If you're Queensland based, you may have noticed that there were a few rather wet weeks recently. While the rain was very welcome, it did limit the Reef Check team's outdoor activities a bit - but we found something else to keep us entertained!
We took advantage of the bad weather to take a long hard look at our plastic addiction, and looked into a few more ways we can all change some of our daily behaviours to make a more positive impact on the world around us. One simple action we were happy to take on was to ditch the cling wrap and DIY some beeswax wraps instead.
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Beeswax wraps are a reusable, washable (in warm soapy water) and sustainable alternative to single use plastic and cling wrap. And all you need is some cotton (dark colours work best, and you CAN use left over material!), some organic Australian beeswax, coconut oil and access to an oven. No more plastic covers in our fridges!!
How To Make Your Beeswax Wraps:
- Turn the oven on, at 180 degrees Celsius
- Place a few sheets of greaseproof paper onto the metal tray then lay one of your cotton squares on top of this.
- Evenly sprinkle your beeswax over the cotton square, ensuring that you go to the edges.
- Put the tray with the wrap covered in beeswax into the oven until the wax is melted. This will only take a few seconds!
- Pull the tray out of the oven and place on a heat resistant top. Drizzle a small amount (10ml) of coconut oil onto the fabric. Use a brush to make sure the wax and coconut oil is spread evenly throughout. If any of the material is not covered, spread the wax and oil to the corners, and put back in the oven for a few seconds more.
- Peel the wax infused cotton square off the greaseproof paper and let it cool and set on a wire rack or peg it onto a line of string to dry. This will only take a few minutes
- Use as you would cling-wrap! If after time they need a little reinvigorating, simply warm soap wash, and pop back in the oven to reset.
The best part? This is a GREAT activity to get kids and students involved with, AND you get to make a difference for the planet! Thanks to the June Canavan Foundation Grant for supporting Reef Check Australia in these initiatives!
If you don't think you'd make them yourself but still want to cut down on your clingwrap use then check out the range of beeswax wraps in Biome's online store.
