Forget the gift which keeps on giving, this is the wrap that keeps on wrapping!
With an estimated 83km2 of wrapping paper (which is enough to cover Guernsey and then some!) used in the UK alone every Christmas, the eco-friendly WrapSack is the ideal packaging for anyone looking to reduce their own carbon footprint this season and help others to do the same.
Available in the UK for the first time this Christmas, the responsibly-made, fabric WrapSacks defy the social faux-pas of reusing packaging by actively encouraging recipients to pass it on with the next gift they give. The ultimate aim is to keep the WrapSack on the move, creating an alternative to wrapping paper and eliminating waste in the process.
Available in a variety of designs and convenient sizes, including a tall bag for wine bottles, each hand-dyed bag has a unique number which means it can be tracked as it is given to one person from another.
Once a gift bag is registered (and given its own identity) on the Track-a-Sack system (accessed through the global WrapSack website www.wrapsacks.com), its journey is recorded – present by present – as recipients are encouraged to keep passing it on and update its former owners on the bags whereabouts.
Aside from logging on to the system, wrapping a present becomes effortless – all you do is place your chosen present in the bag and tie the integrated drawstring for attractive presentation. It also means there’s no wastage because there is no need for wrapping paper (most of which is still non-recycled) or fiddly adhesive tape.
The bags encourage reuse –the growing trend of “pre-cycling” –– which is even better than recycling, according to Dan Brousson who is behind the UK launch of WrapSacks.
“While recycling wrapping paper is a positive thing, the process itself still requires energy and chemicals, meanwhile the WrapSack encourages people to reuse a single form of wrapping and by doing so creates a shared experience as it passes from owner to recipient and so on,” he says.
Keeping unnecessary packaging out of landfill is a priority and Brousson who is the driving force behind the popular eco-carrier brand Onya Bags, is constantly on the look out for clever ideas which make being green easier for everyone. (Look out for a review of the Onya Back coming in the New Year).
WrapSacks are available in the UK through the Onya Bags website ( www.onyabags.co.uk) and selected stockists (see website for information). Prices start from £3.20.
So how do Wrapsacks work?
1. Choose a WrapSack (variety of sizes and designs) from www.onyabags.co.uk
2. Give your bag a name and register it on the Track-a-Sack system
3. Give your WrapSack (and present of course)
4. The receiver will admire the WrapSack during the present opening process, update the Track-a-Sack system and keeps the bag until the next time they need to give a present.
5. The receiver then becomes the giver and the process begins again.
Since the Track-a-Sack system launched, there have been nearly 27,500 presents given/received and the most extensively travelled WrapSack has done more than 46,000 miles to date.
The Track-a-Sack system not only keeps a record of how far an individual WrapSack has travelled it also lets its former owners find out what sort of presents it has carried throughout its journey. Once a user is registered they will also benefit from an intelligent reminder system which will send birthday alerts so that no special occasion is ever missed.
Why WrapSacks?
Christmas is a time of excess and wrapping paper is just one more element (alongside Christmas cards, excess food packaging and waste, trees, increased travel…the list goes on).
While some paper will be recycled (which although a good thing, requires energy and chemicals) many local authorities are unable to recycle paper unless all adhesive tape has been removed and, therefore, this waste will go to landfill.
A WrapSack will last for a countless number of presents AND will encourage each person it visits to think about the waste that comes from wrapping paper.