Wrapping gifts sustainably – more than just a trend

Is gift wrapping falling into disrepute? How do gift wrapping and sustainability go together? How can I wrap my gifts sustainably and avoid damaging my image?

Time and again we report on gift wrapping in this space. Why it is important, where the tradition of gift wrapping (presumably) began and what trends and zeitgeist appearances it is subject to as an ornament, as the decoration that it is, similar to fashion. Of course, despite all the trends, it is a question of taste. Some like it glamorous, some rather clear and simple, for some a gift has to shine, others are into wild patterns or surprising haptics.

Gift wrapping as versatile as people are

The following always applies: the packaging must fit the contents and, if possible, also the recipient. Just like when choosing the gift itself, you have ideally given some thought to the following: What does the person receiving the gift like? You have taken time and made an effort – certainly at different levels of performance. There are people for whom even the use of tesa strips is a challenge, others blindly tie the most beautiful bows.

If you take all these aspects into account, combined with the colour combinations and trends of the respective fashion, it quickly becomes clear: no two gifts are the same. In the end, the relaxed realisation remains:

There is no wrong – is that so? This year, things are a little different. At the absolute centre of our attention, fuelled by the “Fridays for future” movement, is the question: is it sustainable? Is it nature?

Is sustainability the current trend?

To speak of a trend here does not seem quite right to us for several reasons. Firstly, because the ideas behind them are not simply born out of the spirit of the times and will no longer be valid tomorrow. On the contrary, the influence they have on our lives will only really take effect tomorrow. On the other hand, the movement is not a trend that some follow and others resist. It doesn’t just affect one group of followers (like the hippster beard or the trainers with the spherical soles), but simply: all of us.

Wasting resources and a throwaway mentality are two things that are no longer acceptable today (or tomorrow!). But how does this go together with the need to wrap gifts? Here, it has always been a matter of making the most of everything, making an exception, splendour and glamour for a short time and then just: Throw them away!

What does that mean now?

Am I not allowed to wrap my presents anymore?

One thing is certain: If you want to score points with your gift wrapping this year, it has to be sustainable. This is just as true in private life as it is in business. If you “miss the mark” here, you may damage your image and your brand. So what are my options?

Doing without gift wrapping in general is one option. But this turns the beautiful moment of giving and being given a gift into a simple “handing over of goods”. Here, take it. For you. No real alternative, neither in the private sector nor in the area of customer gifts. What then?

Reusable gift wrapping

The scarf

A good option is to wrap gifts in such a way that nothing ends up in the rubbish afterwards. Why not wrap gifts in scarves? In fact, this technique is very old and has many advantages: scarves are available in every size, in every conceivable trendy colour and also in a wide range in terms of price and value.

Wrapping a gift in cloth? We explain here in the blog how exactly to do it: Recycled wrapping paper.

In private gift-giving, the cloth method can be very well imagined: After unwrapping, the cloth, neatly folded (it’s even washable!), goes into the cupboard to save space. If necessary, the matching scarf with the right motif and in the right size is picked out and given away. A veritable barter society could be created. Sustainable, practical and charming: Maybe one or the other scarf will come back to you?

And in business? Let’s take the idea a step further: Let’s say you give away your customer’s gift wrapped in a pretty cloth with company colours, not excluding a discreet logo print in the corner. The scarf will go into the wardrobe of the recipient. And given away on occasion. With company colours. And company logo. So your brand message is conveyed discreetly, and positive emotions are guaranteed because the gift is given. We like the idea…! And you?

The gift box

Similar to cloth, environmentally friendly gift wrapping also works with sturdy and beautiful gift boxes. Gift boxes are not usually disposed of after a single use, but are re-gifted or reused for another purpose in the recipient’s household, for example to store small items. The disadvantage here: Not everyone has space to keep different boxes for different occasions in different sizes.

Recycled wrapping paper

For those who prefer to stick to wrapping paper: Reach for recycled wrapping paper. It’s made from 100% recycled kraft paper and, combined with the recyclable Raffia gift ribbon made from vegetable fibres, it’s a real eye-catcher.

Use wrapping paper sparingly

For a long time, many Germans did not seem to attach any importance to environmentally friendly packaging when wrapping presents. In addition to classic wrapping paper, packaging made of transparent cellophane still ends up in the rubbish bin. But it’s actually not that difficult to use wrapping paper sensibly and proportionately. It starts with the amount used.

Because even in Great Britain, with approximately 365,000 metres, a huge amount of wrapping paper is used every Christmas, the British mathematician Warwick Dumas developed a formula with which the perfect amount of paper needed for a gift can be calculated.

Where A is the size of wrapping paper needed, while a is the longest, c is the shortest and b is the remaining side of the gift. Since not everyone has the patience to calculate the amount of wrapping paper needed for all gifts, there is also the following rule of thumb:

Take a piece of paper that is as long as the circumference of the gift and add two centimetres on top for gluing.