Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Waste Less This Christmas

Christmas is a time of joy, festive fun and giving, but it is also the season that generates a lot of waste - from wrapping paper, bows and ribbons, to packaging that can’t be recycled.

The Sustainability Trust reports that in the week after Christmas, New Zealanders send a staggering 50,000 extra tonnes of waste to the landfill. Let’s all do our bit to reduce waste this silly season and turn it into a greener season!

Wrapping right

Sadly, one of the big waste items is gift wrapping paper - just because it has the word paper in it, doesn’t mean it can be recycled.

Metallic and shiny wrapping paper contain foil or metallic pieces which means they can’t be recycled. Ribbons, bows and cellophane are also non-recyclable.

Only put plain paper gift wrap and plain tissue paper in your recycling bin.

Easy tips

There are plenty of alternative ways to wrap gifts that will not only help save the planet, but also your wallet.

Cloth as gift wrap is a clever way to reduce waste and re-use fabric that may be gathering dust in the cupboard. If you’re the crafty type, you can make funky fabric gift bags that can be reused again and again.

A trendy (and super easy) fabric gift wrapping method is the Japanese art of Furoshiki, where you use cloth and knots to beautifully wrap gifts. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials available - all you need is a piece of square cloth and you’re sorted!

You can also make the packaging part of the gift. For example you can use a tea towel to wrap a tin of biscuits or add seeds to a garden pot. The result is a fun gift experience where everything is used!

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

If you still prefer paper wrapping for your gifts, there are plenty of zero waste ways to wrap things up this Christmas.

Lead the way by using old maps as wrapping paper. With all our smart devices, our printed maps may not be used any more, but they make beautiful (recyclable) wrapping paper.

Get your creative juices flowing and make use of paper around the house to create your own recyclable Christmas gift wrap - think of old magazine pages, your children’s artwork, newspaper, old sewing templates or home-printed butcher paper.

Happy waste-free festive season!

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On Labour’s Fear Of Commitment


For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New Zealand. Regardless, it seems that Chris Hipkins and his Labour Party team will need two more years of careful scrutiny before they might possibly, could perhaps, might conceivably be willing to adopt a CGT as official Labour policy, by around the time that Election 2026 rolls around. We can hardly wait...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.