The Production Method of Beeswax Packaging
There are plenty of things you can do to reduce your reliance on single-use plastics, including switching from a bottle of shampoo to a bar and taking a reusable coffee cup with you to the cafe. There are lots of swaps that can be made in the kitchen, too. Ditching cling film and tin foil (although, at least, foil is recyclable) and using beeswax wraps instead is an easy and inexpensive way to help chip away at your personal plastic footprint.
Instead of non-recyclable cling film, which has to go into landfill where it releases harmful chemicals into our environment, beeswax wraps are natural cotton sheets with a wax coating that mould across the top of your bowls and containers, as well as around food items like cheese or sandwiches, to keep them fresh. You can use these again and again — with care, the typical lifespan of a beeswax wrap is around 10 years, after which point it can be popped into your compost bin to biodegrade. As a bonus, they're much prettier than cling film, as well.
Use the heat of your hands to mould the wraps around your container or food item — and that's it. Just make sure not to use them with meat or fish; for these, it's best to keep them in a airtight container. Go for a glass option if you're keen to eliminate plastic for good.
Wash them in your sink with warm soapy water. Careful not to let the temperature get too hot or the wax might begin to melt. To refresh your wraps if they're looking a little cracked, just put your grill on a low temperature (around 50C) and pop them under it for around two minutes to allow the wax to reset. Don't overdo it, or it will completely liquefy!
Here, we've rounded up some of our favourite beeswax wraps, so you can do your bit for the environment and ditch cling film for good.