Reuse

I have dedicated this year to create less waste, replace paper with cloth, and recycle more.  Before we usually only recycled glass, cans, or bottles.  I now also recycle paper products as well.  Cardboard boxes, boxes from food, newspapers, junk mail, it all goes in to the recycling bin.  Other items that I re-use or recycle include gift bags.

The only time I use wrapping paper is for Christmas.  Any other time I use a gift bag.  Gift bags can be re-used and gifted to someone else.  I had saved all of the gift bags from my baby shower with Owen and my baby shower with Charlotte.  In addition to saving and re-using the gift bags, I also try not to use tissue paper.  Recently one of my friends had a baby shower and I pulled out my stash of bags and found one to hold all the presents.  I also found a bow to add to it.  Instead of using tissue paper I wrapped the gifts in receiving blankets, burp cloths, and topped it off with a crochet blanket.  These double as gifts and reduce waste.

 My stash of gift bags is slowly getting smaller and I will eventually have to buy more.  But at least these bags did not end up in the trash.