By Sam Smith
December 8th 2021
Tis the season for all things fun and sparkly! This year at Smith Packaging, we may be praying for snow but we’re also getting inspired and motivated to keep things as green as the Christmas tree.
There’s something about Christmas that encourages a mood of excess – another glass of wine, another leg of turkey, and another present popped beneath the tree. While we are all about pulling out the stops this season, we don’t want to do it at the expense of the planet. Here’s how to have an eco-friendly Christmas with all the joy and none of the guilt…
Eco Friendly Christmas Wrapping
A big bright bow, colourful printed paper, sparkles and glitter – pretty wrapped presents are all part of the fun. But seasonal wrapping paper is often made from poor quality fibres and uses plastic and cellophane that all ends up in the bin moments after opening. You can make it a greener Christmas by wrapping your gifts in sustainable Christmas packaging.
Eco-friendly brown paper is the best place to start when wrapping your gifts. Easy, recyclable and reusable, there’s a lot to love about this kind of gift wrap. Not only does brown paper wrap look sweet and simple, but it can easily be dressed up with twine, natural fir branches, mistletoe, and anything seasonal and natural you have lying around.
Shop sustainable recycled paper rolls.
Upcycle Shipping Packaging
Another great option for sustainable wrapping could be upcycling any shipping packaging you have. With a little imagination, you can easily transform your mail bags into eco-friendly Christmas gift bags. Or transform a cardboard box into a Christmas hamper!
Some ribbon or twine can instantly transform your polythene mail bags into something more exciting. If you have paper mail bags. you can paint, craft, use stickers, and even use seasonal homemade stamps to festive things up.
Buy mail bags for Christmas gifts.
Make Ornaments
Forget the tired tinsel and the plastic baubles, and instead decorate your tree and home with some handcrafted decorations. Using cardboard boxes, you can craft gingerbread houses, reindeer heads, pretty star garlands, mini Christmas trees, and a whole host of stylish seasonal decorations that don’t hurt the planet.
Check out this guide to some inspiring ideas.
If you want added brownie points for your eco-friendly Christmas crafts, you can also swap the Sellotape for fully recyclable self-adhesive paper tape.
Make Your Own Crackers
Shop-bought crackers usually call on plastic and non-recyclable materials to bring a pop of colour and joy to the table. But instead of splashing out on ready-made crackers, you can craft your own.
Using cardboard tubes, Kraft tape, twine, and other eco-friendly Christmas packaging, you can easily put together your own crackers and stuff them with whatever you want. Check this guide here on how to make your own Christmas table crackers.
Just a few little tweaks here and there can be all that it takes to have a more sustainable Christmas. As one of the UK’s leading suppliers of packaging products, at Smith Packaging we are passionate about being an eco-friendly business.
From cardboard boxes to mail bags, even our bubble wrap and packing peanuts come with that all important green ethos.
Want some more ideas?
We love reusing our cardboard packaging and materials, especially to bring some festive cheer! That’s why we’ve compiled the best cardboard Christmas craft ideas in one place – perfect for anyone wanting a crafty and sustainable jolly season.
