Giving and receiving gifts can be a joyful experience, but the wrapping paper waste it creates can be a bit off-putting. When it’s just one present, it’s easy to simply toss the paper away and move along. But after a holiday, party or shower, the waste is difficult to ignore.

According to Earth911, 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper is produced annually in the US alone. Approximately half of that – 2.3 million pounds – makes its way to landfills. That’s the equivalent of tossing out 10 Boeing 757 airliners each year!

Some wrapping paper can’t easily be recycled because it’s a combination of paper fiber and non-paper materials laminated together. This also means that traditional wrapping paper is not biodegradable. The good news is there are many inexpensive and sustainable alternatives to wrapping paper.

Here are a few sustainable wrapping paper alternatives:

Recyclable

• Newspaper with secured with twine* (pro tip: try using the comic section)
• Paper bags with a piece of nature such as a pine sprig or leaf attached*
• Cardboard boxes tied with decorative string*

*Remove any non-recyclable material before recycling

Reusable

• Old fabric with a decorative print or interesting color (try tying it in a Japanese Furoshiki style)
• DIY reusable fabric bags (Don’t sew? Find ready-made ones on online marketplaces such as Etsy!)

Still have some old wrapping paper?

If you still have traditional paper wrapping paper or gift bags hanging around, use and reuse it as many times as possible before tossing in the recycling. Make sure to toss any plastic wrapping “paper,” as well as bows and ribbon in the garbage.

Tissue paper goes in the compost, not the recycling.