No Big Black Bag on Christmas Morning

Prepare for Christmas morning, or whenever you are exchanging gifts, with a few handy containers to avoid things from all heading to the trash. (And if you stuff this all into a big black garbage bag, then trust me, it’s all headed to the trash). Our handy guide keeps it simple:

Reuse

Set up a box, bin or bag to stuff in ribbons and things as you go. We often use a reusable Christmas gift bag for this.

• Fabric ribbons, long twine and decorative material.
• Reusable containers like metal tins, cloth wrapping, boxes, etc.
• Name tags can be reused as long as they still look good.
• Gift bags can be used over and over.
• Tissue paper  – I keep some of this that’s in good condition to reuse, because otherwise it goes in the trash.
• Wrapping paper that you really like (or was wrapped around a gift from your husbands grandparents who’ve been reusing wrapping paper since the depression and it would be a sin to even recycle it at this point).

Recycle

Almost ALL wrapping paper can go in here, with the exception of the foil kind.  Find a cardboard box, an  empty storage container, or a couple paper shopping bags – anything will do –  to put the wrapping paper in while or after the wrapping frenzy happens. Just don’t use a big black garbage bag, because those aren’t recyclable and inevitable people will think it’s a garbage bag and put garbage in there anyway. Things that can go in include:

• Wrapping paper (all except the foil kind).
• Paperboard packaging (think cereal box). If it has plastic on one side (say, around a toy) then pull off the plastic and toss, and recycle the cardboard.
• Cardboard boxes – flatten.

Landfill

• Tissue paper ( I know, so much).
• Foil wrapping paper.
• Plastic ribbon.
• All plastic packaging. (Locally we recycle bottles, tubs and jugs, but none of our gifts are likely to be in one of those).

If you liked this, you may be interested in our other recent holiday related blogs, Avoid Leftover Leftovers, Experience Based Gift Ideas, Handmade Holidays. For more ideas, check out our page on how to Reduce Waste Over the Holidays.