How our gift wrap is made

We write on it, wrap with it, we even read from it, but have you ever thought about the impact of our paper habit on the planet? Here’s why regenerative and recycled options are used to wrap up your favourite Lush gift boxes.

Trees are amazing; they regulate our climate, clean rivers, protect freshwater supplies and create rain. Forests carry the majority of the world’s biodiversity and provide an incredible amount of species with a home, as well as providing us with pulp: the material used to make paper.

What's the problem?

The papermaking industry often comes with some serious environmental consequences, and is one of the leading causes of deforestation. Trees commonly used for virgin paper making (paper manufactured without the use of any recycled fibres), such as acacia and eucalyptus, are often extremely thirsty and dry out the land. This has a significant impact on the biodiversity of the soil, water quality and the environment and many of the trees used for papermaking also come from forests that are endangered or irreplaceable.

And while we have reduced our country’s paper trail in recent years, we still use a massive 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard annually in the UK. Worse still, half the paper we use is sent to landfill after one use. To put that into perspective, the amount of paper sent to landfill each year would fill 103,000 double decker buses. What's more, this rots, producing harmful greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. It takes 70% less energy to recycle and reuse paper, compared to making it from raw materials. Paper can be recycled anywhere from five to seven times, so it makes sense to recycle and reuse paper as much as we can.

That’s why you can buy your best-loved Lush gifts safe in the knowledge that the gift wrap we use is made from recycled and regenerative fibres.

The art and science of paper making

As much thought goes into where the paper on Lush gift boxes is sourced, as the ingredients inside. Here’s a little more info about the people (and the positive stories) behind them.

Recycled paper waste with banana fibre: Made in Zambia and UK

One Planet Café’s banana fibre was born from a desire to find solutions for social and environmental challenges. Banana fibre is a completely renewable material as the stems mature in just one year. The banana fibre sheets are free from chemicals and made at One Planet’s Green Factory in Zambia.

One Planet Café is helping to drive social change. The organisation has reduced deforestation and poaching of endangered animals in the area, helped hundreds of children attend school, and provided the community with clean water, malaria nets, solar lamps, health education and medical support.

The high quality, Fair Trade and ethical banana fibre sheet is then turned into paper as part of a collaboration with Frogmore Paper Mill in the UK. 

There has been a mill at Frogmore for over 1000 years, currently run by the conservation and education trust: Apsley Paper Trail. As the birthplace of paper’s industrial revolution, the mill helped to revolutionise the world of paper and continues to make this super versatile material today. Frogmore make paper from 75% recycled material and 25% banana fibre produced by One Planet Café. This paper adds a beautiful finishing touch to many Lush gift boxes. The mill creates bespoke papers from all sorts of interesting and unusual materials such as seeds, petals, denim, and banana.

AKAYA paper: Made in Japan

Golden eagles make use of open landscapes for hunting. Recently, an increase in mono-plantations of cedar trees is making it harder for these birds to hunt and breed, leaving the eagles in danger of extinction.

A project in Minakami town, Japan, is helping to regenerate fields for golden eagles by cutting down tree farms to create more open landscapes and regenerating mono-plantations back to natural forest.

Near to the forest, a small factory make castanets using the sustainable wood. The project then uses leftover wood shavings from the process to make paper for the Lush Japan markets, creating a relationship where the forest, animals and people can coexist. 

Khadi Papers, Upcycled cotton paper: Made in India

Khadi Papers specialises in handmade paper, working with producers in South India. The company generates sustainable, long-term employment in the local community, supplying over 60 men and women from local villages with a regular and reliable income. Female employees also gain independence and respect in their community through having their own income.

The paper made at Khadi’s mill is created from cotton off-cuts from T-shirt manufacture. Mixed with water, the offcuts are mechanically beaten to produce a pulp that can then be made into paper. The papermaking process is completely organic and free from bleach or other harmful materials, meaning the run-off water can then be used to irrigate the onsite farm, where mangos, bananas and organic vegetables are grown.

Khadi Papers, Renewable lokta paper: Made in Nepal

Khadi’s lokta paper is made in Nepal. Lokta, an evergreen shrub, grows in the Himalayan foothills and is a renewable resource. The outer bark of the plant can be turned into a durable handmade paper, which is dip dyed by hand and used for wrapping up your lovely Lush goodies.

Papermaking takes place in the lower foothills of Bastipur, where the warmer climate allows the paper to dry in the sun all year round. This was originally set up as a social program for marginalised women from the area. The paper is then finished in Bansbari, Kathmandu, where it is tie-dyed by hand.

100% recycled paper: France and Italy

Ever wondered where your newspapers end up? If you live in Europe, the answer might be in a paper mill. Here, paper is made from 80% unsold and returned newspapers, magazines and books (classed in France as post-consumer waste). This waste is channelled into a hydro pulp (a large food mixer) and combined with water to create a mixture. Compressed air, natural enzymes, and surfactant are used to de-ink and whiten the pulp. This means no bleach or chlorine is used in the manufacturing of the paper. 

Finding good quality recycled paper can be challenging, with many paper mills closing down. Because of this, Lush have sourced some of its recycled paper from France and Italy. This just goes to show the importance of supporting these businesses, so that we don’t lose them completely. 

Gifts galore

Explore our kaleidoscopic gifts collection to find pretty parcels in all shapes, sizes and colours. Alternatively, if it's just beautifully designed and expertly crafted wrapping paper that you're after, then look no further than our wide selection of gift wrap, where you'll be sure to find more than just paper-based options!