Can You Recycle Wrapping Paper? Here’s How to Tell

It’s that time of year again. Family meals, bands of merry carolers, decked-out Christmas trees and inflatable reindeer. And, don’t forget … the presents.

But from stocking stuffers to gifts that barely fit under the tree, one thing people may not realize is that in many cases the ribbons, glitter and even paper used as wrapping can’t be recycled.

Robert Reed, a spokesperson for Recology San Francisco, says that over the holiday season, crews collect 17 percent more tons of recycling, compost and garbage.

“We see a big increase,” Reed said. “A lot of consumption.”

Reed suggested gift givers can go greener by making more sustainable choices about not just what they buy, but what they wrap it in.

Avoid Shiny Paper and Glitter

If your wrap of choice is designed with glossy, reflective material, chances are it will end up in a landfill. That’s because shiny wrapping paper is typically made with Mylar, a plastic film coated with aluminum. 

“We encourage people to avoid metallic wrapping paper,” Reed said.

Metallic gift wrap typically doesn’t contain enough paper fibers to be useful in paper mills and can even contaminate other recyclable material. Laminated paper and paper coated with plastic or glitter should also be avoided.

And those stick-on bows and sparkly nylon ribbons? Unrecyclable.

But simple matte wrapping paper — even the colorful kind — and tissue paper can be tossed in the blue recycle bin without concern.

Recyle Now offers a handy rule of thumb called the “Scrunch Test.”

Any wrapping paper you can crumple up is a good candidate for recycling. But if it resists your scrunching, into the garbage it goes.

Newspapers, Tea Towels, Tote 

Whether the paper you tear open over the holidays is recyclable or not, recycling experts recommend trying sustainable alternatives to traditional, single-use gift wrap.

“There’s so many other great options,” Reed said. One is the tried-and-true method of repurposing the Sunday comics, maps, magazines, and brown grocery bags.

Earlier this month, New York Times subscribers received free recyclable wrapping paper in the form of a sponsored advertisement. And the cover to the Times’ Puzzle Mania section on Sunday, geometrically patterned with bright-colored cubes, included a suggestion to reuse it as gift wrap.

A way to bypass paper altogether: Package one gift inside another. For example, put a coffee mug into a reusable tote bag , and voilà: two presents.

Earth 911 offers a list of 11 eco-friendly substitutes for wrapping paper, including cotton tea towels, which could pair well with gifts for the kitchen.

“We would encourage you to … think about including Mother Earth on your gift list,” Reed said.

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