Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Ban non-recyclable wrapping paper

Closed 76 signatures

What the petition asks

The Government should ban wrapping paper which cannot be recycled through normal paper recycling routes in all collection areas. This is a particular issue at Christmas, when a huge amount of non-recyclable wrapping paper is bought and then thrown away.

Each year on average every household in the UK uses 4 rolls, which is 227,000 miles of wrapping paper. Due its shiny nature much of this cannot be recycled, and an estimated 83km2 gets put into landfill. This area would wrap Big Ben / Elizabeth Tower 260,000 times. This can easily be stopped.

Several years ago there was a campaign to decrease the plastic packaging in Easter eggs and this was highly successful. Let’s make this Christmas more recyclable than ever!

Timeline

30 Apr 2021 Petition opened for signatures
30 Oct 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 76
Status Closed
Department Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened 30 Apr 2021
Closed 30 Oct 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.