While cling wrap and zip-lock bags are really convenient, is our convenience really worth the devastating effects of plastic pollution?
Packing school lunch boxes can be a tricky affair. What will my child eat? How can I keep it fresh? The temptation is to just wrap things in cling wrap or to pop treats in a zip-lock bag. This convenience has consequences for our environment that last well beyond the time we dispose of our plastic packaging.
“There is no such thing as 'away'. When we throw something away it must go somewhere." Annie Leonard
We are deluded when we think that just because our soft plastics are disposed of, that is the end of them. They don't disappear. They just move on...
There are alternatives!!
The plastICS team have explored many options and lots of them are great. Of course plastic containers are always great. They are reusable and washable but they can be bulky and our kiddies might not be able to fit them all in one container.
We have discovered and now make our own beeswax wraps. We call them plastICS- It's a wrap. Beeswax is natural, biodegradable and sustainable. We source our beeswax locally which helps local apiarists to have a side line business along with their honey. Materials are sourced second hand from members of our school community and local second hand stores. When washed and cut, these are turned into beeswax wraps.
Beeswax wraps are great for wrapping snadwiches, snacks or you can even fold them (Wrapigami) to make pockets for nuts, popcorn...the possibilities are endless! Wraps can be washed in warm soapy water over and over again...and, when they are finally at the end of their lives (non of ours are yet!), they can be compsted leading to absolutely NO WASTE.
Why don't you give it a go? Reducing your reliance on soft plastic can have a huge impact on our world. Check out our website to find instructions of how to make your own beeswax wraps.