By: Michelle Young, Copy Editor

Before you say anything — I’m not talking about wrapping gifts in cheap plastic that creates landfill waste, as I swore off buying this kind of wrapping paper years ago. However, I don’t think sustainability should be an excuse to never wrap anything ever. 

There are multiple ways to wrap gifts and decorate in an eco-friendly fashion: recyclable paper, dried flowers, reusable ribbons. You can even delve into the Japanese art of furoshiki and use fabric! Part of giving and receiving gifts is the joy of opening something and being surprised by what’s inside. I’m not a huge gift person, but in a way, the wrapping is part of the gift itself. It shows you put time and effort into wrapping your present (no matter how it turned out) just so the receiver can tear it open. 

When I receive a gift in a dusty shipping box which tells me exactly where this is coming from, it dampens the surprise of opening it. To solely give me a trinket without its wrapping removes the suspense factor. That’s not to say I’m ungrateful, but with no wrapping I don’t have the time to try and act curious and excited! It’s just straight disappointment.