Zero Hero: Re-Wrap The North
Let’s face it, traditional paper gift wrap is not a sustainable product. Nor is it in any way friendly to our growing circular economy. It is not recyclable, is made from the lowest grade of recycled paper, uses too much dye, and likely contains plastic film and/or glitter. Add to that recyclers’ confusion while playing the classic game of “what bin does this go in?” and gift wrap will most likely become filler for the landfill. Here in Whitehorse, however, we have a great local alternative for creating the magic of a wrapped gift, and Emilie is leading the way.
No matter how small a change, Emilie Hamm believes any amount of waste reduction would be a positive one for our community.
And as she is someone who enjoys the gift of giving, her small business Re-Wrap the North is a perfect way for her to help the community to reduce its waste. Her dedication to keeping all parts of her business as low impact as possible, and her innovation in reducing even packaging waste, make her a wonderful example of a Yukon Zero Hero.
Emilie has tried many creative alternatives to wrapping, including an old magazine, and even coloring on plain craft paper, but she had her eureka moment when she stumbled onto the idea of using fabric.
Her idea to share this alternative by building Re-Wrap the North grew from there. With a bit of care, you can use fabric wrapping many times over, just wash and repeat. Re-Wrap the North ships out its products in bio-degradable packaging. The ribbons are also reusable, and the labels are made from recyclable cardstock that can double as a gift tag when turned over. When sourcing her fabrics, Emilie aims for Canadian made and orders in tandem with local businesses to save on shipping costs/emissions. The finished product can be found in packages of squares, with different designs. Check out her Instagram account @rewrapthenorth for a video on how to gift wrap the Furoshiki way.
Her products are available for purchase at Spruce Box Co., in Horwood’s Mall and on Etsy (Link Below).
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/rewrapthenorth?ref=profile_header