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Bill Nye raps at us about wrapping paper in this Planet Green Holiday Highlight. His message: Be mindful of the paper that is use to swaddle your gifts in this holiday season. Many popular gift wraps have dyes that can damage the environment. You can tell which wrapping papers are most likely to offend Mother Earth by their glossiness. A bright-colored package is more likely to contain a harmful dye.
Watch the video to find out Nye's solution to deal with these eco-impacters. He also talks about ribbons and wildlife, but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Here's a DIY way to create eco-friendly, brightly colored wrapping paper:
You'll need some rice paper and some food dye. This dye is edible. If our bodies can handle this dye, I think the earth can cope with it just fine.
Grab yourself a bowl and fill it with some water. Use about 10 drops of food coloring per half cup of water.
You can either dip the paper in the water or you can paint on the paper with a brush. Fold the paper and dip parts of it for a colorful snowflake effect. Multiple food dyes will allow for multi-colored designs.
Have fun this holiday season decorating your wrapping paper the eco-friendly way.
More on the Holidays
How to Go Green: Gift Giving
Avoid Greeting Card Waste with Annabelle Gurwitch (Video)
10 Holiday Decorations You Can Make from Recyclables
Self-proclaimed science nerd? Learn the art of sustainable experiments on Planet Green TV's Stuff Happens.
