9 eco-friendly clingfilm alternatives to reduce your plastic consumption

This year’s theme for Earth Day 2024 is Planet vs Plastic. I have found that it is easiest to reduce your plastic consumption by switching one thing at a time. I stopped using clingfilm when I went to university 4 years ago and have not looked back. There are so many great eco-friendly clingfilm alternatives which I can’t wait to share. In this post, I will be sharing why you don’t need clingfilm.

I would love it if you could have a read of this article which I was named an expert in. Check out the featured article by Rent below:

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day is celebrated every year on the 22nd of April, with April also being known as Earth Month. It began with Senator Gaylord Nelson, who was concerned with the deteriorating environment of the United States. This was just after the massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. He and Denis Hayes, a young activist, organised the first Earth Day which was celebrated in 1970. They chose the 22nd of April because it fell between spring break and final exams which maximised student participation! 20 million Americans were inspired and took a stand for a better future.

If you want to read more about the history of Earth Day, you can read it on the official Earth Day website. I recommend reading it, it is very interesting to see how it has expanded.

Earth Day 2024

As I said previously, the theme for this year’s Earth Day is Planet vs Plastics. Earthday.org wants to have a reduction of 60% in producing plastic by 2040. There are obviously some good uses of plastic which will still have to be produced such as medical care. It is unhygienic to have reusable medical products in hospitals, though it may be different in your own home for your personal use. It is not an area I am completely knowledgeable on!

Earth Day 2024 is a good opportunity to reassess the plastic products you use, and to see which products you could stop buying. Michelle from Boomer Eco Crusader shares 7 single-use plastic items to give up in her Earth Day post.

Continue reading: Eco-friendly clingfilm alternatives

Reasons to stop using single-use plastic

I recently read that in 1950, the world produced 2 million tonnes of plastic and now it is producing 450 million tonnes (Ritchie et al., 2023)! This is such an extortionate figure and something that our governments need to be more concerned about. Here are a few of the negative consequences that plastic has on our planet and people.

• Pollutes waterways and oceans – Anytime that litter is thrown on the ground, it will end up in the waterways and eventually oceans.
• Animals are consuming plastic mistaken for food – Animals as small as plankton have been ingesting plastic. This is really worrying because plankton are at the start of the food chain, and we are at the end. Think about the amount of plastic consumed along the way that we must be ingesting!
• Animals get stuck in plastic – I think we have all seen the photo of a poor sea turtle with a straw stuck or plastic wrapped around their neck. It is absolutely heartbreaking, and a lot of the time it is discarded fishing equipment that causes this.
• They release toxic chemicals – Did you know that as plastic breaks down into microplastics, it leaches toxic chemicals into our food and water sources.

Related post: 6 simple ways to reduce your plastic consumption

Reasons to stop buying clingfilm

Clingfilm has become very popular across the world as a way of keeping food covered and fresh. Did you know that more than 1.2 billion meters of cling film are used across Britain each year (Keep Britain Tidy)? That is a staggering amount. I have stopped buying clingfilm, and have not missed it once – try it!

• It doesn’t work well – My parents still sometimes use clingfilm and it doesn’t even stick!
• Difficult to recycle – It costs more money to recycle than producing it which is part of the reason there is not the infrastructure to recycle it.
• Takes up to 1000 years to decompose (Business Waste)
• Breaks down into microplastics – Once it has decomposed, it is still here as microplastics which impacts wildlife.
• It ends up in landfill – It releases chemicals which leach into the ground, water and air.

Eco-friendly clingfilm alternatives

Luckily nowadays there are lots of eco-friendly clingfilm alternatives! Some of these are better than others, and more affordable. There should be something for everyone.

1. Beeswax wraps/vegan wax wraps

Whoever came up with wax wraps is a genius! Since I first discovered them, I thought they were so clever and have not looked back since. I have been seeing them out and about a lot more than when I started using them in 2020. One of my favourite things about wax wraps is how much money they will save you.

When taken care of properly, each waxwrap can last for a year. When they do reach the end of their life you can compost. Think about the amount of clingfilm you will have used in that time! They are also brilliant for travelling as they can be folded down and require minimal washing. I would really recommend them for storing sandwiches in, like on a picnic.

These are the main wax wrap products:

• Wax wrap rolls – Perfect for cutting the size you want.
• Wax wraps – Ready cut pieces.
• Wax wrap bags – For taking to the bakery with you.

If you want to know more, I wrote ‘everything you need to know about beeswax wraps‘.

2. Foil

Aluminium foil is more of a short-term solution as a clingfilm alternative. I wouldn’t say that it is a cheaper alternative to wax wraps because you can’t reuse foil as much. Foil is definitely a more eco-friendly clingfilm alternative as you can recycle it. A few tips for recycling foil:

• Check if your council will pick it up
• If not, check if your local recycling centre will take it
• Sometimes supermarkets recycle foil
• Make sure that it is clean and there isn’t any food debris on it or it will not be recycled properly

3. Use Tupperware

A fantastic clingfilm alternative is using Tupperware! While tupperware is still plastic, it can be reused lots of times. The plastic doesn’t break off and so won’t leach toxic chemicals like clingfilm would. Furthermore, you can buy glass or metal tupperware.

4. Cotton/paper bags

Cotton bags are great for buying loose vegetables, and you can just keep it in the bags in the fridge. Some have tightening fasterners which should help to keep the food fresh. Even a teatowel would keep bread that little bit fresher! Paper bags are another option, but may be less reusable if they tear or get wet.

5. Glass jars

A glass jar is something I sometimes forget about, but it is smart because you don’t even have to buy it! Next time you buy a glass of passata or pickle, clean it and save it for storing food at a later date. I store food like pasta and lentils normally, but overnight oats is a nice idea. Storing carrots in water is actually meant to make them last longer as they go off quicker in plastic.

6. Silicone lids

Silicone lids are something that I haven’t tried (apart from for milk bottles). The idea sounds good though I don’t think it would be my top choice. You would need to buy the correct size, and would need lots for all containers. I think it would be easier to use tupperware.

7. Fabric food covers

This is almost an in between stage for wax wraps and silicone lids. I think the idea of a fabric food cover is that it would be elasticated to seal the container. It probably doesn’t have to be the exact correct size, as you could use an elastic band or string to seal.

8. Tins

Tins are similar to glass jars in that you will probably buy it or be given it at some point which means you can keep it for later. We have been reusing the same tins for years for bakes, leftover quiches etc.

9. No wrapping

When I was younger, I used to wrap my cucumber/carrot and sandwiches in cling film in a lunchbox. There is no point in this! The lunchbox on its own is a great way to store food. Maybe it was to reduce cleaning? Now I don’t both, and use my bento box style lunchbox. It comes with a divider if you are worried about food touching.

Another example is when a bunch of bananas are in a plastic bag! It is probably to protect bruising which kind of makes sense in transporting it, but not once it is in the shop. What other examples can you think of?

How are you celebrating Earth Day? What are your favourite eco-friendly clingfilm alternatives?

Caroline ♡