Facts About Gift Bags

Let’s get straight to the point: gift bags make gift giving easy. Aren’t we all guilty of doing a last-minute wrapping of a friend’s birthday gift in the front seat of our car right before we walk into the party? With the convenience that gift bags provide, it’s no wonder we tend to prefer these easy wrappings.

History Books

Paper gift bags with handles were introduced commercially in 1987, and according to Hallmark research and sales history, they have been the top-selling way that consumers wrap gifts since 2002. In addition to this, 98 percent of consumers say they wrap gifts during one of the largest gift-giving seasons, the holidays.

Gift wrap continues to be a growing industry, with holiday sales in 2003 at about $10 billion and a growth rate of five percent. Gift bags showed the highest growth during the holiday season, with a 6.9 percent increase to $1.3 billion

Eco-Impact

Considering the fact that Americans go through 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps each year, it’s no wonder waste from gift giving has such an impact.

As you may have guessed, gift bags are not typically recyclable. They generally are made of a combination of paper and plastic, in addition to hard-to-recycle materials like:

• Glitter
• Sequins
• Metallic paper
• Beads
• Faux fur
• Plastic adornments

While your local recycler may collect gift bags, this is not typical.

The easiest way to green your gift bags is to reduce your consumption, and practice reuse as often as possible. By purchasing bags which could work for many occasions and are sturdier in construction, not only will you reduce your need to purchase a new bag for every celebration, but you will get the most “bang” for your buck.