Recycling gift wrapping: the right way to do it!

Christmas: The festival of love, contemplation and gifts. And the top 3 of this year’s Christmas gifts are again led by the gift classics gift vouchers and money, books or e-books as well as food and sweets, according to a survey conducted in October this year by the auditing company Ernst & Young. On average, every inhabitant in Germany wants to spend 281 euros on gifts and, at 29 percent, the majority buys six to ten gifts for friends and family. And those who give pleasure with gifts attach importance to one thing: the presentation of the gift in an appealing package.

But gift packaging only has a very short lifespan: build up anticipation for the gift, tear it open and throw it away. With so many gifts for Christmas, this creates veritable mountains of rubbish. Not necessarily good for the eco-balance, especially in times when sustainability is more important than ever.

Where to put the used gift packaging?

The presents have been opened and a mountain of rubbish is left behind. So the question arises, where to put all the outer packaging, Christmas wrapping paper, bags, boxes and crates? As a company, RAJA is aware of the importance of recycling. However, with the amount of packaging that accumulates at Christmas, it is not always clear what can be recycled. This is because not all gift packaging is recyclable if it is made of mixed materials such as plastic, paper and glitter. After all, 18.7 million tonnes of packaging waste are generated in Germany, so proper waste separation needs to be learned.

How is wrapping paper disposed of?

The fact that Wrapping paper is always paper and is therefore disposed of with waste paper and recycled there is unfortunately misinformation. Because there are many different types of wrapping paper and different materials that are combined. If the paper is coated with plastic varnish or foil, it must be disposed of in the residual waste bin. In summary, this means that lacquer and chromo papers, in short anything that glitters and shines and is not pure paper, cannot be recycled.

If you want to wrap sustainably, you should therefore make sure that the wrapping paper you buy is recyclable and, in the best case, made from recycled raw materials, such as our Retro wrapping paper that can be used on both sides.

Are gift bags recyclable?

Gift bags and pouches are a great way to give gifts without the hassle of wrapping them first. There is a wide range of colours, designs and styles to choose from. The great advantage of this gift packaging is its half-life: Gift bags and bags can easily be reused to wrap the next gift nicely. But at some point, the bags will be bulging, crumpled, faded or damaged and therefore no longer usable. Can they then be recycled? If the bag or pouch is made of paper or thin cardboard, it can be disposed of in the paper waste and thus recycled. Before doing so, however, handle bands, plastic tags and other decorative and foreign materials that are not made of paper, cardboard or cardboard should be removed.

Can gift boxes be recycled?

Similar to gift bags are Gift boxes reusable: Either for wrapping other gifts or for decorative storage for papers, shoes, toys or whatever else fits inside. Since the boxes are made of sturdy material, they are even more durable than colourful bags (such as our gift boxes cardboard). Gift boxes also enhance the value of the gift, as it is often important to wrap gifts correctly. High-quality products – such as cosmetics, lingerie or perfumes – are presented in elegant gift boxes. The gift boxes are also ideal for wrapping multiple gifts or those with an unusual shape.

The extent to which gift boxes are recyclable depends on the materials used. Therefore, already when buying boxes, pay attention to which materials have been used. If the box is made of cardboard, it can be recycled and used to make new boxes. The purity of the type must also be observed here. Plastic-coated gift tags, bows, ribbons or other foreign materials, filling material that is not paper or cardboard must be removed before disposing of it in the paper waste.

What about filling material such as tissue paper?

Tissue paper is an extremely lightweight type of paper that can be made from up to 100 per cent recycled fibres. The noble paper is available in many colours, does not stain and is particularly environmentally friendly. There are many uses for it, but it is particularly useful for internal packaging: gifts can be wrapped in it. Tissue paper especially stylishly wrapped be wrapped. Packing silk is disposed of in paper waste and is recyclable.

It all depends on the material…

There are many different types of gift wrapping: wrapping paper, bags and pouches, boxes, cartons… And they all come in different shapes, colours and sizes. Some packaging is more sustainable than others and not all is recyclable. Whether the gift packaging can be recycled depends on the materials that are used. Varietal purity is important: coated materials are therefore not very environmentally friendly. When choosing sustainable gift packaging, paper, cardboard and cardboard packaging are therefore the best options. The material has the advantage that it can both be made from recycled raw materials and recycled again. There are many creative ideas on how to Gifts at a reasonable price and sustainable packaging, and reusable packaging also pays dividends for the environment.