What Holiday Paper Packaging Can Be Recycled

Cardboard boxes

Boxes that arrive at the door can go into the recycling bin. Empty the box, flatten it, keep it dry and clean, and put it out; shipping labels and tape do not need to be removed.

A box that is dented, torn or a little dirty from the shipping process can still be recycled, so buyers do not need to over-specify board simply to protect appearance at end of life.

For packaging buyers this makes plain corrugated the least troublesome outer material available, provided heavy plastic laminations are avoided.

Size is the other variable worth attention at this time of year. An oversized carton needs more void fill and is more likely to be crushed in a full delivery van, so matching the box to the product reduces both waste and damage claims.

Cards, envelopes and tissue

Paper greeting cards and envelopes are usually fine for recycling, and the stamp can stay on. Cards covered in glitter, or made from photo paper, cannot be recycled.

Tissue paper can normally be recycled as long as it is not glittery, metallic or plastic-based, which is a strong argument for keeping printed tissue simple.

If you specify cards or tissue as part of a pack, a plain printed finish keeps the whole parcel recyclable and avoids a mixed message to the customer.

Gift bags and wrapping paper

Paper gift bags can go in the recycling bin. Bags made from plastic or fabric should be reused instead, because they are not accepted kerbside.

Rope handles, glitter and beads must be removed from a paper gift bag before recycling, which is worth stating on the bag itself where the design allows.

For wrapping paper, the practical test is to scrunch it: if it holds a tight ball it is paper-based and can be recycled in many areas of the U.S. Foil, plastic wrap and glitter-covered papers should be reused.

Paper gift bags intended to be kept can still be built to last. A reinforced base and a top turnover let the bag survive several uses before it is recycled, which is a better outcome than either recycling it immediately or laminating it so it cannot be recycled at all.

Ribbons, bows and wishcycling

Ribbons and bows are not accepted in kerbside bins and should be reused. That applies whether they arrive on a gift or as part of retail packaging.

Recycling guidelines vary locally, so the standing advice is to check local rules and, when in doubt, throw it out. Wishcycling, putting something in the bin and hoping it will be recycled, disrupts the recycling process.

Reports on holiday paper recycling of this kind come from the American Forest & Paper Association, published in 2018.

What this means when specifying packaging

Nearly every item on the not-recyclable list fails because of a finish rather than the paper: glitter, metallic coating, plastic film or a non-paper attachment.

A design that hits the same visual target through embossing, foil kept to a small accent, or a strong uncoated colour keeps the pack in the recyclable group.

Where components genuinely cannot be paper, make them removable and say so on the pack. Clear removal instructions are more useful to the customer than a general sustainability claim.

It also helps to keep components separable. A gift box with a glued-in plastic tray is difficult for a household to deal with, while the same box with a loose card insert can simply be lifted out and sorted with the rest of the paper.