According to the CDC, July through October tends to be the most popular birth months in the United States. That means lots of birthdays! And that usually means…. presents!
Maybe not so much as we get older, but children’s birthday parties are notorious for creating lots of trash in the form of plates, cups, eating utensils, leftover food, and of course, torn up wrapping paper.
One easy way to skip the wrapping paper entirely is to either use gift bags (which can be reused), or, wrap the gift in fabric. There are many online tutorials on how to wrap gifts in fabric, like the Furoshiki method:
The more interesting or personalized the fabric, the more it will be treasured. Have your child decorate it for their friend with inside jokes or funny pictures. If you have some crafty-skills, consider embroidering their name, fun shapes, or a cute image:
Hand-Embroidery basics:
We went over some of these ideas during the 12 Days of Wastefulness episode on Zero Waste TV, but the tricks can still carry-over to all types of gift wrapping occasions:
READ: Day 3: Gift Wrapping
But let’s face it… right now, birthday parties aren’t possible for everyone at the moment. Electronic gift certificates are always an option, but if you’re considering sending a care package, try to reuse the packaging materials, and/or ensure they’re easily recyclable/compostable for the receiver.
And if your birthday is coming up or just happened, Happy Birthday!
And Happy Plastic-Free July!
Zero Waste California 