Wrapping Paper Recycling Tips

Where there’s a party, there’s wrapping paper. Whether it be a birthday, holiday, wedding, or baby shower, wrapping paper means it’s time to celebrate with friends and family. But what about after the gifts have been opened and there’s a mountain of wrapping paper left?

Thankfully, the majority of wrapping paper can be recycled! On big holidays, it’s smart to keep a recycling cart handy to throw all of the gift wrap into. It makes the cleanup even easier too. Along with wrapping paper, you can recycle greeting cards, popcorn tins, and pie plates (Recycle Nation). Don’t forget about the cardboard box that the gift came in!

However, you cannot recycle wrapping paper if it’s metallic or has any extra embellishments, like glitter, or plastics on it. While it may be more appealing, that special shiny wrapping paper has to be thrown in the garbage. On the bright side, the regular wrapping paper is usually cheaper! Keep in mind that bows, ribbons, and Styrofoam packaging are all non-recyclable as well.

It may be tempting to quickly rip the wrapping paper off of a present, but try saving and reusing your gift wrap. Carefully open your gift (a ton of self-control required), fold the paper, and store it for later.

If you struggle with wrapping gifts, use gift bags instead! There’s no wrapping involved and they can easily be reused year after year. Keep a stock of a few gift bags for every occasion to reuse and save money. Bags cannot be recycled in your curbside recycling container.

After your next celebration, make sure to either recycle or save the wrapping paper. And definitely save the gift bags because they are a life saver. For more recycling tips, visit our recycling guide online.