Beeswax food wraps
Cotton cloth coated in beeswax and tree resin. Warms in your hands to seal round a bowl or half a lemon, washes in cold water, composts at the end of its life.
Replaces cling film
Kitchen & food storage
The drawer that generates the most weekly waste
Cling film, foil and sandwich bags are used once and binned within a day — and under 10% of all plastic ever made has been recycled, so most of it doesn't come back. The kitchen is usually the highest-traffic place to start switching, because the disposables it gets through are used almost daily rather than occasionally.
The five swaps below cover the same jobs cling film and single-use tubs already do: wrapping, freezing, microwaving and carrying lunch. None of them need you to change how you cook, only what you reach for afterwards.
Silicone storage bags
Freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe with a proper airtight seal — the closest like-for-like replacement for single-use zip bags, and they stand up on their own.
Replaces zip-lock bags
Stainless steel bento box
No lining to flake off, no plastic taste, no staining from tomato sauce. Dents rather than cracks, and it'll outlast every plastic tub you've ever owned.
Replaces disposable lunch packaging
Glass storage containers
Doesn't absorb smells or stains, safe from freezer to oven, and you can see what's inside without opening it. The clip-lock lids are the part most likely to need replacing first.
Replaces plastic tubs
Silicone stretch lids
Stretches over a bowl, a tin, or half a melon instead of clingfilm or foil — no cutting a new piece each time, and they nest flat in a drawer.
Replaces foil and clingfilm on bowls
Buying guide
What to look for in kitchen and food storage
01
Airtight beats watertight
For anything going in a bag, a genuine seal (a real zip or clip, tested by turning it upside down) matters more than the material it's made from.
02
Check the temperature range
Steel and glass go from freezer to oven; most silicone tops out around 220°C and beeswax wraps should never go near heat at all.
03
Buy the size you'll actually refill
A set of one size you use daily beats a matching set of five sizes, three of which sit empty in a cupboard.
FAQ
Reusable food storage, answered
Are glass containers better than plastic for food storage?
For longevity and avoiding stains or smells, yes — glass doesn't scratch or absorb the way plastic does, and it's fully recyclable at the end of its life. The trade-off is weight and breakage risk, which is why most kitchens end up using glass at home and something lighter like steel or silicone for lunch on the move.
How do I stop beeswax wraps going mouldy?
Let them air dry fully before folding them away — mould almost always comes from being put away damp. Wash in cold water with a mild soap (hot water melts the wax off) and keep them away from raw meat and heat.
Can stainless steel containers go in the microwave?
No — metal and microwaves don't mix, so steel containers are for the freezer, the fridge and a cold lunch bag, not reheating. If you need to microwave, decant into a glass container first.
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