UK wastes enough wrapping paper to cover more than 2,000,000 caravans each year

If you're thinking of heading out to buy some wrapping paper to gift your Christmas presents—you might want to think again.

Despite many moving to a 'greener' way of life and becoming more conscious about recycling and conserving the planet, consumers in the UK waste up to 80,000,000 m2 of wrapping paper each year.

Research by Ripe Caravans has found the amount of wasted wrapping paper in the UK each year could cover an astonishing 2,024,390 touring caravans.

When visualising the number of touring caravans that could be wrapped up by the wasted wrapping paper, Ripe found that the total number is almost double that of the total number in Europe.

The volume of wasted wrapping paper is a shocking stat, however, the amount of Co2 needed to create that wrapping paper is extensive. The Co2 emissions needed to make 4 households worth of paper is the equivalent to a 250-mile trip for 4 people in a petrol car towing a medium sized caravan.

Tips for reducing your wrapping paper waster

When trying to be greener this Christmas, here are a few tips to become more sustainable:

• Avoid glitter - although it is pretty, glitter is created from tiny plastic particles and cannot be recycled
• Try eco-friendly alternatives - alternatives to your usual wrapping paper can include: brown paper, or newspaper which adds a vintage touch
• Purchase reusable items - purchasing boxes or bags that can be gifted are great as they can be reused time and time again 
• Scrap the ribbons - opt for natural recyclable embellishments, such as a sprig of holly or greenery or decorate with festive stamps
• Online gift cards - a great options if you're not sure what to get someone, an online gift card allows your recipient to choose their gift and has no wrapping involved at all

Key stats

Key stats round up:

• 3,742,000 touring caravans in Europe
• 83,000,000 m² of wrapping paper binned each year
• 2,024,390 touring caravans could be wrapped by the amount of wasted paper
• Double the amount of touring caravans in Europe could be covered by the wasted paper

Sizes of average touring caravan used for calculations:

• The average length of a touring caravan is 9 ft 8 in to 21 ft 3 in (3 m to 6.5 m)
• The average width of a touring caravan is 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)
• The average height of a touring caravan is 8 ft 8 in to 10 ft 5 in (2.6 m to 3.2 m)