Sustainable gift wrapping made from fabric

Two women have started up a company that sells sustainable and reusable gift wrap made from cloth

Spotted: On average, Americans alone generate 4 million pounds of rubbish each year from used gift wrapping – at a cost of around €10.6 million. Now, Monica O’Neil and Cindy Estes are determined to do something about it. The pair, who have seven children between them, met at the playground and teamed up to develop Rapt, a sustainable gift wrap made from fabric.

People have been wrapping presents in fabric for centuries — there is an entire Japanese art, furoshiki, dedicated to it. However, Rapt takes a lot of the effort out with their wrapping packages, which include colour-coordinated fabric, ribbons, bows, gift cards and instructions for different styles of wrapping. 

The company improves further on their sustainability by using deadstock wherever possible. These are remnants and end-of-roll fabrics and ribbons that would otherwise be thrown away. They also upcycle scrap fabrics by turning them into accents and try to source all materials locally. 

The company emphasises that its focus is on both sustainability and style, saying: “In sourcing our fabrics, it is also important that our Rapt sheets have the right feel, the right hand, the right look and the right detailing. We want to make an heirloom gift wrap sheet you can pass on to family and friends … We believe a tiny change can make a big difference. It’s YOUR PRESENT and OUR FUTURE!”

As ideas like Rapt make clear, sustainability needs to be incorporated into every aspect of our lives, not just big-ticket items such as the cars we drive. At Springwise, we have seen this ethos emerge with sustainable innovations in everyday items such as used chewing gum repurposed into skateboard wheels, and laundry strips that eliminate plastic detergent bottles.

Explore more: Retail Innovations | Sustainability Innovations