A challenge to go plastic free has turned a Mum of two from Forbes from a passionate cling wrap user into a war on waste warrior.
“I used to put everything in cling wrap,” said Linda van Coller. When her son Marno’s teacher at Forbes Public School challenged the class to find alternatives for plastic for their school lunches after they had watched the ABC program War on Waste, Lindastarted searching on Google for ideas.
She discovered beeswax wraps are highly effective in keeping food fresh and safe as the wax is both anti-bacterial and preserves food better than any plastic can do. As a creative person there was nothing stopping her to start making her own wraps.
It did not take long for her wraps to be noticed at school, and she started getting orders. That lead to the birth of Earth Child, Linda’s small business she runs from home using 100% organic beeswax sourced locally from the Forbes region and 100% cotton. Linda’s daughter Melandri has become her right hand in the business. “It is so much fun doing it together over weekends,” said Linda.
She went public with her product at the Farmer’s Market in October, and sold out by 11am! “People just love it, because it is eco-friendly, reusable and cuts out the need for cling wrap completely. After about six months, I am happy to re-wax the sheets for clients, which means they never have to dispose of them.”
Linda warned it could take a bit getting used to them, but the secret is to simply use the warmth and pressure of your hands to mould your beeswax wrap around a bowl or snack.
These wraps make great Christmas presents, contact Linda on 0477 309 807 or find Earth Child on Facebook.
By Maggi Barnard