It's never been easier to make small, sustainable swaps that add up to make a big difference, especially when it comes to replacing those everyday single-use items with plastic-free reusable alternatives. My latest swap? Ditching plastic cling film and aluminium foil for eco-friendly, beeswax cotton wraps and food bags!
OK, so I'm a bit late to the party as these beeswax food wraps & bags have been gaining in popularity for quite some time now, but after 18 months of Covid and various lockdowns, it's only been recently that I've decided to invest in some as we're finally moving from WFH life back to the office.
If you're new to beeswax cotton food bags and wraps, they are basically an eco-friendly, plastic-free, reusable alternative to cling film and aluminium foil. Available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colours and patterns, they're a fun and practical way to inject some colour into your kitchen and lunchbox, whilst helping to save the planet at the same time by reducing how much rubbish you're throwing out. It's a win-win all round!
Each brand is different of course, but generally speaking, these products are usually made from a piece of organic cotton that has been coated in beeswax and often has other natural ingredients added such as pine resin and plant-based oils to help improve their flexibility.
Why is Beeswax used?
Beeswax is naturally antibacterial making it the perfect ingredient to create a hygienic environment for food storage without the need for any harsh chemicals to be added. There are, however, vegan-friendly alternatives starting to appear on the market so keep your eyes peeled for those if you want a product that doesn't contain beeswax. For now, though, I'll keep the focus on the ones that I've been trialling from WaxWrap.
WaxWrap 3 Beeswax Organic Cotton Food Wraps* (£16, link)
Made from 100% natural ingredients, these Food Wraps are crafted from organic cotton cloth that's been dipped into a mixture of beeswax, pine resin and jojoba oil to keep food fresh. The cloth is Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 approved which means that it bears non-toxic textile ink that meets strict environmental and social standards.
This pack contains three different sizes so you can choose the wrap that's most suited to your needs and using them is super easy. Simply rub the cloth between your hands to lightly warm the wax which makes it more pliable to form, and then wrap it around anything you like! The wraps are waterproof, self-adhesive and allow the food to breathe so you'll find things like cut fruit and veg will last a lot longer than when it's wrapped in single-use clingfilm or foil.
After use, wash the wrap with cold water and eco-friendly washing liquid and allow to air dry, or pat dry with a cotton towel and then reuse. WaxWrap states that their products are reusable for over a year if maintained properly and to extend its life you can re-soak the cloth in wax again. At the end of its life, you can compost them where they will naturally biodegrade.
WaxWrap 3 Beeswax Organic Cotton Food Bags* (£22.50, link)
Are you someone who takes sandwiches to college/Uni or work every day? If so, these Food Bags are the perfect eco-friendly alternative for you! Like the wraps above, they are made from the exact same natural materials but are stitched at the sides and feature a foldable pouch for you to easily store your sandwiches and other food items inside. They're also waterproof and self-adhesive so you don't have to worry about your food spilling out during your travels - great for picnics and holidays!
This pack from WaxWrap features three different sizes with a small, medium and large-sized bag to suit all needs and appetites. I particularly love the fun banana print and I've already received so many compliments and questions about them from colleagues who have been quite intrigued when they've seen me take them out of my lunchbox. What a fantastic way to start an engaging conversation on the environment ;)
Overall Thoughts
Like most eco-friendly alternatives, WaxWrap food bags and wraps may seem quite expensive at first, but the joy of using something that doesn't harm the environment, nor adds to the landfill and plastic pollution problem, far outweighs the financial investment. Do some good for the planet and ditch single-use cling film and aluminium foil forever!
What eco-friendly swaps have you done recently?
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment! For a faster reply you can tweet me @beautywolfgirl