Today marks the start of Plastic Free July, a month-long global initiative to raise awareness of plastic pollution and help millions of people understand what they can do to cut down on plastic. With tips on plastic alternatives for every aspect of life, from parenting and the home to pets and work, their website is a great resource for those wishing to live a plastic-free lifestyle.
Food is one of the areas under scrutiny when it comes to plastic, with straws and plastic bottles on the receiving end of some bad press, almost becoming symbolic of the global crisis. But one way we can all reduce plastic waste in the home is when it comes to food preservation, specifically cling film. Enter Beeswax Wrap Co...
Beeswax Wrap Co.
Fran and Carly handmake their Beeswax Wraps in Nailsworth in the UK as an alternative to cling film or foil. Organic cotton is covered in beeswax and essential oils to make a long-lasting, reusable and biodegradable option for keeping food fresh. With a Bread Wrap, Cheese Wrap, Lunch Wrap and Kitchen Packs for covering bigger bowls, there are sizes for all uses and patterns for all tastes.
Cheese Wrap Promotion
Beeswax Wrap Co. are offering Quicke's customers 15% off their Cheese Wraps throughout July. To get your code, simply buy anything from the Quicke's website in July and you will receive the discount code in your order. Shop now.
We chatted to co-founder Fran, about why she started The Beeswax Wrap Co. and her journey to a plastic-free lifestyle...
Five minutes with Fran, co-founder of The Beeswax Wrap Co.
What was the catalyst for starting The Beeswax Wrap Co.?
Carly and I both were trying to cut out single-use plastic from our lives, but when it came to clingfilm we struggled to find a viable alternative. Carly had seen beeswax wraps when she lived in Australia so we decided we would have a go at making them ourselves as we couldn't find anyone in the UK selling them.
What are the wax wraps made from?
We use organic GOTS certified cotton, local beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and natural pine resin which acts as a natural adhesive.
Why are they especially good for wrapping cheese?
Beeswax wraps are amazing for wrapping cheese as the cotton allows the cheese to breathe. The wax makes sure that not all the moisture is lost, so your cheese doesn't sweat like it would in cling film and it won't dry out like it would if you left it unwrapped or in a container.
We think these are a great alternative to cling film or foil, what other things do you do to reduce consumption of plastic?
We have made a big change in our shopping habits, rather than go to the local supermarket we have re-jigged our time to allow us to visit our local shops. Our local butcher puts all our meat into tubs we bring along, we are very lucky to have two fantastic refill shops near us as well, so we buy all our pasta, tea and oats from there. All our veg comes from a local community farm project which we pick up on a Friday. Moving away from plastics has been an extremely positive experience as we now make a much more conscious decision about where we spend our money, which is very much in local, independent shops.
What's your favourite Quicke's Cheese and way to eat it?
I love your Goat's Milk Cheese, I usually eat it with a slice of apple and some of my auntie's homemade runner bean chutney.
Quicke's and plastic reduction
Businesses are increasingly aware of the importance of removing plastic from their supply chain and packaging. We are one of them. We have made the following changes as a business:
- Switched to paper bags in the farm shop
- Pack all trade deliveries using cardboard and paper
- We are meticulous with the recycling in the Quicke's office and household, with two plastic recycling bins, plus separate bins for metal, paper, and cardboard
- We compost all organic matter and we feed leftover veg and salad to the chickens
We are looking into recyclable plastic for our vacuum packed bags, compostable packs currently available on the market fall apart too soon and crumble like an old shopping bag. We know it’s something we must resolve, and we keep asking our bag supplier to come up with a solution.
Whilst we are sorting this, if you open the cheese packs at the rind end (the tallest side), you can reuse the bag until the cheese is finished, folding the bag over and securing it with the label to make better use of the pouch.
This is high on our agenda as a business and we will inform you on progress towards our goal of becoming plastic-free.
