Can I recycle wrapping paper? Here's what to do with your gift wrap and Christmas waste

Use the 'scrunch test' to determine whether your wrapping paper can be recycled or not
Brown wrapping paper is more likely to be recycled than other types
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Tom Herbert16 December 2019

Wrapping paper looks pretty, but each year the UK is left with a mountain of the stuff come December 25.

It's estimated that the UK uses roughly around 227,000 miles of wrapping paper each year, with 108 million rolls of wrapping paper ending up in the bin, according to the GWP Group.

That works out at around four rolls of wrapping paper per household, while it is thought that we also get through around 40 million rolls of sticky tape each year.

So, what can you do with all the leftover Christmas wrapping paper? Can it be recycled or does it all go to waste?

Not all wrapping paper can be recycled by your local council
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Can I recycle wrapping paper?

While it may be called paper, not all of it can be recycled. That's because it often contains dye, foil, glitter, coloured shapes or plastic - none of which can be recycled.

Similarly, it will often be covered in sticky tape, which you can't recycle either. And that's before you get to things like gift tags, which again are often not able to be recycled because they contain plastic.

Wrapping paper is also very thin and doesn't contain a lot of good quality fibres for recycling - so good quality, thicker wrapping paper is usually better. However, if you've bought recycled wrapping paper you probably can recycle that again.

But remember - even if your wrapping paper is recyclable not all councils wil take it and some will say you have to take it to a recycling centre instead of the collection.

So check with your local council first, before you put the wrapping paper in the bin.

Before recycling, remove sticky tape, ribbons or bows because these can't be recycled.

What is the "scrunch test"?

A good tip to find out whether your wrapping paper is recyclable is by employing the scrunch test.

All you need to do is get a piece of the paper and scrunch it up into a ball.

If it stays scrunched together in a ball it can probably be recycled. If it doesn't, it can't be recycled.

Wrapping paper alternatives

Simple, brown wrapping paper is a good alternative to standard gift wrap as it still looks good but more often than not can still be recycled.

You can also upcycle pieces of fabric to use as wrapping paper, while self-adhesive paper tape is a good, eco-friendly alternative to plastic sticky tape.

Eco-friendly wrapping paper can also be bought, while baskets and tin cans can also serve as gift wrap alternatives.

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