In an effort be more eco-friendly, we’ve all been using more plastic wrap alternatives. After all, being eco-friendly also means cutting back on food waste by wrapping up leftovers; and making the most of pre-made staples like pre-cooked pasta and rice or diced veggies to help with school lunches and our weekly meal plans. All of which means storing food — but that does not have to mean plastic wrap.
With Earth Day coming up, maybe it’s a good time for you to give it a try too?
These are 3 plastic wrap alternatives I’ve actually used and can recommend. They make it possible to ditch the plastic clingy stuff, and trade it for safe, sustainable food storage that we can feel good about.
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This post updated for 2024
Linen Bowl Covers
I recently purchased a set of linen dish covers similar to these from Halfmoon Linen on Etsy and they are a revelation. Linen dish covers like these don’t make an air-tight seal, so they’re not as multi-purpose as plastic wrap, but they work great to cover baked goods, leftovers, salads, rising dough, or prepped veggies. And they’re dishwasher-sfafe! My boys call them our “linen bowl hats.” and I can’t get enough of them.
Bee’s Wrap Reusable Food Wrap
Bee’s Wrap is an all-natural, reusable food wrap made of organic cotton muslin, tree resin, beeswax and jojoba oil, the last two of which have antibacterial properties. Yes, really! They come in so many cute patterns now and you can find them right from their shop on Amazon. And the best part is that these wraps create a reliable air seal.
Bee’s Wraps come out of the package feeling a little stiff, but use the warmth of your hand to mold around and create a seal on whatever you’re trying to wrap, from cut veggies to leftover bread, to a bowl of soup. With easy care—wash by hand, air dry, and keep away from heat—Bee’s Wraps are reusable for up to a year.
The catch? They aren’t recommended for meat and they can be a little pricey. In the long run, though, if you take good care of your wraps, there’s no doubt that you’ll save money and tons of plastic consumption.
Abeego Reusable Food Wrap
Bee’s Wrap isn’t the only company in the beeswax food wrap game. Canadian company Abeego makes a natural beeswax food storage wrap from hemp and certified organic cotton, that’s been infused with pure beeswax, certified organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. You use and care for Abeego wraps in the same ways as you do Bee’s Wraps and then, when they’ve worn out after a year or so, you can compost them.
In addition to wrapping everything from bread to cheese and sealing all manner of kitchen storage containers, the makers of Abeego claim that you can use their product to wrap up cold cuts and cooked meats; they also say that you can cover raw meat that’s been placed in a dish — which is probably not good for freezing, but it’s great for tonight’s beef fondue!
Also see:
10 tips to make your kitchen more sustainable
I switched to reusable bamboo paper towels. Here’s how it went.
These 8 single-use products are going away. Here are alternatives that make switching easy.
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