De La Salle Junior School’s Ekoskola committee is promoting beeswax wraps as an eco-friendly, practical and healthy replacement of plastic wraps made of single-use plastic packaging.

The wraps are sheets of cotton coated in beeswax and jojoba oil. Being mouldable, they can be shaped around containers and food products in many different ways.

After use, they can be washed with lukewarm or room temperature water, wiped dry with a towel, or air dried and reused. They are also breathable and very effective in keeping food fresh for longer, therefore reducing food wastage. When they lose their tacky feel, they can either be thrown away into an organic waste bin or put to a second use as a fire starter. When the Ekoskola committee learnt about the advantages of beeswax wraps, they decided to collaborate with Litter Less Campaign Malta which share a similar aim of reducing single-use plastic because of its harm to the environment. The committee members met Kimberline D’Alfonso, a local producer of these greener alternatives, to promote these wraps at school. D’Alfonso had learnt about the beeswax wraps from her sister, who lives in Australia.

Apart from being eco-friendly, the wax wraps are healthier as they are chemical-free

On enquiring more about the new product, she learnt that, apart from being eco-friendly, the wax wraps are healthier as they are chemical-free. They also have antibacterial and antifungal properties, inbuilt in their natural ingredients, and are ultimately more cost-effective.

In agreement with the school’s Ekoskola committee, D’Alfonso created colourful beeswax wraps with the De La Salle College logo on them. The members promoted these wraps around the Junior School through special assemblies. They created videos about the use and advantages of the wraps, which were used during the assemblies and also uploaded on the school’s social media platform.

As part of the promotion process, thanks to funds provided by LitterLess Campaign Malta, each Year 4 student was given a beeswax wrap at a reduced price.

It is hoped that the beeswax wraps project will create eco-friendly habits in the schoolchildren that they will carry on into adulthood.

Nathan Grech is De La Salle College Year 4 student and Ekoskola committee member.