A detailed narrative on why switching to beeswax food wraps is more sustainable for your lifestyle and better for your body.
What are Beeswax Food Wraps?
Beeswax food wraps are an excellent plastic alternative for your kitchen. They are most often made out of the following ingredients:
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Cotton fabric
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Beeswax
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Jojoba Oil
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Tree Resin
They often come in a variety of sizes, some small enough to cover a small tin can and others large enough to fold into a makeshift sandwich bag or use on a large Tupperware.
How do you Use Beeswax Food Wraps?
Beeswax food wraps are simple to use! Because beeswax has a lower melting point, you can simply fold the wraps in the position you’d like, and “seal” the wraps with the warmth of your fingers, and they will stay in place.
You can use food wraps for a multitude of purposes. I often like to tell people, if you’ve used some sort of plastic in the kitchen, these wraps can replace it. (NOTE: this excludes any form of heating up food — but read this article on why you shouldn’t use plastic to heat up food anyways).
The most common ways I personally use them is:
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Wrapping up a half used can on food or dog food to prevent waste (small size)
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Covering half an avocado for later use (small size)
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Wrapping up a wedge of cheese (small to medium size)
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Folding into a bag to store crackers or gold fish (medium to large size)
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Wrapping up a sandwich or two (large size)
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Covering a large bowl or dish (large size)
There are of course, so many different ways and uses for these food wraps, these are just a few ideas.
Why Switch to Beeswax Food Wraps?
According to the EPA, in 2018 (the most recent data available), the US produced 35.6 million tons of plastic, and 26.9 million ton of plastic went to a landfill and only 3 million tons were recycled. Even more concerning, only 5.6 million were combusted. These numbers paint a scary picture: we are consuming plastics much faster than out Earth can eliminate them (and that’s not even mentioning the effects to the planet to do so).
Beeswax food wraps not only last up to a year with proper care, most brands are also compostable, meaning they will return to the earth since they are all made with natural ingredients.
As mentioned earlier in this post, we also are finding out that there are a lot of harmful effects to our bodies with the use of plastics. I personally found this interview with Dr. Shanna Swan on the JRE podcast extremely interesting. Dr. Swan is an environmental epidemiologist who studies the impact of chemical exposure on reproductive health and child development. It’s a great listen, and I plan to read her book as well.
Switching to beeswax food wraps can greatly reduce your plastic waste and potentially reduce the harmful chemicals you are putting into your body by eliminating plastics from your daily food use.
How do I care for Beeswax Food Wraps?
While it’s important to always check your specific brands instructions, most require cleaning with cool water and a mild dish soap. After cleaning, drape over a rack to allow to dry. Then fold up and store in a cool, dry place!
Remember, it’s important to avoid any type of heat using your wraps. This includes warm water while cleaning and covering not yet cooled food.
Are there Vegan Versions of Food Wraps?
Yes! There are brands that also offer vegan versions of the food wraps that use all plant based ingredients. These formulas can vary from brrand t brand, so it’s important to read reviews and ingredient lists before purchasing
Where Can I buy Beeswax Food Wraps?
We are so proud to carry beeswax food wraps by a company who takes so much care to only source ingredients from other small US businesses. You can purchase the food wraps here.