What to use instead of clingfilm

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Cling film might keep your sandwiches fresh, but this single-use plastic is undeniably bad for the planet – it’s hard to recycle, which means the majority of it ends up in landfill or in the ocean, where it can choke and kill marine life.

Here are some clingfilm alternatives that are better for the environment.

Greaseproof & non-stick baking paper

Watch out: some have a plastic or chemical coating, so they’re not biodegradable or recyclable. Make sure you check.

What to buy? Unbleached paper with natural greaseproof properties is hard to find. Most are coated with silicone (and still compostable). If You Care parchment baking paper is £4.99 for a 20m roll at Lakeland.

baking paper

Aluminium foil

Aluminium foil is recyclable, but first-use foil is energy-intensive to produce and takes hundreds of years to break down.

What to buy? You can get recycled brands such as If You Care via Abel & Cole or Milk And More, from £3.25 a roll.

Waxed paper

Conventional waxed paper is coated with paraffin wax, a petroleum-based product, and sometimes chlorine/bleach is used to make the paper.

What to buy? Look for waxed paper made from renewable sources with soybean wax. It can’t be recycled, but it’s compostable/biodegradable. Find If You Care Unbleached Wax Paper on Amazon, from £6.62 for a roll.

Beeswax wraps

These cotton sheets, coated in beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin, come in a variety of designs and are fully compostable. They’re more expensive than cling film and because they’re not transparent your leftovers might get forgotten.

What to buy? Oakdale Bees produces wraps using wax from its own bees: £6.50 each or £10 for a multipack of three sizes.

Silicone bags

Made from sand, silicone is durable and heat-resistant. These bags are not biodegradable, but they can be recycled.

What to buy? Stasher bags are available from Lakeland, starting from £9.99.

Ceramic and glass containers

They look good, should last for ages and can be recycled.

What to buy? OXO Good Grips stackable glass containers. Durable with snap-seal lids. Find them at John Lewis, from around £10 for a 400ml container.

Or… A bowl with a plate on it – it’s an oldie but a goodie.