Using Handmade Paper as Recycled Wrapping Paper for The Holiday Season

With the holiday season comes gift-giving, and with it, gifts upon gifts decorated with festive gift wrap that’s only used once and then discarded to be forgotten. Did you know that each year Americans alone use 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper during this time? Only half of that ends up in a landfill. That’s 2.3 million pounds of single-use waste, often non-recyclable due to plastic coatings, chemical colorings, and sparkling glitter and foil designs. While a fun and festive time for people, it’s not a very jolly time for the environment. Fortunately, you can consider a more sustainable solution to help do your part: using handmade paper as recycled wrapping paper for your gifts.

Why Choose Handmade Paper as Sustainable Gift Wrap

Making the switch to recycled wrapping paper made from handmade materials not only reduces your waste during the festive season, but also adds a personal and creative touch to your gift giving. The handmade paper sheets from POOPOOPAPER are crafted by local artisans from upcycled animal waste. That’s right: we took elephant poop and turned it into paper. While often jarring to hear for some people, it’s a totally sustainable process that honors traditional methods used in the past. 

The animal waste is thoroughly cleaned and boiled for 4-6 hours in extreme heat to ensure that the protein-based cells of any bacteria are destroyed. It is then pulped to create a goop-like product that is then spread into large rectangular screens to be naturally dried out in the sun. This results in our unique tree-free, chemical-free and non-toxic alternative to conventional wrapping paper. They are even colored using natural soy-based inks to ensure that these handmade papers are as beautiful as they are kind to the environment. If you’re interested in learning more about our Poop to Paper process, you can read our handmade paper blog to understand the method in more detail. 

When you use our elephant dung paper as recycled wrapping paper, you’re wrapping your gifts in more than just handmade paper – you’re sharing a story. It’s one of resourcefulness and consideration, where an unexpected material like animal waste is turned into something wonderful. Our eco-friendly paper champions sustainable practices through repurposing materials that would otherwise be considered waste, reducing deforestation and minimizing the need for harmful chemicals in production. 

Our POOPOOPAPER is unique in many ways. It often sparks a reaction – a laugh or delighted shock – when recipients learn what the material is made from. But that reaction is important because it opens the door to share our handmade paper’s unique story. It’s innovative, it’s playful, and it taps into others emotions, reminding them that a lot of small, meaningful choices can come together to make a hopeful change. 

A Holiday Win in Creativity and Sustainability for Recycled Wrapping Paper

The best part about using our handmade paper as recycled wrapping paper is its versatility. After using our elephant poo paper sheets as gift wrap, it can be reused by the recipient in many creative ways. Our customers love to use it as a canvas for paintings or material for art projects. Coming in many colors through being dyed with soy-based inks, its rustic texture and vibrant hues also make it an eye-catching decoration, perfect for framing and displaying as a conversation piece. 

Our products often become the highlight of any room, sparking curiosity and conversations with their fascinating story. Who could forget the time they saw paper made from elephant poop and the thoughtful story of how it came to be? Crafted by skilled local artisans, colored with natural soy-based inks, and made using time-honored methods passed down through generations, our handmade paper is both a piece of innovation and a piece of history. A great way to communicate your values and stand out among the crowd.

Make A Change with Recycled Wrapping Paper

This holiday season, why not make your gifts truly and unforgettable and give our handmade paper a try? Present a gift in layers. Not just the gift itself, but what conceals it. Let your generosity stretch beyond the norm. Thoughtful, creative, and undeniably playful, our recycled wrapping paper is sure to earn a laugh and not only spread holiday cheer, but a seed of sustainability among your nearest and dearest.