Gift Boxes Recycle Curbside Empty Completely Before you recycle a gift box, make sure it’s free of tissue paper by emptying out anything inside. Remove Ribbons, Bows and Glitter Ribbons, bows, glitter and other decorations that sometimes adorn gift boxes are not recyclable. Remove decorations and cut out glitter-covered pieces before recycling any gift box. Flatten Boxes Flatten gift boxes before recycling them in order to save space and to make them easier to sort. Ways to Reduce Turn Shoeboxes Into Gift Boxes Save on expenses by keeping shoeboxes on hand and turn them into gift boxes. Find out how to turn a shoebox into a gift box. Ways to Reuse Use More Than Once Instead of throwing gift boxes out after one use, save and reuse them until they become worn out. Use for Storage Like shoeboxes, gift boxes can be useful for storage and organization. Did You Know? Gift Wrapping Waste How much gift wrapping waste do Americans generate on a yearly basis? About two pounds per person, or 40 million pounds in total, which includes paper products used to wrap, package and decorate gifts. A whopping 38 million miles of ribbon is discarded per year, which is enough to wrap around the Earth.