Green Alternatives: Plastic Wrap

I am going to be starting a new series of posts called Green Alternatives, that will be focusing on alternatives to every day wasteful products. This first post will be about plastic wrap.

Plastic wrap is not very nice to our dear Mother Earth. It is intended as a single use product, and will literally take hundreds of years to even begin to break down in the environment. It is typically made out of highly toxic PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride) and also contains phthalates, which are known to cause developmental problems in children and hormone disruptions. And we use this stuff to wrap our food. Gross. It is also entirely unnecessary, and there are some lovely alternatives. Aluminum foil is probably the most "convenient" (a word I despise) alternative, and probably the most universally available, but it also has it's drawbacks. It takes an amazing amount of energy to produce aluminum foil. However, it can be reused numerous times, unlike it's vile counterpart, and can be recycled in most cities. But lo and behold, I have discovered something even more amazing.

These lovely things are called Abeego Flats, and they are an entirely natural, reusable alternative to plastic wrap. They are made of a hemp/cotton fabric blend and coated in beeswax and plant extracts to make them sticky and pliable. This particular set is from The Good Planet, a great Eco store located on Vancouver Island. I received these as a Christmas present from D, and I love, love, love them! They come in packages of three different sizes which will work on any sized dish. You simply roll them out and stick them onto your desired bowl, and they mold and stick beautifully to it! After you are done with them, simply wash them in cold water and store for later use. Ok, they may not seal quite as well as the plastic wrap, but they lock in moisture and keep food fresh. I don't require my wrapped food to be able to withstand upside down flips and shakes. My fridge always remains in an upright position.

But the best part of these is their smell. Sweet beeswax that is mixed in with a light, natural fabric scent that makes me want to dip these in my tea or suck on them. Mmmm. No more nasty weird plastic smell, and I am no longer wary of wrapping food and envisioning chemicals leeching into my delicious home cooked meals.  I am one happy eco geek! Do you have alternatives for environmental no-no's? I would love to hear what you have discovered!

Brenna