What is this product?
Bee’s Wrap is an easy to use, versatile product, that can be used to replace plastic wrap and even plastic baggies. The product is made out of organic cotton, beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin and can be formed to any food or bowl using the warmth of your hands. The wraps have worked well for me in the three months I have been using them and keep my produce fresh. But if you don’t trust my judgment you can ask my grandma who texted me recently to let me know that Bee’s Wrap we got her for Christmas is “THE best lettuce keeper!”
I frequently use the wraps to cover produce. Right now the large wrap (13" x 14") is holding a head of lettuce, the medium wrap (10" x 11") is holding half an onion and I am using the small wrap (7" x 8") to cover the end of a cut cucumber. I also used the small wrap to carry little snacks to work that didn’t fit in my other reusable lunch products. (I’ll post more about some of the other products I use in the coming weeks!) How much work is this product?
This product requires little maintenance; the wraps need to be cleaned and allowed to air dry after use. It is important to remember that these should never come in contact with heat and that includes hot water. When I first started using the wraps I would wash them with lukewarm water and I think that may have reduced the overall stickiness of the wrap. The Bee’s Wrap website says, “Bee's Wrap lasts for up to a year with proper care and regular usage.”
The Bees Wax Wrap Co. in the UK is a different company that sells a similar product to what I have. They suggest that you refresh the wraps in the oven or with an iron to increase the longevity of the product. When my wraps start to lose their stickiness I am going to try this procedure to try and increase the shelf life of the product.
I also saw that Nancy Birtwhistle, winner of the fifth season of The Great British Baking Show, makes her own wax wraps at a fraction of the cost. I am going to try out her method and add more beeswax when my wraps truly reach the end of their lives in order to make a more economical purchase and save money long term.
Will this product save me money?
A huge part of my decision to remove single-use products from my life comes from my desire to also save money. It is very important to me that the changes I make are good for the planet and my wallet. This product retails for $18 and lasts for a year with proper care but it can last longer with slightly more upkeep and the additional cost of the beeswax pellets, which can be found on Amazon.
I estimated how much plastic wrap this product could replace based on my mom’s estimated usage, but please remember this could be more or less depending on your lifestyle. We guessed that before Bee’s Wrap we could have gone through about four rolls of plastic wrap a year. The cost of 100 square feet of Saran Wrap at our local store is $2.50 a roll making the total cost $10 a year. This product could end up costing more if you decide to consistently discard them and purchase new instead of adding additional wax. Overall, the cost here could be a toss-up and dependant on your desire to do additional upkeep to the product. If you decide to add more beeswax to your preexisting wraps then you will be set for years to come and this will be a very economical purchase. If you decide to toss the wraps after they lose their stickiness you could be losing a few dollars a year depending on your previous plastic wrap consumption and how long you made your wraps last. If you do eventually decide to discard them remember they are compostable according to the Bee’s Wrap sustainability page.
What’s the verdict?
I will be writing a short summary of each product review at the end of each post to have a quick take away of my thoughts on the product. Here I will rank the products on the additional work they require, the initial investment cost, and the ability to save money long term. A product will receive a lower score out of five if there is little additional work, if there is a smaller additional investment and if it has the ability to save money long term. In other words, a lower score will be positive for the product but a higher score does not necessarily disqualify it as a useful product that you can integrate into your life.
Maintenance Score: 1
Why it got this score: I gave this product a low score on maintenance because washing dishes is already a part of our daily routine. The only place where there is additional effort required is changing the water temperature to make sure that you do not melt the wraps, otherwise, I would have ranked it lower at zero. Initial Investment Score: 3 Why it got this score: This product does require a small initial investment but it is not set at a completely inaccessible price point. Money-Saving Score: 3 I gave Bee’s Wrap a middle of the road score on its ability to save you money because it is up to the user. You can refresh the wrap in the oven with or without adding additional wax to increase the shelf life but this does create more maintenance. At the end of the day, it is up to the user how much they want to spend on replacing this product to remove thin plastics from their lifestyle. Where can I buy this?
I purchased the three-pack in the honeycomb print from Mighty Nest. The honeycomb print regularly sells for $18.00 but as a member, I did get a small discount. You can also buy the wraps directly from the Bee’s Wrap website.
Why is making the switch important?
lightweight bags can be blown away into trees or waterways harming wildlife and water sources. The best way to stop the negative impacts of thin plastics is to refuse them outright rather than risk them ending up in a waterway breaking down into potentially harmful microplastics.
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AuthorI am a journalist with a passion for saving the planet and inspiring others to join me ArchivesCategories
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