Which wrapping paper can be recycled? Use the scrunch test
Plain, uncoated wrapping paper can usually be recycled. Foil, glitter and plastic-coated wrap cannot. To tell them apart, scrunch a piece in your hand: if it stays in a ball, it is probably paper you can recycle, and if it springs back open, it is likely laminated and belongs in the trash. Take off the tape, ribbon and bows first, and check your local rules, because some recycling programs do not take any wrapping paper at all.
How to do the scrunch test
- Take a sheet of used wrapping paper and scrunch it into a tight ball.
- Open your hand.
- If it holds its shape, it is mostly paper. If it slowly unfolds, it probably has a plastic or foil layer.
There is a second check if you are not sure. Try to tear it. Paper rips easily, while wrap that stretches or refuses to tear has something else in it. Paper with glitter or metallic shine can fail even if it holds its shape, so treat any sparkle as a no. The scrunch test is a rule of thumb, not an official standard, and it does not overrule your local program.
Why some wrap cannot be recycled
Recycling plants turn paper back into pulp and recover its fibers. Which? and UK waste companies point to the same problems with wrapping paper:
- Foil and plastic layers cannot be pulped, and separating them adds cost.
- Glitter gets into the pulp and lowers the quality of whatever is made from it.
- Very thin paper has short, low-quality fibers that may not be worth recovering.
Plain brown kraft paper is the best case, because its long fibers are worth recycling. It is also strong, so it wraps well.
A quick sorting guide
| Item | What to do |
|---|---|
| Plain or matte printed paper that passes the scrunch test | Recycle, if your program takes it |
| Brown kraft paper | Recycle, or reuse |
| Foil or metallic wrap | Trash |
| Glitter wrap, bags and cards | Trash, or cut off the glittery part if it is a small section |
| Plastic tape | Peel off and put in the trash |
| Paper tape | Can stay on the paper |
| Ribbon and plastic bows | Reuse, or trash |
| Tissue paper | Reuse. It often has very short fibers, so check locally before recycling |
| Gift bags | Reuse. If plain paper, remove the handles before recycling |
| Paper gift tags and plain cards | Recycle, after removing any ribbon |
| Boxes | Flatten and recycle |
Rules vary by city and council. Look up your local program's guide before the holidays, as our guide on preparing your recycling explains. If the guide says no wrapping paper at all, believe it, even if it looks like plain paper.
Common mistakes on the day
- Stuffing it all into one bag. Tying up recycling in a plastic bag can keep it from being sorted at all. Keep it loose, unless your program says otherwise.
- Leaving the tape and bows on. A little plastic tape might get through, but ribbon can tangle in machinery and spoil the batch. Take a minute with a pair of scissors.
- Mixing in food. Paper with chocolate or food grease on it should not go in. Tear off the clean part if it is worth saving.
- Wish-cycling. Tossing doubtful wrap in the bin in hope usually creates more work at the sorting plant. When in doubt, leave it out.
A simple fix is two bags on Christmas morning: one for paper that passes the test, and one for everything else. Give the job to whoever enjoys scrunching things.
Reuse beats recycling
Reusing wrap saves more waste than recycling it, because nothing has to be made again. Save what comes off cleanly.
- Gift bags, ribbons and bows last for years. Keep them in one box, and you will rarely buy new ones.
- Large sheets of good paper can be ironed flat on low, or simply folded and stored. Foil wrap that cannot be recycled can still be reused.
- Scraps make gift tags, or packing filler when shredded.
- Plain, uncoated paper can be shredded and added in small amounts to a compost pile, as long as it has no plastic or foil. Do not add anything shiny.
What to wrap with next year
The best way to avoid this problem is to buy recyclable wrap to begin with, or to use something you already have. This fits right in with other reusable swaps that cut packaging waste.
- Brown kraft paper is cheap, and it looks good with a sprig of pine or a stamp.
- Fabric wraps work well. Try tea towels, scarves or scrap fabric, tied in the Japanese furoshiki style. The wrap becomes part of the gift.
- Old maps, sheet music and comics make good wrapping paper and are often just paper.
- Paper tape or string can replace plastic tape, leaving the whole package recyclable.
- Reusable boxes can come back to you every year, with only the tag changing.
Look for wrap that is labeled recyclable when you buy new. If it is shiny or sparkly on the shelf, it will be just as shiny at the recycling plant, and that is what causes the trouble.
