Is There a Better Way to Wrap Our Gifts?

When you think of presents, you probably picture boxes of all shapes and sizes. They’re wrapped in bright, shiny paper. Each one is tied up with a colorful bow.

Today, Americans spend billions of dollars on wrapping paper each year. But some people think wrapping paper is a waste. After all, it’s meant to be ripped off and thrown away.

Is it time to rethink the way we wrap gifts?

When you think of presents, you probably picture boxes wrapped in bright, shiny paper. Each one is tied with a bow.

Americans spend billions of dollars on wrapping paper each year. But some people say wrapping paper is a waste. After all, it’s meant to be ripped off and thrown out.

Should we rethink the way we wrap gifts?

When you think of presents, you probably picture boxes of all shapes and sizes, wrapped in bright, shiny paper and tied up with colorful bows.

Today, Americans spend billions of dollars on wrapping paper each year. But some people think wrapping paper is a waste. After all, it’s meant to be ripped off and thrown away.

Is it time to rethink the way we wrap gifts?

Nicola Tree/Getty Images

A Big Problem
Americans create 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than at any other time of year.

People have been wrapping gifts for a long time. About 2,000 years ago in Korea, presents were covered in colorful cloth. Not long after, paper was invented in China. There, it was used for wrapping gifts of money.

Gift wrap came to America in the 1800s. Back then, it was just for rich people. But in 1917, two brothers started selling wrapping paper at their store in Missouri. It cost only 10 cents a sheet.

This new item sold out right away. Clearly, people loved giving and receiving gifts covered in beautiful paper! Before long, gift wrap spread across the U.S. Now it’s a special holiday tradition.

People have been wrapping gifts for a long time. About 2,000 years ago in Korea, presents were covered in colorful cloth. Not long after, paper was invented in China. There, it was used to wrap gifts of money.

Gift wrap came to America in the 1800s. At first, it was just for rich people. But in 1917, two brothers started selling it at their store in Missouri. It cost only 10 cents a sheet.

This new item sold out fast. People loved giving and getting gifts covered in beautiful paper! Gift wrap soon spread across the U.S. Now it’s a holiday tradition.

People have been wrapping gifts for a long time. About 2,000 years ago in Korea, presents were covered in colorful cloth. Not long after, paper was invented in China. There, it was used for wrapping gifts of money.

When gift wrap first came to America in the 1800s, only wealthy people could afford it. That changed in 1917, when two brothers started selling wrapping paper at their store in Missouri. They charged just 10 cents a sheet.

This new item sold out immediately. Clearly, people loved giving and receiving gifts covered in beautiful paper! Before long, gift wrap spread across the U.S. Now it’s a special holiday tradition.

But some people believe we should change that tradition. Why? They say that buying wrapping paper can be bad for the planet.

Trees create homes for animals and help clean the air. Every year, billions of trees are cut down around the world. Many of them are used to create paper products like wrapping paper. Plus, about 2.3 million pounds of gift wrap is tossed in the trash every year. Much of that can’t be recycled because it’s coated in plastic or glitter.

So instead of buying wrapping paper, why not create your own?

You can draw on old newspaper or use colorful paper scraps from your recycling bin.

This adds a more personal touch—without creating more trash.

But some people say we should change that tradition. Why? They say buying gift wrap can harm the Earth.

Trees create homes for animals. They help clean the air too. Every year, billions of trees are cut down around the world. Many of them are used to make paper products like wrapping paper. Plus, about 2.3 million pounds of gift wrap is thrown away every year. Much of it can’t be recycled because it’s coated in plastic or glitter.

So instead of buying gift wrap, why not make your own?

You can draw on old newspaper. You can also use paper scraps from your recycling bin.

This adds a personal touch. And it doesn’t create more trash.

But some people believe we should change that tradition. They say that buying wrapping paper can be harmful to the environment.

Trees create homes for animals and help clean the air. Every year, billions of trees are cut down around the world. Many of them are used to create paper products like wrapping paper. Plus, about 2.3 million pounds of gift wrap is tossed in the trash every year. Much of that can’t be recycled because it’s coated in plastic or glitter.

So instead of buying wrapping paper, why not create your own?

You can draw on old newspaper or use colorful paper scraps from your recycling bin.

This adds a more personal touch to the gift—without creating any additional trash.

The idea of creating your own wrapping paper is nice. But you already spent time finding the perfect present. Why spend more time making your own wrapping?

Besides, you can buy wrapping paper and still care for the planet. Just unwrap your gifts carefully. Then you can reuse the paper instead of tossing it in the trash.

You can also choose wrapping paper that’s made from recycled materials. That way, you know no new trees were cut down to make it.

So what do you think? Should we stop buying wrapping paper and find a new way to wrap gifts instead?

Making your own gift wrap might be nice. But you already spent time finding the perfect gift. Why spend more time making the wrapping?

Besides, you can buy gift wrap and still care for the Earth. Just unwrap gifts carefully. Then you can reuse the paper instead of tossing it out.

You can also buy gift wrap that’s made from recycled materials. No new trees are cut down to make it.

So what do you think? Should we stop buying wrapping paper?

The idea of creating your own wrapping paper is nice, but you already put time into selecting the perfect present. Why should you spend more time making your own wrapping?

Besides, you can purchase wrapping paper and still care for the environment. If you unwrap gifts carefully, you can reuse the paper instead of tossing it in the trash.

You can also choose to purchase wrapping paper that’s made from recycled materials. That way, you’ll know that no new trees were cut down to make the paper.

So what do you think? Should people stop purchasing wrapping paper and find a new way to wrap gifts instead?