The Best Gifts Don't Need Wrapping at All

A 2017 Global News report showed that 540, 000 tonnes of gift wrapping and gift bags end up in landfills during the holiday season in Canada. If you're having a hard time visualizing the sheer amount of waste from just wrapping paper and gift bags, this equates to around two Royal Caribbean Allure of the Sea Ships. What now? What can you do? Some can switch to labeled recyclable wrapping paper... but it should be noted that lots of our wrapping paper comes sealed in plastic. Other parties suggest using brown paper which is easily recyclable. If a big part of your holiday experience involves wrapping the gifts you have bought, here are things to look for. Make sure your wrapping paper does not have glitter, sparkles or foil (anything shiny), though these things can make the gift look truly magical, they are much less attractive in our landfills. You can gift reusable items that can promote a more sustainable lifestyles to your loved ones and leave the gift unwrapped or get a reusable wrap sold at retailers like Lush. However, If you're unsure on an actual item to purchase why not gift an experience? This is something that more than one person can appreciate. A few suggestions: Low budget: Groupon offers great couple or group events and has lots of options. Whether you're looking to do a cooking class, chocolate making, visits to a trampoline parks and paint nights. Mid- budget: For those interested in learning more about environmental impacts on animals, trips to the Toronto Zoo, Toronto Ripley's Aquarium and Butterfly conservatories are all great locations in the GTA to visit. High-budget: Gift a trip to the city (hopefully via carpooling or public transit) and enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant that sources their produce locally. I can suggest Borealis Grill in Guelph and Union in Toronto. Or plan a weekend getaway over Airbnb. Whatever you choose I hope this helped in your quest for the best holiday gift.