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Let’s dive back into that bag storage drawer today. Next to your zip bags is probably a carton of plastic cling wrap. It is super useful for covering bowls and wrapping food, but also super annoying to get off the roll without sticking to itself! I am also annoyed that it is a thin film plastic that is near impossible to recycle. And, according to the Clean Air Council, each year Americans purchase enough plastic film to shrink-wrap Texas! Aside from the environmental concerns, plastic wrap is a big threat to your health. The film is usually made at least in part from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or other plasticizers. If you wrap your food in these products, you are exposing yourself to chemicals that have been associated with cancer and other endocrine related problems, like early onset puberty and diabetes. You can read more from National Geographic about the history of plastic wrap and the problem here.
Today’s Challenge: Get rid of your plastic wrap. I don’t think it is safe to hold onto this one. So even if you have a roll left, just throw it away. Recycle the cardboard box and empty roll. Here are some options for replacement use:
- “Free” option: cover your bowls with a clean plate in the refrigerator and microwave.
- Use bowls and other containers that have a built in lid to store leftover food.
- Use aluminum foil to cover food. You can reuse it and it is recyclable when you are done. Just rinse off any food and ball it up. Keep the ball in your cupboard and continue to add to it. When it is about the size of a softball, toss it in the recycling bin.
- Bee’s Wrap: I love this stuff. It is organic cotton cloth covered with beeswax. It comes in a variety of sizes and you can use Bee’s Wrap for any purpose that you previously used plastic wrap. Just use the warmth of your hands to seal it around the edges of a bowl or to itself if you are wrapping cheese or a sandwich. To clean it, rinse in cool water with soap and use it again and again for about a year, then compost or toss as they are 100% biodegradable. Bee’s Wrap is the original brand and these are the ones I have used. There are now all sorts of knock-offs that are affordable, but I have not personally tried them myself. If you are ambitious you can make your own wraps or give your old ones new life by ironing on more beeswax pellets.
- Stretch and Seal Silicone Lids: I’ve had people ask me about these lids. I own something similar to the ones I linked, but mine are more flimsy and don’t have the side tabs. Honestly, they have not worked well. I can barely stretch even the largest over my bowls and they slip off easily. The newer ones I linked here may work better, but I have not tried them out.
How do you feel about giving up your plastic wrap?
→ Back to the Plastic Challenge Homepage
What do you suggest for use when microwaving something like a squash or proofing bread? those are there times I use plastic wrap. Separate question, is wax paper biodegradable?
I was gifted a Pampered Chef silicone splatter cover that works well for heating things in the microwave. Check it out here: https://www.pamperedchef.com/shop/Cooking+Tools/Cookware+Accessories/Small+Boil-Over+No+More/2422. I also have some Corningware dishes with a glass cover that I use if I am actually cooking something in the microwave, like squash, and you need the steam to stay in the dish. You can also flip over a plate and cover your bowl. No, wax paper is not biodegradable. Almost all wax paper these days is covered with paraffin wax and, similar to plastic, it is made from fossil fuels, either oil or coal. Paraffin will not break down in compost. The company called “If You Care” makes a parchment paper that is compostable/biodegradable. I use this a lot for my baking. They sell it at Willy St. You can also look for products that use soy wax instead of paraffin wax, typically that would be biodegradable assuming the material that the wax covers is actually paper and not plastic. Sometimes it isn’t obvious on the packaging what you are getting. I hope this helps!