DIY: Fabriquer son emballage réutilisable à la cire d’abeille - Nature For Kids

Emballage à la cire d'abeille

Source: LaHandQuiCoud

Lightweight, waterproof, eco-friendly, economical, zero waste and zero plastic, beeswax wrap is ideal for replacing aluminum foil, cellophane or sachet disposable. It can also be used to cover a dish, a jar or a pot. It preserves food and protects it during transport. It's even better when it's all homemade.

Materials needed :

  • A clean, lightweight hemp, organic cotton, or linen fabric. Preferably rectangular, but it can also be round. The fabric must be large enough and have wide enough edges to completely surround the food you want to wrap.
  • beeswax
  • 2 sheets of baking paper
  • 1 coconut button
  • 1 piece of string

Instructions:

Optional: If the fabric is too crumpled, iron it briefly. You can also sew a small hem to prevent the fabric from spinning.

To avoid getting wax on your ironing board, first place a clean, dry towel that is larger than your baking paper.

Step 1:

On your ironing board, Lay out a sheet of baking paper topped with the piece(s) of fabric. Depending on your needs, plan pieces of fabric of different sizes.

Step 2:

Sprinkle the fabric with beeswax evenly. The pieces of wax can be spaced according to their size. We put enough so that the wax soaks all the fabric once melted. Cover the fabric with a second sheet of baking paper.

Step 3:

Heat the iron to around 150°C (represented by 2 points) without steam.

Iron, passing the iron over the entire fabric. The wax melts quickly.

Thanks to the baking paper, it will be possible to see transparently where the wax has melted evenly. It will be necessary to check that the wax is spread over the entire surface, to obtain effective and resistant ecological packaging.

Step 4:

Allow the baking paper to dry for at least 4 to 5 minutes before carefully removing it. It is not necessary to make both sides of the fabric, one is enough.

Add wax if necessary: ​​lift the top baking paper, place the wax then iron again. There should be no blank scraps of fabric left.

Step 5:

Once the fabric is dry and cool, sew the button on one edge. Tie one end of the string.

Use and Care

This packaging can be used to wrap and transport sandwiches, biscuits, biscuits, fruit... In short, anything that is not liquid, likely to leak (such as cottage cheese) or very sensitive to contamination by microbes (like fresh meat).

Simply place the food in the center of the package, wrap it and hold it in place with string. That we just wrap around the button at the end of the race. You can easily fold the packaging.

It can also be used like aluminum foil or cling film in contact with our hands, the wax-coated fabric softens and can cover your containers and stand alone on the sides.

The packaging is washed by hand with lukewarm water and dish soap (ecological or homemade). Rinse well and dry. No washing machine or hot water, this could melt the wax.

Over time, the folds become marked, it is necessary to re-soak the fabric with wax. Just clean it and start the process again.

Why avoid aluminum and stretch film ?

Aluminium: Its accumulation in the body is likely to increase the risk of cancer, especially if it is heated in the oven. Aluminum is present in food aluminum, in cosmetology and in surgery. The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has set a "tolerable intake" for aluminum of 1 mg per kilo of weight per week. In practice, it is therefore better to avoid food aluminum sources (food additives E173, E541, E420, aluminum foil, etc.).

Stretch film: Used daily to preserve our preparations and in commercial food packaging, it is potentially dangerous to health. Bisphenol A (BPA) is said to be carcinogenic when it comes into direct contact with food. Like any plastic material, manufacturing requires the extraction of oil, which contributes to the destruction and pollution of ecosystems. When the plastic is in contact with food, endocrine disruptors from additives can migrate into the food.

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