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What You Can Do:  WoodWise™ Holidays
by Jennifer Marie Gerholdt, PAPER Project Coordinator

The holidays are a time for joy, laughter, and spending time with family and friends.  It’s also a time of year when many people consume an incredible amount of paper and wood products to wrap presents and send holiday greeting cards. Co-op America’s WoodWise program shows you creative ways you can have a lighter paper footprint this holiday season.

1. Get festive with your wrapping
"Not using wrapping paper for presents is actually easier than you might think. I commonly use dish towels to wrap my gifts—who doesn’t need more of those? I find pretty ones at thrift stores and wacky ones in my travels. For women I use elastic bands and scarves to wrap gifts, and for men I use rubber bands instead of tape and ribbons—it gives the package a cool industrial look. I also use paper bags as wrapping paper by turning them inside out and going to town with crayons and paints." -- Alix Davidson, Regional Green Festival Director, Co-op America

Also consider these nifty paper-free ideas to present your gifts:

• Decorative tins, baskets, or reusable bags
• Bandannas
• Red satin ribbons that can be reused for future gifts
• Old maps and calendars

Or hide your presents and send the person on a treasure hunt around the home or local park to find their gifts!

You can also give presents that do not require wrapping:

• Plant trees, or donate to a charity in a friend or loved one’s name
• Buy houseplants
• Purchase tickets to a museum, or concert
• Offer gift certificates for gym memberships, cooking classes, massages, etc
• Take a friend or loved one out to their favorite restaurant

“Through my business, Earth Lov'n Paper Products, I am helping to “close the loop” on the recycling process. By using 100% post-consumer wrapping paper instead of virgin paper, no new trees are cut down, less energy and water are used, and less pollution is produced (including greenhouse gas emissions). I am also educating consumers about the environmental benefits of recycled paper. My website, the product packaging, my fundraiser order form, and even the back of my gift wrap have printed information about the benefits of recycling. I tell all of my customers to recycle their gift wrap! Their responses have been overwhelming; many of the emails I receive begin by saying “I’m so glad I found you!” That’s the best motivation any business owner could have.” -- Caren Levin, Founder, Earth Love'n Paper Products

When you shop for recycled gift wrap, check out these environmentally and socially responsible members of our Green Business Network that offer beautiful high quality recycled wrapping paper: Earth Love'n Paper Products, Green Field Paper Company, Lagniappe Gift Wrap, and Paporganics. Reuse large wrapping paper sections again for future presents!

Adopt the following tips to reduce paper use for gifts:

• If shopping by mail, be sure to shop online to eliminate the need for mail order catalogs
• Bring your own reusable shopping bags
• Purchase gifts that are easy to mail and do not require excess packaging
• Reuse packaging cartons and shipping materials (peanuts, wood shavings, newspapers, etc)
  

2. Send electronic, recycled, or tree-free cards
“Our tree-free cards are a perfect way to connect for the holidays. We’ve found that our customers can really feel good about sending our cards because it’s a beautiful and heartfelt way to connect with friends and family, and they don’t have to kill a tree to send it. And because we give 10% of our revenue to our non profit partners, they know they are contributing to the greater good every time they use the service. All Three Leaf Cards memberships include a donation to an environmental or socially responsible nonprofit, so people use our online greeting service and save trees, money, timeand give back to help the planet all at the same time.” -- Steve Knaub, President, Three Leaf Cards

Instead of spending all that time writing out holiday cards and licking envelopes, send e-holiday cards instead—no stamps, no licking, no stress! Co-op America Green Business members Three Leaf Cards and Care2 offer a wide variety of holiday e-cards at affordable prices.

“Twisted Limb has been creating handmade 100% recycled paper and custom invitations with 100% post-consumer recycled envelopes and cardstock for ten years. I just believe it is the right thing to do. I love paper, and I wouldn’t have a business any other way. We have a year round fund-raising program in which school groups and non-profit organizations sell Twisted Limb handmade 100% recycled stationery items as gifts for the holidays, and keep 40% of the sales for their activities and work. We are excited about the fact that they will be introducing the idea to their families and friends that recycled and responsibly produced products can be fun and beautiful.” -- Sheryl Woodhouse-Keese, President, Twisted Limb Paperworks

If you don’t want your holiday card missing from the mantelpiece, be sure to purchase recycled ones! Co-op America Green Businesses CardsbyBo.com, Goodge Street Press, Green Field Paper Company, Paporganics, Seltzer, Twisted Limb Paper all offer excellent quality recycled and/or tree-free holiday cards.

Instead of throwing away all the cards you receive this year, either recycle them or reuse them to make gift tags and wrapping for presents.

3. Choose an eco-friendly tree
“My family has had a fake tree for over 40 years! A couple of years ago it was looking really shabby, so I cleaned out the old tinsel from the tree and straightened the branches. I was surprised to see that it looked really nice when I set it up. We have had live trees in the past and planted them in our yard after the holidays, but I am actually happier putting up our old faithful every year. It has a lot of sentimental value and is still pretty when lit up at night.” -- Nora Marsh, Finance Director, Co-op America

If you are wondering how to make the best eco-friendly decision regarding your Christmas tree this year, read Co-op America’s Real Money article, “O Sustainable Christmas Tree.”

More WoodWise Consumer Guides

• Buy WoodWise Products

• Find Good Wood

• Stop Junk Mail

• WoodWise Holidays

• WoodWise Clothing

• WoodWise Magazines