Feeling smug because have just wrapped last present and haven't bought any wrapping paper this year.

[sophy]

Just used recycled bits of tissue paper, brown paper and various Guardian freebies. All looks quite festive.

What ethical xmas things are others feeling smug about?

Feeling even more smug than you - am on the third year of reusing recycled fabric to wrap gifts!

but would you have felt so smug had you wrapped them in the Daily Mail?

Not so much feeling smug as a bit depressed.
I read Not Buying It by Judith Levine, in the summer.
It affected me to the extent that I am finding Christmas quite unpleasant! I don't want to spend loads on presents that are, frankly, transient and crap, and finding alternatives is really hard work. I also find I don't want a lot of shit for myself, so when people ask what I'd like, it is three times the effort to come up with something - I don't seem to want anything.
But have made some presents, edible things, so that is good.

Pruni I am thinking of giving up shopping for a year in 2008, sounds like I should read that book.

Well done! And shows a creative bent.

We have done theatre tickets in local town for in-laws. So no wrapping there.

Have started ripping the front off lovely cards that I have been sent and using them as postcards instead of buying new cards. Am doing it to be green but do you think it comes across as pennypinching?

I think it depends how well people know you kerala. Sets a good example though.

We've got a proper tree which can be mulched down for compost in the new year - much better than a plastic tree which'll only go into landfill. I've also been using up my leftover paper/cards from last year rather than buying new.

We haven't bought any wrapping paper at all for 3 years now. We've always re-used as much paper from other people's gifts to us as possible, but we've also used brown paper (that looks great when decorated!), fabric scraps and teatowels. The teatowel ones have got some great responses, especially the ones where I wrapped the presents in cardboard first to make a tube, then wrapped a festive teatowel round and tied the ends with nice ribbon to make a cracker shape. Some relatives will re-use the ribbon bits themselves, the non-crafty or arty ones will give them back to me to re-use! That idea is more a 'green' idea than an economical one, but the teatowel then forms part of the gift.

The few cards I sent were left overs from previous years, and the presents have been wrapped in last years paper/newspaper. Best of all has been using up the bits of ribbon, tissue paper etc I've saved all year, so now the wrapping box has some space in it.

Well didn't manage NO wrapping paper, but most of the stuff was wrapped in brown paper, which I figured could be composted after xmas.

BUT then, aaaargh, ds fell in love with some pink sparkly glitter wrapping paper. And I agreed, in a moment of weakness . So need to do MN lentil weaver equivalent of 3 Hail Marys, I think...

It has never occurred to me to worry overmuch about wrapping paper - it's pretty thin after all, and gets recycled after Christmas - I thunk we waste a lot more trees on newspapers through the year!

I think, also

I've wrapped most of ours in brown paper and I think it looks lovely and traditional. I know it will still need recycling but it somehow "feels" more planet-friendly iykwim. DP however, came home the other day with bright sparkly stuff for the dds, which I now feel I have to use. Oh well...maybe next year we'll be even better....!

our local authority won't take wrapping paper to be recycled. Brown paper yes (I have checked), wrapping paper no. I am not 100% sure whether the problem is the inks or the sparkly bits in some. Or maybe my LA is just daft, quite possible, they have only just got doorstep recycling underway really

I take the point re newspapers, though they CAN be recycled. I try to read online for this reason, though ours are always reused for SOMETHING, even if just protecting the floor from paint.

Oh - I just lob all the wrapping paper into the recycling sack, have done for years, I didn't know it might not be OK!

We get 1 local paper and 1 Saturday paper a week; a lot of it gets used to light fires, in the winter at least, but the rest gets actually recycled (but I think we recycle more junk mail than newspapers)

hmm there appears to be some debate

But my LA is extremely unenthusiastic about recylcing generally, I find, so probably any excuse...

I made all my xmas cards (because i enjoy it! and find it soothing n Oct/nov)
Our advent calendar is fabric pocket one with a icture culled from some of last year's cards and a fairtrade choc in.
Many presents wrapped in scrap white paper from work which the children stamped gold stars onto. Looks lovely.

Made lots and lots of fairtrade choc truffles to give a as pressies instead of usual cheapy crap for teachers/acquaintances/work colleagues.

doon't neccesarily feel smug, just a teeny bit richer!

I have not been re-using my wrapping paper, partly because i haven't anywhere to store it, and partly because by the time my kids have ripped off any wrapping paper it is completely unusable (torn where the tape was on it/tags attached etc) or so small it's not worth saving.
So you can all feel smug at me - i really don't mind!