Did you know, that every piece of cling film you have ever used is still on this planet, somewhere? Plastic never goes away, it just breaks into smaller and smaller pieces, polluting our food, water and the environment. Are you familiar with beeswax wraps?
What is Beeswax Wrap?
Beeswax wrap is a food wrap material consisting of a coated fabric, most commonly cotton. It is made by infusing cotton with food-grade beeswax, rosin, coconut oil and jojoba oil. The wrap is mouldable, grippable and tacky. It can be shaped around containers or food products. Beeswax wraps are reusable and sustainable alternative to plastic wrap and single-use plastic. It has the ability to counteract environmental issues such as plastic pollution and food wastage.
Beeswax wrap’s main use is food preservation. It is breathable and allows food to stay fresh for longer, reducing food wastage. After each use, beeswax wrap can be washed and air-dried. Beeswax wrap usually loses its grip after one year.[5] When the wrap loses its grip it can be composted. Beeswax wrap is criticized for its high price when sold commercially and the high level of maintenance it requires, especially when compared to its single-use plastic alternatives.
What Environmental Impact?
Plastic pollution
As with other single-use non-recyclables, plastic food wrap ends up in landfill, as litter on land or in the world’s oceans. Plastic wrap takes years to decompose and leaches the chemicals it contains into the atmosphere and oceans. This poses a risk to wildlife as they may get caught up in it or eat it.
Beeswax wraps are a sustainable and reusable alternative to single-use plastics such as zip-lock bags and plastic food wrap. They have the potential to reduce the environmental impact of this plastic pollution problem.
Global production and consumption of single-use plastic has continued to rise for the past 50 years. According to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, 78 million tonnes of plastic were produced in 2013, a 4% increase from 2012, and with 40% of this ending up in landfill. More than 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans each year. Sunlight and the sea’s motions can cause plastic to be broken down into microplastics. The presence of these plastics in oceans has detrimental effects on both marine life and human life.
Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the trend towards sustainability has led to an increased awareness of the damage single-use plastic and other unsustainable practices may have on the environment. Companies have become more aware of their environmental impact and have allocated more resources to sustainability. Other companies have emerged that focus on providing sustainable alternatives for plastic.
Food wastage
Between 33-50% of all food produced globally is not eaten. This wastage has an economic value of over US$1 trillion. As food production is resource-intensive, food losses are accompanied by other environmental impacts, such as deforestation, water and air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Along the food production-consumption chain, households represent the largest food-waste faction. In the western world, over 50% of food waste occurs within the home. In 2018, Schanes, Dobernig and Gözet conducted a systematic review of household food waste practices and concluded that households face conflicts between good intentions to prevent food waste and preferences regarding taste, freshness, cleanliness and food safety.
Beeswax wrap’s main use is food preservation within the home. Approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food per year are wasted, creating both financial losses and causing significant harm to the environment and its natural resources. Beeswax wraps can reduce food waste as it is made from breathable materials that enable food to remain fresher for longer. Beeswax wraps have the potential to reduce food waste due to its anti-microbial properties that may prevent the spoilage of food products.
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