...to feel sad that MIL has wrapped presents in glitter paper?

[somehowsunshine]

Can't recycle it. She knows we try really hard to recycle. We are always finding recyclable plastic in her general waste bin. My DH and I will have to bite our tongues on Xmas day as we scrunch the glitter paper into the bin. I know my husband will want to say something but it will make MIL feel bad and make us look ungrateful. I can't stand glitter!

Not sure if this is helpful or not but I used to be a militant eco warrior then realised that the efforts/sacrifices I was making were nothing compared to the waste, pollution & fossil fuel usage of big industry/manufacturers. Put it in perspective and helped me be a bit more carefree.
Yes we still recycle, but second hand etc but saving the human species is not all on you or your MIL glittery paper.

Try to feel less responsible for it all if you can. I feel a lot happier than when I was constantly wringing my hands at the actions of others.

1st world problems indeed

My DM has been keeping wrapping paper to reuse for decades. She also always kept much of what we now recycle and took it to work or sent it with us in to school for junk modelling. All long before recycling was ever a thing. It's surprises me it hadn't even occurred to environment conscious OP to do that. Going through MIL bin and chastising her is shocking. There's no mention of FIL so assume it's just her so how much is she even using that she's sending so much to landfill that she shouldn't?! Please relax and stop that behaviour. I feel sorry for MIL

Her choice what she uses, the same as it’s your choice what you use.

I try and use recyclable paper but tbh most of it does not get recycled anyway.

There is eco friendly bio degradation glitter now.

Grip!

Rural bliss you are lucky you were able to catch yourself.

It's something for certain types to get into and I'm not convinced if it wasn't this it would be some other kind of of zealot behaviour.

My BIL has been arrested several times during Extinction Rebellion protests and he broke up with his lovely girlfriend because she wanted kids and he was not willing to be responsible for the environmental impact of children.

I’ve just told him about this thread and your DH’s judgmental rooting around in the bin. He says that you and your DH are rude and he’s surprised MIL even lets you visit.

Found recyclables in her general waste 😂 who the hell do you think you are! Yab so u I don’t know where to begin.

I missed the bit about your husband going through his mum's bins to shake her... that's appalling! Please stop doing that. I wonder if you shame her in other ways too? She must be on tenterhooks every time she sees you.

@GatoradeMeBitch

Normal wrapping paper can go into the recycling bin.

My council won't take it. Of course if someone uses brown paper or something, yes. But the regular shiny paper, my council says it's not recyclable.

Yes, this, our council won't take 'normal' wrapping paper, because it's not normal it's plasticised - whatever this means! So we always have to put in with the general rubbish.

User I think most people do recycle, just not in a way that risks vital human relations from people who are being kind because they are extreme zealots over it, assessing people's "waste streams".

Havering Mil could be unaware, lonely or desperate.

It's one of my nightmares that dc turn extreme in anyway and try and force me on board with whatever they are on board with.

Like the posters going manic on here saying they had tried to talk their dp out of brexit votes and berating their own parents as being too thick to malt up their own minds!!

There are so many things to feel sad about this time of year, it highlights the poverty and social divide in society, feeling sad over wrapping paper that you can easily recycle yourself is absolute bonkers.
Give yourself a shake.

Can you reuse it if you open it carefully enough? I won't let anyone throw away wrapping paper until I've been able to save everything that can be reused. Have wrapped 80% of this year's presents in paper that came round ours last year.

I think the op should have been "I try my best as does dh to be eco aware. Mil always uses glitter wrapping and we lack the imagination of how to over cone this and turn it into a positive, can you help us and give us some ideas".

you go through your MILs bin!!

Seriously - all paper can be re used, just fold it carefully and store.

YABU. Your DH is also unbelievably rude and virtue signalling, to go through his mum’s bins whenever you visit. The two most significant things anyone can do to help the environment is 1. Don’t have kids (bit late) 2. Go vegan (guessing that is too inconvenient for you). Everything else is pissing into the wind.

You can’t control other people. If she doesn’t care, she doesn’t care. We use cloth wrapping (made from my fabric stash) for all the presents that are opened in the house. People often comment on how great they look and maybe one of those people went on to used a sarong (or whatever) from the back of the drawer rather than glittery paper. If it really bothers you next year in November buy some extra paper and give it to her ‘these were 4 for 3 so I bought 4 but now I’m home I think I’ll only use 2, here you are’

@Shmithecat2

YABU, and a massive hypocrite. Your children are more environmentally damaging to the environment than some glitter paper.

Very harsh but true... Human beings are the biggest threat to the environment.

Op, it’s done - don’t make your MIL feel bad for trying to do a nice thing. I doubt very much she thought ‘Right, what’s the worst environmentally unfriendly paper I can find to wrap these presents in?’

Wow just wow
I actually thought this was a joke when I read the title of this thread

Seriously? You are blessed to have loving family members. Stressing about wrapping paper is the height of ridiculous middle class angst. I can only assume it's the stress of the season. Get over yourself.

You’re not her , it’s her choice what to wrap gifts in.

You are ridiculously ridiculous. You should be happy that you get a present from her at all! Some of our mils are horrible and won’t give anything..

@Cheetosyummy

You are ridiculously ridiculous.

'ridiculously ridiculous.' I'm stealing that.