gift bag. Our only complaint is the small pieces of plastic used to pack the bags together on arrival.

This small kraft paper gift box from Paperchase is made of recycled paper. It is a lovely choice and will definitely be popular with children due to its fun festive penguin design. The sturdy box is also very suitable for small gifts. It can be reused, and can be stored or refilled and sent out. Paperchase also offers several gift boxes with different designs, and it is worth checking out its convenient new Eco Edit.

Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese fabric used to package and transport goods. If you search for them on the Internet, you will find that the Zero Waste Movement is eagerly embracing them. This set of three furoshiki packages is a good introduction and can be used for many items, such as a book, toiletries and even a bottle of wine. The cotton used by Kindly Yarn is a high-quality 100% cotton yarn with light weight, which means that the fabric is easy to knot and has good drape. The printed matter also uses digital printing to reduce the use of water and energy.

We like the low-key and modern style of the design and how they are delivered for reuse again. Figuring out how to tie the furoshiki packaging in the best way may require some learning curve (especially when trying to wrap it neatly around the bottle), but there are many convenient online tutorials. In addition, it is very interesting to be creative with it.

The sustainable brand Storiographic focuses on influential paper products, and even a roll of stationery, greeting cards and wrapping paper will show you this. Therefore, the brand has created a series of vivid, eye-catching and wonderful Christmas prints with its own unique style. We like its "Festive Flock" series, which boldly interprets festive birds such as partridges, turtledoves and robins. The pink partridge and pear-shaped design are essential items that make gifts stand out under the Christmas tree.

Storigraphic's products are designed and manufactured in the UK and are also charitable, donating 5% of sales profits to Crisis UK, a homeless charity. The packaging paper is also made of FSC-certified uncoated paper, which can be completely recycled and wrapped in tissue paper for delivery, plus ecological outer packaging. A sheet of 50 cm x 70 cm paper sells for £3. It is not the cheapest, but its quality is immediately apparent, and the thickness of the paper is designed for reuse. We certainly know that we will be happy to receive gifts wrapped in this bold holiday favorite.

If you are like us, sometimes you have a bottle of wine as a gift, but you don’t bother to pack it. Thankfully, there is a bottle bag, you can stuff it in, you can use a little paper towel if you like. These three bags from Ecovibe are not only up to the task, they are also plastic-free and come with gift tags. Simple, fuss and festive. What else can you want?

Say goodbye to the shiny metal plastic bows and embrace these super chic pastel paper plates. In our opinion, they are more fashionable and more environmentally friendly. They are made of FSC-approved paper and are 100% recyclable, so you can add a beautiful finishing touch to your packaging safe, because you know it won’t be added to a lot of holiday plastic waste. The four medium bow bags are available in pastel shades of lavender, blue, green and pink. We think the low-key color choices are pleasant, and we also like their matte finish.

How about a gift tag that does more than just ensure that the gift reaches the intended recipient? Well, with these cute plantable tags, you can not only write down your personal information, but you can also give gifts of wildflowers. Each of the 10 gift tags has embedded wild flower seeds, such as borage, wild foxglove, musk mallow, yarrow, and oxeye daisy.

We like the fact that the label is in a fully compostable film bag with natural jute twine, and the planting instructions are printed on the recycling card. A pack of £10 and £5, we think they are also good value for money. These labels are thoughtful additions to well-wrapped gifts, and we know that we will be happy to put them on all our gifts this Christmas.

Another benefit is that by purchasing these labels, you will help support the National Trust. It is also worth checking out its series of environmentally friendly holiday packaging products, because all the wrapping paper of the National Trust is "naked", and its Christmas cards can be recycled, and there are also some cute recycled ribbons in the inventory.

For something unusual, why not wrap your gift in a vintage scarf? For style lovers and fashion fans, receiving a gift wearing a vintage scarf carefully selected by The Fabric Wrapping Co is definitely a treat. We like what an interesting idea this is and how-although you don't know which scarf you will get-they are chosen in complementary colors and can work if used together.

Although we like the surprise element, the brand does say that you can write down your preferred color when ordering. Another nice thing is that if you don’t know how to best tie a scarf, the brand will even provide individual packaging tutorials. The scarf is in good condition and can be used repeatedly. The recipient’s only dilemma is whether to wear it or use it to wrap other things for another recipient.

There are some great innovative options for responsible Christmas packaging, and we are pleased with the number of options we have seen. Ecovibe's recyclable packaging paper provides everything we need: great value for money, no plastic is used in the product or packaging, suitable for all recipients. If you are looking for something more special or luxurious in design, then Curlicue and Storigraphic both have amazing designs.

For the latest discounts on household items and Christmas essentials, please try the following links:

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