I’ve never done a post on beeswax wraps before which seems like a sin for a less waste/zero waste proponent and maybe it is but I’ve had my reasons. I’ve had a few folks mention them to me in the past couple of months so I figure now is the best time to give you my thoughts on them. If you love your beeswax wraps and use them for almost everything, please don’t let my opinions change that! Keep doing what you’re doing! For other folks who are wondering about them and their usefulness, here are my two cents before you spend your two cents on them.

A few years ago when I first heard about them and bought them, I thought they were going to revolutionize how I lived my life. I would use them for everything I used plastic wrap for! As it happened, that wasn’t the case. For those who haven’t spent too much time looking into them, beeswax wraps are cotton cloths (preferably organic) that have been covered with melted beeswax and other oils/rosins that then dry onto the cloth and make an impermeable layer so that the wraps can be used for wrapping up and keeping fresh sandwiches, cheeses, half used produce/citrus, bowls full of salad etc. It hearkens back to the days of Little House on the Prairie and probably even before that. Let me say that there is a place in my life for them. They really do keep a half of an avocado preserved much better than other ways I’ve tried but overall, they are just one tool in my arsenal of less waste materials. Here is a quick list of pros and cons that I have found.

Pros:
– the fresh avocado half, as mentioned before
– when I’ve run out of other ways to contain my food, they are easily within reach

Cons:
– They are a little difficult to clean given their flexible nature and the fact that you can’t use warm or hot water to wash them. (You are supposed to use a mild soap and cold water but they are still a bit awkward to wash.)
– You have to be careful to keep them away from warmth or heat or the beeswax will melt and it will no longer be impermeable
– they are a bit sticky and have a strong beeswaxy smell that takes some time to wear off so your sandwich might smell/taste a bit sweet and this might not be what you were hoping for while you ate it.
– if you use it to cover a bowl, you can’t place anything on top of it in the refrigerator which is why I still prefer to cover my bowls with plates or if I’m taking it to a potluck, a dishtowel
– you can’t use it to wrap raw meat

I’m just going to stop because if you love yours, keep loving it and if you’ve wanted to buy them, by all means, buy them! But for those of you on the fence, I wanted you to know some more of the facts before you spend your hard earned money on them because they are not cheap. And please know that I do use mine, just not as much as I thought I would. I would much prefer to put my sandwich in a stainless steel container and I’d rather keep my cheese in a clear pyrex so I can see it in order to remember that I have it and use it. But that’s just me. So there you have it. I will never be sponsored by Bee’s Wrap and I’m good with that. (Let the record show I’m not sponsored by anyone but if I were, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be one)I like what they’re doing and if gets more folks out there interested in sustainability, then they are doing something right!

And shoot, if I can perfect a method of making them at home, I might even make them as batch holiday gifts some year so look out!