Each year over the Christmas period Australians throw out about 227,000 miles of wrapping paper, or enough to stretch 90 per cent of the way to the moon.
In addition, over one billion greeting cards go in the bin, along with the mountains of packaging from toys and gifts.
With so much wrapping paper ending up in landfill, one of Australia’s leading waste management companies BusinessWaste.com.au is asking Australians to think green this festive season.
“Christmas is the time of year when we forget ourselves and let all our bad habits run riot,” says Business Waste spokesman Mark Hall.
“From overeating and getting drunk…to wasting food and packaging, we’re all guilty in some way or another.”
One of the major problems with Christmas wrapping paper is that large amounts of it cannot be easily recycled due to high plastic, glitter and foil content.
“We hate to be the Scrooges of the season, but there’s so much wrapping for sale that can’t be recycled back simply because while it looks great, it’s a dead-end product that can only be thrown away or burned,” explains Hall.
To help combat the problem, Business Waste is calling for clearer labelling, so consumers know if the wrapping paper they’re buying is recyclable.
With a little forward thinking, Business Waste says consumers can still enjoy Christmas while cutting down on unnecessary waste. “When you think about your presents, try thinking green as well,” says Hall.
