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We are drowning in plastic.

From beauty products to grocery bags to water bottles to our daily cup of coffee, plastic is present in every aspect of our lives. Most of these items are designed to be used once and thrown away, usually heading to the landfill.

Some of the plastic that we think can be recycled, like drink lids, straws and utensils, end up in the landfill because they're either too difficult to recycle or there's no market for the end products. Even recyclable plastic such as water bottles are becoming harder to recycle.

The most effective approach to reducing our plastic waste is to REFUSE, REDUCE, and REUSE.

In January 2019, GreenWorks spearheaded the creation of the Plastics Reduction Task Force -- a group of motivated volunteers dedicated to reducing single-use plastic in our environment. 
​
Join the plastic-free movement and break free from the plastic ties that bind us.
Donate now for a plastic-free future
Mind Your Plastic May is meant to encourage and challenge us in our journey to live plastic free. These posts are created by GreenWorks staff, Plastic Reduction Task Force volunteers, and other plastic-free advocates in Buncombe County. If you've found these posts helpful and encouraging, please consider making a donation to support this work. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
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Plastic Wrap is Out, Beeswax Wrap is What it’s All About!

5/10/2019

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Using plastic wrap to keep your sandwich fresh for a couple of hours, or to cover a bowl overnight may not seem outrageous—but when you consider that those few hours of use are followed by an eternity in the landfill, or worse, drifting through our treasured landscapes, the cost-benefit analysis doesn’t look so good. Despite this reality, plastic wrap has remained an unfortunate staple in almost every kitchen, and continues to contribute to the roughly 300 million tons of plastic waste generated each year. Unfortunately, as with so many detriments to our environment, these products are frustratingly convenient, and few eco-friendly alternatives that can serve the exact same function have presented themselves. That is...until now!

We can now leave these incredibly wasteful plastic wraps behind, and usher in the new era of “beeswax wraps”! These beautifully simple creations serve the same function as plastic wraps but are reusable, and consist of as little as a piece of cotton fabric and beeswax. In its simplest form, a beeswax wrap is a cloth that has been imbued with melted beeswax and then allowed to cool. Doing so allows this exciting new kitchen staple to emulate the convenience and efficacy of plastic wrap in two main ways: the piece of cloth is now air and water tight, thanks to the beeswax (thank you honey bees!), and is rigid and tacky (to the touch, not the eyes) enough to “cling” and mold to whatever it needs to. Your sandwich can now stay fresh and that half an onion in your fridge can stay covered without sending another piece of forever-trash to our constantly growing landfills.
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Lucky for us, these earth-friendly wraps are available for purchase all over the internet, and are showing up in many stores. Several local, Asheville shops carry them (see below).  Even more exciting—they’re easy to make at home! All you need is an oven, some cloth, and some beeswax pellets known as pastilles. Some recipes include other naturally derived ingredients like jojoba oil. Check out the DIY link below for one of many excellent blog entries detailing ways to make your own wraps. In order to make beeswax wraps as low-impact as possible, try getting wax from a local beekeeper, or local craft shop, and find your cloth material at a clothing consignment store!

With beeswax wraps in your arsenal of reusables, minding your plastic this month will be all the easier!


DIY Beeswax Wraps (also includes a beeless vegan recipe):

https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/the-complete-guide-to-diy-beeswax-wraps-including-a-beeless-vegan-food-wrap

Where to Buy Beeswax Wraps Around Asheville:
Lick Log Branch Apiaries in Fairview - You can find owner Ricky Manning selling his homemade beeswax wraps at local tailgate markets

The Asheville Bee Charmer at 38 Battery Park Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Villagers at 278 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806

If online shopping is your forte, check out one of the pioneering beeswax wrap manufacturer’s (who clearly snagged the best name): Bee’s Wrap based out of Vermont


*Have an allergy to beeswax? Fortunately, there are non-beeswax alternatives. This website that’s listed above has a DIY recipe for making your own non-beeswax wraps: https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/the-complete-guide-to-diy-beeswax-wraps-including-a-beeless-vegan-food-wrap. There are also reusable silicone bowl covers that stretch to different sizes, silicone sandwich bags and waterproof cloth sandwich bags. You can find these online or locally at shops like The Littlest Birds in West Asheville.

Peter Menzies
Asheville GreenWorks
Urban Habitats Education Coordinator
​AmeriCorps Project Conserve Member

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​Asheville GreenWorks is a 501(c)3 non-profit environmental organization, governed by a Board of Directors. Established in 1973, GreenWorks mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize individuals and communities to take care of the places we love to live.
  • Hard 2 Recycle
  • Programs
    • Bee City USA Asheville >
      • Native Pollinator Plants and Nurseries
      • Pollination Celebration >
        • Pollinator Photo Contest
      • Pollinator Garden Certification
    • Rivers & Roads >
      • Adopt-a-Street
      • Clean Streams Day
      • Cleanup Supply Stations
      • Trash Trout
      • WNC Big Sweep
    • Education
    • Urban Forestry >
      • Adopt-a-Spot
      • Cool Green Asheville
      • Food Tree Project
      • RRI
      • Tree Nursery
      • Treasured Trees >
        • Treasured Trees Calendar
    • Waste Reduction >
      • Asheville Bag Monster
      • Composting Information
      • Flip Your Lid
      • Plastics Reduction Task Force
      • Recycling Information
      • Smash Don't Trash
  • Get Involved
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