Stop the bus! Did you know that cling wrap is almost never recycled? And can you imagine how many reams of cling film are produced every year? Globally about 3 million tons are used annually! This has many people asking, what are environmentally friendly alternatives to cling wrap?
What can I do?
Pledge #7 is all about giving up cling wrap in your home and trying to avoid it in stores.
Making food last longer is budget-friendly, and reducing food waste is a key part of a sustainable lifestyle. That being said, we shouldn’t do so at the cost of our environment by using single-use plastic!
Thankfully, there are several great alternatives to plastic cling wrap:
- Reuse the container your food came it. Inevitably, some products will come in plastic packaging, so just reseal the bag with a twist and a peg.
- Reusable beeswax wraps are available health shops they are also easy to make at home.
- Reusable silicone bags, like Stasher bags, may look and feel like plastic.
- Storage containers – glass is great for use around the home, and metal lunch boxes are ideal for travel. Good quality plastic containers are also better than single-use options – but check that they are recyclable!
- Glass jars – these last forever, and are essentially free!
- A normal bowl with a plate over.
- If travelling, consider a good quality luggage lock, rather than plastic wrap!
Why does it matter?
Like almost all plastic products, cling wrap is made by mixing tiny little plastic nurdles that look just like oversized fish eggs. There have been many instances of containers spilling trillions of these pellets into the ocean. Just recently, we have been seeing nurdles on the beaches around Cape Town and the Garden Route.
An incident like this happened in the Durban harbour in 2017. Nurdles were found as far up the western coast as Namibia after the spillage! Being a PVC (recycling code 6) means that, as it breaks down in landfill or incinerators, it releases a highly toxic chemical called dioxin. When in the ocean, it attracts heavy metals and pollutants such as DDT and PCB which are extremely poisonous to fish. And of course, we, in turn, eat the fish!
Myth-busting: Aluminium foil
Some people that are resistant to the idea of making use of reusable alternatives may believe that aluminium tinfoil is more sustainable than cling film. This is a double edged sword.
Although aluminium foil doesn’t pollute the oceans the same way plastic films do, its environmental impact is significantly higher. This is due to the highly energy-intensive processes needed to manufacture aluminium. Cling film uses 83% less energy and produces 88% fewer emissions than aluminium foil by weight. However, recycling foil reduces its energy cost by as much as 95% compared to virgin metal. Although it is commonly believed that used aluminium foil is not recyclable, it actually is recyclable in South Africa. It does, however, depend on whether it has been properly separated. The reason some recycling collectors do not accept foil isn’t that they can’t, but because of the greasy food waste associated with it. This can contaminate other recyclables such as plastic and paper that share a bin with it.
So, is aliminuim foil eco friendly? While it certainly isn’t ideal, it is okay to use in limited circumstances – such as cooking. Do what you can minimise your foil usage, do not use it as a single-use food storage option, and always separate your foil to be recycled together with your cans.
Who can I follow?
Local Capetonian, Karoline Hanks, has upskilled local Masiphumelele women to create SUP Alternatives (Single-use plastic alternatives) reusable products. This includes beeswax wraps, bowl covers, mesh fruit, vegetable bags, bunting and other cost-effective alternatives to plastic. Check her out on Instagram.
