The holiday season is upon us and for many that means frantic shopping for and wrapping of gifts. Did you know that the giant rolls of colorful wrapping paper used by most of us are not recyclable? I remember as a boy how Christmas morning we would fill 2 or more garbage bags with wrapping paper after the family had finished opening all the gifts. It always seemed silly and wasteful to me to cover a box you cant see through anyway with something you have to pay for just to later tear it up and throw it away. Hey us kids just care about what's inside anyway.

A few years ago I started using newspaper to wrap all the gifts I gave for Christmas. I like to try to use the comics if I have enough. Newspaper is recyclable and most of us have it just lying around. My family expects there gifts wrapped this way from me now. I still get the occasional eye roll but my nieces never seem to mind and my wife married me anyway.

So save a few dollars this year and do something good for the environment. Use that pile of newspapers in the garage to wrap your gifts instead of the wrapping paper from the stores.