Can I Recycle Wrapping Paper?
In your quest to be sustainable this holiday season, gift wrapping paper may seem like an obvious candidate for recycling — it’s paper! — but wrapping paper can be deceptive. In fact, many types of wrapping paper are not recyclable and the reason, unsurprisingly, comes down to plastic.
Wrapping paper can contain a coating of thin plastic to give it shine and strength. Additionally, there are often decorative elements like metallic foil, plastic-based ink, and glitter, which are intentionally-made microplastics. These contaminants interfere with the recycling process.
To understand why, it helps to understand the science of paper recycling. Paper is made of cellulose, long-chain polymers found in plant cell walls and usually obtained from wood. When paper is recycled, it’s mixed with water and mechanically agitated until each cellulose fiber is separated and suspended in the water — a slurry called pulp. The water is then removed, allowing the fibers to form new bonds with one another and dry into a dense, tangled network — this matrix becomes a new sheet of paper.
During the pulping process, plastic coatings and decorative elements don’t dissolve in water. Instead, they can remain attached to fibers or break into small flakes that contaminate the pulp, making it harder to separate fibers cleanly. This contamination can lower the quality of recycled paper and increase processing costs. While some recycling facilities have developed systems to successfully remove some plastic, wrapping paper is particularly tricky because coatings, foils, glitter, and inks vary widely from brand to brand.
Simpler wrapping paper — especially uncoated, matte paper — can be recycled, but it’s easy to get it wrong. To be safe, consider alternatives this holiday season: newspaper, fabric wraps, or reusable bags all avoid the challenges posed by plastic coatings, foils, and glitter.
Image: Recycled paper under a scanning electron microscope seen at 2000x, 500x, and 100x magnification.
Source: Yilmaz, Tutuş, and Sönmez 2022, Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology
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