Shiney Wrapping paper RIP

[Riverlee]

Brought some birthday wrapping paper from a supermarket recently and it was brown paper with ‘happy birthday’ printed on it. Today I noticed there was quite a bit if brown Christmas paper around, plus brown paper gift boxes etc.

I appreciate the need for recycling, sustainability etc, but thought it marks the start of the end of glossy, shiney wrapping paper. In years to come, we’ll look at this time with fondness, and will comment on the bling, in the same way we look at 70s Christmases with paper chains, streamers etc.

Totally agree - it all looks really dull and boring. I won’t buy it unless there’s some foil or glitter etc!

And while they continue to see it in bloody plastic wrapping it’s nothing but virtue signalling anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️

There’s loads of nice wrapping paper around that doesn’t contain plastic so it can be recycled! You just have to be prepared and look harder. I got nice recyclable paper from John Lewis.

@LethargicActress

There’s loads of nice wrapping paper around that doesn’t contain plastic so it can be recycled! You just have to be prepared and look harder. I got nice recyclable paper from John Lewis.

You can get sparkly recyclable paper from Smiths too.

as a child i believe we always reused,
we turned old cards into gift tags, had special crimping scissors

@RJnomore1

And while they continue to see it in bloody plastic wrapping it’s nothing but virtue signalling anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️

Well, no it isn’t because recycled/recyclable wrapping paper which comes in plastic is better than plastic filled non-recyclable wrapping paper that comes in plastic.

I don’t like this attitude of “if it isn’t perfect then it’s pointless”. Every little helps!

I don't mind the wrapping paper but I accidentally bought paper ribbon and it's a nightmare! I love making presents pretty and curling the ribbon with the scissors but this stuff just breaks!

You can have shiny recyclable wrapping paper.

It’s pure virtue signalling making it that colour. Not by the purchaser by the supplier.

If they really wanted to they would secure it with two paper bands round it so it didn’t unroll but you could see the pattern. It’s not hard, it’s companies greenwashing at present.

Sorry I see a couple of posters already pointed out you can get shiny recyclable paper!

www.re-wrapped.co.uk/

Wrapping paper with no plastic packaging available in co-op and Sainsbury's. Probably other places too!

Cross posted with @RJnomore1, that's exactly it! It's secured with a couple of strips of sticky paper! They give you extra wrap in case the outer layer is damaged. It wasn't damaged though, happy days!

as a child i believe we always reused,
we turned old cards into gift tags, had special crimping scissors

I always keep the previous year’s Christmas cards and cut them up to make gift tags, I love it, it’s a fun Christmassy activity.

I’ve also started wrapping presents in tissue paper (no sellotape) and putting them in gift bags, so the recipient can re-use everything if they wish.

I bulk bought 250 sheets of tissue so I don’t buy it in tiny plastic packets. Much less hassle than constantly buying wrapping paper too.

Yabu. I am fully on board with recyclable paper. For my own family I have started not using paper at all, but wrapping presents in pieces of fabric or more sturdy boxes that we reuse each occasion. Also reuse gift bags and paper whenever I can. But I still miss and feel nostalgic for frivolous, fancy wrapping. I think it is okay to acknowledge we miss these things, while still thinking they are a bad idea.

Oops, I meant YANBU. And you weren't even asking! Sorry OP, I agree with you

I used brown wrapping paper for pressies too. We watched a documentary about Christmas landfill and were astonished at the amount of wrapping on the landfill. You can tie pretty bows around the presents, and reuse them.

@Namechangeforthis88 it’s sainsbos for me next year then! Thank you

I saw it in the Habitat bit. I have no clue if they all stock it. Hopefully it catches on. I got some from co-op, when I saw that you just got a few extra centimetres of wrap instead of cellophane, I thought "well, this could have been done years ago!".

@RJnomore1

And while they continue to see it in bloody plastic wrapping it’s nothing but virtue signalling anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️

Nope. The paper I got in smiths wasn’t in plastic.

I was only thinking about the Christmas wrapping paper my Grandma used to use in the 70s - it was shiny foil type stuff that sellotape never seemed to stick to. It was virtually indestructible- she would gather it all up after we had unwrapped everything, smooth it back out and put it away for the following year. That stuff was still going in the 90s!

I've been using gift bags for years now - our family has a selection that gets handed around year on year - I haven't needed to buy any wrapping paper for about 5 years.

Last year I got everyone to open their presents really carefully and then used the paper to wrap up empty boxes and to make bags so I would have reusable wrappings for presents this year. So I haven't had to buy any wrapping paper which is great as we normally have reams of it all over the house on Christmas day.

Brown paper packages tied up with string! It’s a classic look! I’ve decided this year to completely give up on Christmas wrapping paper, I either buy way too many rolls or not enough so i’m just going to keep in stock a big roll of brown paper and I tie bows using thick string, I make the labels out of old envelopes, honestly they look lovely, all old fashioned and retro, and the bonus is if you keep a big roll in stock at home you never have to go shopping for wrapping paper for birthdays or Christmas again, what’s not to love?

It seems so "instagrammy": everything in the same brown paper parcels with the same colour tags and ribbons, all neatly stacked apart from one box that's been casually but carefully/purposefully put at a jaunty angle. And it's all cuboid boxes too: nothing awkwardly round, squashy or irregular.