By The Cluey Team
Food waste alone causes enough problems, but storing it also requires some conscious consumption. Here’s a small but impactful swap you might consider:
Suggested Brand: Bee’s Wrap
Better for people: A B-Corp headquartered in Vermont, Bee’s Wrap has been awarded Green America’s ‘People and Planet Award’, recognizing Bee’s Wrap as an outstanding small business with a deep commitment to both social justice and environmental sustainability. Not only does Bee’s Wrap care deeply about employees and customers but it also gives back to key stakeholders – the pollinators- by partnering with ‘The Bee Cause Project’ in which 1% of sales of their Honeycomb Roll of Bee’s Wrap goes towards efforts to empower students, teachers and communities to learn about and protect the bees.
Better for the planet: Bee’s Wrap’s mission is to ‘cover the world in pollinators, not plastic’ by producing products made ‘from nature, for nature.’ Unlike other plastic food storage alternatives, Bee’s wrap is natural, compostable, and made with only four ingredients. Bee’s Wrap partners with organizations to remove plastic from oceans, protect pollinators, and inspire environmental stewardship through education.
A worthy swap: Although the $14.99 for a 3-pack of wraps may be an initial sticker shock compared to single-use competitors, that’s just $4.99 for a wrap that lasts an entire year so, even if one wrap was used just once a week, it comes out to less than $.01 per use!
Vs. the Status Quo: Reynold’s Wrap
Low score for people: Reynolds Consumer Products score low for both how the organization manages the quality and safety of products and services and how social impacts are managed. A recent class action lawsuit alleges that Reynolds ‘Foil Made in the U.S.A’ is misleading to consumers given the raw ingredients used in production are sourced primarily outside the United States.
Failing score for the planet: Reynolds Consumer Products scores low for its inefficient and ineffective use of raw materials inputs in production. Reynolds has been accused of greenwashing, (deceptive marketing using sustainability claims) most recently in a class action lawsuit alleging Reynolds misleading marketing of Hefty ‘Recycling’ bags. The bags are promoted as ‘perfect for all your recycling needs’ when the bags themselves are not recyclable because they are made from low-density polyethylene plastic.
More $$ for more waste: Because of inflation, consumers should expect additional price increases on top of ones already in effect for Reynolds products. Moreover, because Reynolds products are single-use compared to reusable Bee’s Wrap, over time Reynolds is the more expensive choice.
Brand swaps are based on Cluey ratings, and our team provides additional research and context.
