Food Wraps
Food wraps are a huge part of keeping food waste at a minimum. They keep your food fresh in the fridge and on the go. Unfortunately, people have gotten stuck on single use plastic bags and wraps that take hundreds of years to break down in landfills. The average American goes through 500 resealable bags a year. That number seems crazy yet when you think about everything you use them for it starts to make sense. Each component of your sack lunch needs a plastic bag which is around 4 and then the leftover vegetables from your dinner prep need to be wrapped to stay fresh. Now multiply that by a lot and you have your 500 resealable bags each year. Once you start to count the amount of plastic you use each day, you’ll quickly see the importance of reusable food wraps.
DIY
Reusable food wraps can be pricey which is why a simple diy is a great option. If you make them with a cotton fabric they are compostable and low-waste. You can also opt for second hand fabric or fabric scraps, as long as you have a big enough piece it’ll work! The simple set of ingredients include cotton fabric, soy wax (non-vegan option is beeswax), and jojoba oil (to keep it flexible!). These wraps last about a year and should we washed. They can be refreshed by placing them in the oven at a low temperature for a few minutes.
Reuse
If you slip up, it’s important to reuse! A plastic bag can be refilled for your lunch the next day or you can reuse the plastic wrap around the house on whatever needs a cover. You can easily keep them clean by washing them with soap and water and drying them out. While the plastic’s effectiveness may deteriorate, its material will never completely break down which is why you should reuse. Nobody is perfect especially when being sustainable but the way you make up for it is by reusing! And check out your local recycling program. Brands like Ziploc also have recycling programs that have certain stores participating. In Los Angeles you can recycle ziploc bags in LA blue bins as long as they are clean and dry. Learn more about Ziploc recycling here.
Buy New
There are so many great companies that are creating different reusable food wraps. What you want to avoid is the products that are reusable but still made of plastic. If they won’t eventually break down or be recycled there is no good in buying that product. Opt for biodegradable, recyclable, and bio-based products. Look for bpa-free and compostable products.
My Picks
Lunchskins: Lunchskins has a recycled wax option and a reusable fabric option that make you never go back to single use plastic bags. Lunchskins are great for keeping your lunch and snacks fresh and they come in fun patterns!
Freezer safe, dishwasher safe, compostable
BPA free, lead free, phthalates free, FSC certified, PFA free, non toxic ink
Bee’s wrap: Beeswraps was created by Sarah Kaek, a mom looking to eliminate the use of plastic in her kitchen. Her wraps, that come in beeswax or vegan, are ethically made in Vermont. They last up to a year and come in nature inspired designs! One even has cute black bears and berries!
B corp, biodegradable, gots certified organic cotton, sustainable sourced, 1% for the planet, recyclable
Cotton, jojoba oil, beeswax, tree resin
Food Huggers: Females are leading the plastic-free kitchen revolution and food huggers are one of their innovations. Food huggers are reusable and hug the food you place them on to keeping things fresh. For example, you can keep your half-used cucumber from drying out by placing a food hugger on the end of it. They come in multiple sizes to fit all your vegetables, fruits, and containers.
BPA free, FDA approved silicone, phthalate free
Stasher: Stasherbags are reusable silicone storage bags. Stasherbag is another female founded and run company!!! Of course their colors are great but their mission is even greater. So far they have prevented over 1 billion plastic bags ending up in the ocean and landfills. If your bag somehow gets damaged you can send it back to the company and through terracycle, can be recycled and given new life.
BPA free, bps free, lead free, latex free, phthalates free, non toxic dyes, highest quality silicone
Veji bag: The Veji bag is a reusable cotton bag that is moisture wicking. It is perfect for moist vegetables like lettuce, zucchini, or bok choy. The creator got the idea after seeing her grandma wrap her fruits and vegetables in a moist towel for fridge storage.
Organic cotton, chemical free, dye free
Lilybee Wraps: A women run company in New Zealand, Lilybee Wraps are handcrafted reusable beeswax wraps. The prints are inspired by their home of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. They even have a diy kit for you to make your own wraps!
GOTS certified, certified b corps, PEFC sustainable forestry, organic
Let’s Compare
Stasher Baggies
Price: $12.99 for a sandwich bag
Materials: silicone
Sustainability: reusable
Bees Wrap
Price: $18.99 for 3 wraps
Materials: organic cotton, candelilla wax, jojoba oil, tree resin
Sustainbility: vegan, reusable and compostable
Ziploc
Price: $3.59 for 90 bags
Materials: polyethylene
Sustainability: single-use plastic, reusable
Check it out
Matt Homewood
Known as anurbanharvester on instagram, Mattt Homewood is shedding light on food waste and the dirty secrets of supermarkets. He makes videos showing the overflow of food in supermarket dumpsters. He wants to put an end to supermarket food waste. He has made a few short documentaries, attended major events like COP26, and wrote his dissertation on global food systems. Matt is doing incredible work and you can check it out here.
Kirk Webster
Kirk Webster is a sustainable beekeeper who taught the bee’s wrap company everything they know! Kirk’s extraction process allows for the honeycombs to be reused for many years. The bees do not come in contact with pesticides or herbicides and with the amount of honey Kirk leaves, are able to overwinter(the resting period that strengthens bees). You can read all of his writings about beekeeping here.
Nasim Lahbichi
Nasim Lahbichi is a Puerto Rican-Morrocan social media chef, providing the internet with simple recipes that are mostly dairy-free and vegan. He puts his spin on traditional dips, desserts, and everything flavorful and delicious. You’ll be sure to learn about a new dish from all different areas like South America, North Africa, Southeast Asia, you name it! Nasim and his recipes are vibrant, must-follows! Read here.
Sources
https://www.beeswrap.com/blogs/news/the-buzz-on-beeswax
https://www.lilybeewrap.com/
https://foodhuggers.com/pages/about-us
https://www.lunchskins.com/
https://www.perfectbee.com/a-healthy-beehive/inspecting-your-hive/overwintering-honey-bees
https://www.vejibag.com/our-story
https://www.stasherbag.com/pages/materials
https://ziploc.com/en/Products/Bags/Freezer/Freezer-Bags-Pint-Small