At Bliss Home Care Services, we are committed to finding natural and sustainable ways to make our world and environment a safer and healthier place to live. One place to start is to make small changes in our home and everyday life. This blog aims to eliminate cling wrap, which harms human health and contributes to landfills and ocean pollution. We’re going to share how easy it is to make your own reusable beeswax wraps to replace cling wrap.
Beeswax wraps are a safe and healthy alternative to cling wrap, and the best part is that they will reduce the waste each home produces. According to the most recent statistics from the National Waste Report, Australia as a nation produces approximately 64 million tons of waste per year. That equates to approx. 2.7 tonnes of waste every year – that’s right, 2.7 tonnes of waste in 365 days! Let’s say no to cling wrap and reduce waste.
All plastic products are composed of chemicals, and numerous reports and findings have emerged over the years indicating that these chemicals seep into our food and drinks, potentially causing various harmful health concerns.
It’s also a non-recyclable product that ends up in landfills or littering our streets, eventually finding its way into our beautiful oceans and affecting our environment, wildlife, and sea life.
Firstly, say no to cling wrap and replace it with a safer and healthier alternative – bees wax wraps, which are reusable and incredibly easy to make at home.
Given that it’s the beginning of the school holidays here in Melbourne, Australia, making your own beeswax wraps to replace cling wrap is a great activity to get the kids involved in. They can create their own colourful, bright, and reusable beeswax wraps that the whole family can use in just four easy steps. All you need are six items, and you're in for a whole lot of fun ahead!
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place your beeswax bar in an oven-proof container and insert it into the oven until it’s completely melted. This typically takes only 5-10 minutes. Do not use a microwave to melt the beeswax.
Place an old towel or blanket on a flat surface to protect your surface. Cut out squares or circles from your sheets of baking paper and cotton fabric.
You can make a variety of sizes to suit different-sized bowls and for sandwiches. Ensure you cut the baking paper a little larger than the fabric for any overflow and drizzles.
Dip your brush into the melted wax and paint it onto the fabric squares with a small, clean brush or pastry brush. Start at the top and work your way down to ensure a smooth and even coverage.
A small amount of wax is sufficient; avoid using too much wax on the fabric, as this can cause it to crack. Gently turn the fabric over and repeat on the other side.
If you’ve used a thin fabric, the melted beeswax may have seeped through to the other side, coating the entire fabric.
Repeat this process until you’ve used all the beeswax and fabric.
Once you evenly coat both sides of the fabric and are happy with the beeswax wrap, gently lift the corners from the baking paper and hang it to dry.
And there you go, you made your very own beeswax wraps! Just remember that they aren’t airtight, so we recommend using them to cover foods that you will eat within a day, such as sandwiches, a bowl of food, or fruit. We don’t recommend using them on perishable items, such as fresh meat, fish, or poultry.
You can maintain your beeswax wrap by rinsing it clean after use with cold water and mild soap. If you used hot water, it would melt the wax. Air dry the wrap on your dish rack or on a towel on a flat surface. They can be reused multiple times.
Help spread the word on how easy it is to make small changes that can make a big difference. You may also be interested in reading our article Reduce Waste at Home where we share our top five ideas to inspire you to make more changes to your daily habits and further reduce waste at home.
