During September St Mark’s celebrated Creation Season and the world around us and pondered how we could care better for creation.
One way is to look at our Christmas preparations and see how we can improve. They may only be small ways but together they add up to something larger as well as help focus our thoughts.
According to the Woodland Trust it’s estimated that the equivalent of around 108 million rolls of wrapping paper end up in the bin at Christmas in the UK. Then there’s sticky tape, with more than one million rolls used on Christmas Eve.
Here are some suggestions for wrapping presents in a more eco friendly way
- Avoid shiny wrapping as this can’t be recycled.
- Don't throw away the wrapping paper. Try and keep some of it to reuse next year. It can be fun to try to remember which person used it last!
- Use fabric or fabric bags to wrap presents which can be reused every year. This is perhaps better for adults as it doesn’t have the same feel as ripping off the wrapping paper!
- Use brown paper or old newspaper or magazines
Try to wrap without using sticky tape using ribbon or string - and it makes a gift so desirable!. Or you could try the tucking method.- Decorate your presents with dried sliced oranges, small pine cones or cinnamon sticks.
- The Woodland Trust has other ideas 10 Eco-Friendly Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas - Woodland Trust - Woodland Trust
- Create your gift tags from old card
- Finally an idea from A Rocha (the people behind the Eco Church Awards). Instead of giving a present that needs wrapping give the gift of time. Offer to cook a meal or take someone for coffee or do some gardening. Just make a 'gift of time' voucher and put it in a card.
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