It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Christmas trees with sparkling lights everywhere you go, wrapped presents gathering underneath and Christmas cards in the post to be sent around the world. Yet the environmental cost can be great, with UK households throwing away over three black bags’ worth of Christmas packaging each year.[1] From shiny wrapping paper to plastic-coated gift boxes, much of this waste ends up in landfill. Many packaging materials are non-recyclable due to metallic foils, adhesives, and synthetic coatings. So, how can we minimise waste while making packaging more sustainable? Let’s explore some innovative solutions as we deck the halls!
Green cards
Every year, around 1 billion Christmas cards are discarded, consuming an estimated 33 million trees in the process[2]. While cards are a cherished tradition, their environmental impact is significant.
One clever solution is the reusable greetings card. UK patent GB2477418B describes a greetings card with an interchangeable cover image and message page. Both the cover image and the message can be detached from the card, allowing the recipient to reuse the card by replacing them with new ones. The original cover image can also be kept as a memento and mounted on a surface such as a wall or fridge. Each reuse offers full customisation, as users can attach their own photo, artwork, or printed design to create a personalised card.
Card packaging also contributes to Christmas packaging waste, with Christmas cards often being wrapped in a layer of cellophane. Caroline Gardner’s UK patent GB2578501B covers an innovative way to package a card and envelope together using a small recyclable corner pocket and label. This approach secures the card and envelope together without cellophane, offering a completely plastic-free solution that minimises waste.
Box-ing Day
Packaging providers are aiming to reduce waste is by creating packaging that doubles as a keepsake, giving consumers the option to use packaging as well as product. Hunter Luxury and Pure Trade have created beauty advent calendars using recyclable and durable boxes to store the beauty items, with the intention that the boxes can either be reused for storage or recycled[3]. By using FSC-certified cardboard and coated paper from responsibly managed forests, both reusing and recycling the advent calendars are sustainable options.
With cardboard being a common recyclable and biodegradable packaging material, custom cardboard blanks allow boxes to be made specifically to fit a packaged item without additional filler material. DS Smith have filed several international patent applications (e.g. WO2024228159 and WO2025172870) for blanks to create custom-shaped boxes, reducing waste and improving efficiency.
A Star in the East
Instead of using wrapping paper, Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese style of wrapping gifts using colourful cloth. The technique involves folding and knotting the fabric in creative ways to secure the wrapped item. This zero-waste alternative eliminates the need for tape and paper, and the fabric can be reused endlessly.
There are many creative furoshiki wrapping techniques, from simple knots to elaborate folds. Korean patent application KR20240016825A describes a method for calculating the exact amount of fabric needed and techniques for wrapping efficiently. The method involves using different equations for calculating the dimensions of the furoshiki fabric depending on the size and production method of the gift to be wrapped. The patent application also describes different knots that can be used to tie the furoshiki fabric.
Furoshiki fabric can come from upcycled material, from saris to old scarves, giving new life to textiles that might otherwise go to waste while adding a unique, personal touch to gift wrapping.
Sticking Points
If we’re sticking with tape when wrapping presents, consumer giant 3M has created a patent-pending biodegradable adhesive tape covered by international patent application WO2025043705. The biodegradable adhesive tape comprises a biodegradable adhesive composition with a water-based acrylic acid adhesive and a polyurethane dispersant, and a biodegradable backing film. By adjusting the relative composition of these components, the compostable degradation rate of the biodegradable tape tested by GB/T 19277.1 was found to be at least greater than or equal to 90% for 180 days. When combined with biodegradable wrapping paper, this could provide a completely biodegradable way to wrap presents without sacrificing the joy of tearing through the wrapper paper.
Wrapping it up
From reusable cards and plastic-free packaging to keepsake boxes and fabric wraps, these innovations show that sustainability and festive traditions can go hand in hand. By making small changes in how we package and present gifts, we can celebrate Christmas while caring for the planet.
For businesses exploring how innovation and intellectual property can support more sustainable design choices, IP professionals from Reddie & Grose can help to ensure sustainable ideas are safeguarded as they move from development to market.
[1] https://www.gwp.co.uk/guides/christmas-packaging-facts/
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/24-ways-to-waste-not-this-christmas
[3] https://www.packaginginsights.com/news/recyclable-christmas-packaging-2025.html