[Grovenet] Reduce, reuse, recycle gift wrap

[Phoenixacm at aol.com]

So, I am in the middle of a multi-year program to green up my Christmas.   
Thought I would give you a status report.

1-Reduce:
-The Burch-Pesses household no longer buys bows.   There are other ways to 
make packages look pretty and most of the presents we buy get mailed out so they 
would arrive with smashed bows anyway.
-The Burch-Pesses household no longer buys ribbon, except for the "crinkle" 
ribbon.   It's only about a quarter of an inch wide (which reduces the amount 
of ribbon going in the landfill) and we no longer circle the package twice with 
the ribbon, only once.

2-Reuse:
-At the end of the holiday season I go through the Christmas cards we have 
received and cut them up to make gift tags (the to: from: cards that go on the 
wrapped present). So the Burch-Pesses household no longer buys gift tags.   I 
actually find this to be a fun and somewhat creative project.   I cut tags in 
all sizes and shapes and use a hole punch to punch a hole in them so that the 
single band of crinkle ribbon on the gifts ties the pretty gift tag on the 
package (so if the recipient wants to s/he can reuse the gift wrap).
-Any gift bags, tissue paper, bows, or gift wrap on presents we receive is 
saved to be reused. I find it easy to do.   It only fills one of the many 
Christmas boxes we have.   Pieces of gift wrap usually get smaller and smaller until 
they are no longer usable.   Tissue paper is reused until it is too ratty and 
then is usually used as padding in the boxes of presents we mail out.

3-Recycle:
This, unfortunately, is the weak spot.   Cards and wrap that have foil (gold 
or silver looking stuff) on them are not recycle-able.   Tissue paper is not 
recycle-able.   (Of course, ribbon and bows are not recycle-able.)
-The Burch-Pesses household does not buy Christmas cards that do not have 
recycled content.   This is the hardest thing we do - tracking down Christmas 
cards with recycled content.   We find them, but it's a challenge.   We found 
them at Freddies last year.   I went to Hallmark and Target last night and 
couldn't find any cards or wrap that had recycled content.   Strangely enough, I 
found some truly ugly cards at Target that look like they are made from kraft 
paper (the kind grocery bags are made of) and they didn't even have recycled 
content! 
-Our Christmas newsletter is printed on paper with 100% recycled content.

Yes, I know that sending ecards would produce less waste and burn less fossil 
fuel than mailing cards.   We may get to that eventually, but right now it's 
way too much fun sending and receiving cards.

Wishing you a green Christmas!

Jane B-P


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