IN WITH THE NEW: Plastic Wrap
Welcome to my weekly featured ”IN WITH THE NEW” CLEAN SWAP! This week we are taking a closer look at Plastic Wrap.
I’m always fielding questions from clients and friends about how they can swap out some of their favorite products for safer, toxin-free options without a loss in quality, taste, or performance (depending on the product). Every week, I cover food, cosmetics, personal care, cleaning and laundry products, and even behavior, so if you enjoy these Clean Swaps, please follow me on Instagram and sign up for my 360° OF WELLNESS Newsletter (⬅️by clicking on this link to the left) so that you never miss a new one.
Let’s talk PLASTIC WRAP
It’s convenient and easy. Just rip off a piece and use it to wrap anything you need to keep fresh—a bowl, a piece of cheese, an avocado. Then just toss it. What could be better? Right?
SO WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT PLASTIC WRAP? 💁♀️
Even if you've already swapped out most of your plastic containers for BPA-free versions… or better yet, glass, I bet that you’re still clinging to your plastic wrap, because you think that it doesn’t pose much of a problem. Does it?
If it touches your food, then YES, IT DOES!
Each year, Americans buy enough plastic film to shrink-wrap the entire state of Texas. Although plastic wrap is portable, cheap, and keeps leftovers fresh for longer, there are a number of reasons you should stop using it.
🚫 Contains HARMFUL CHEMICALS. The good news is that as of 2006, all plastic wraps made in the United States are phthalate-free (which is why they don’t adhere as well as they used to). The bad news is that there are still a host of reasons why you don't want it touching your food.
LDPE (low-density polyethylene) can leach estrogenic chemicals and may contain diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA), another potential endocrine disruptor (i.e., that means it messes with your hormone production) that has been linked to breast cancer in women and low sperm counts in men.
BPA (Bisphenol A) is a known endocrine disruptor, and according to the EWG, even low doses of BPA can lead to a variety of health problems, like fertility problems, male impotence, heart disease and other conditions. Heat, acidity, and alkalinity cause the BPA to leach into our food and beverages. Worst of all, BPA sitting in landfills leaches into our groundwater.
🚫 NOT SAFE FOR HEATING. Heated plastic leaches chemicals 55 times faster, so never ever use it when cooking, microwaving, or have it come in contact with hot food.
🚫 Made out of a MYSTERIOUS CHEMICAL COCKTAIL. Since manufacturers aren’t required to list the actual chemical makeup of their plastic wrap on the boxes, we have no way of knowing all the scary chemicals that make up plastic wrap.
🚫 NOT RECYCLABLE because it can clog machinery.
🚫 Contributes to the larger PLASTIC POLLUTION crisis. Like other non-recyclables, the best case scenario is for plastic food wrap to end up in a landfill, where it will sit for years, not degrading, and leaching harmful chemicals into the groundwater. In the worst case scenario, it will end up as litter on land or in the sea, where it will also leach chemicals, but also be a threat to wildlife or fish that may get caught up in it or eat it.
READY FOR the CLEAN SWAP?🙋♀️
Check out Bee’s Wrap, a sustainable and natural alternative to plastic wrap. It serves the same purpose as plastic wrap, so you can use it to wrap your fruit, cheese, veggies, and sandwiches, or to cover a bowl or the remaining half of your melon.
Bee’s Wrap is made of organic cotton, sustainably harvested bees wax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. The fabric and printing are certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard and even the exterior packaging is sustainable, made from 100% recycled paper and biodegradable cellulose.
The warmth of your hands softens the wrap, which you can mold over any food or object. As the wrap cools, it creates a natural seal to keep your food fresh.
Best of all, Bee’s Wrap is washable, reusable, and even compostable, which means reduced exposure to plastic and no plastic waste!
Made in the USA, Bee's Wrap is Green-America Certified, and the company is committed to using their business as a vehicle for social change. Win-win-win!
Do you have a favorite clean brand?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Gregory is an Integrative Nutritionist and founder of NEWTRITION NEWYOU. Her focus—whether with private clients, readers of her blog, or her followers on social media— is whole body wellness, incorporating whole-food nutrition, supplementation, exercise, toxin-free living, and mindset coaching. Victoria’s personal mission is to help make the world a healthier place, one person at a time, and she has helped thousands of people find joy and self-love through better eating habits and mindfulness. Learn more about Victoria.