Water Wednesdays in September will feature Microplastics.

Microplastics include plastic particles with an upper size limit of 5 mm (0.2 inch). They come from a variety of sources. If you missed the talk on Sept. 9, here is your recap: Water Wednesdays Recap – What Are Microplastics.

Last Water Wednesdays, we learned how to make our own reusable beeswax wraps to reduce plastic use.

What you need:

• Pre-washed cotton material piece: It can be pre-used materials such as sheets or T-shirts. 100% cotton thin materials usually work better.
• Pinky shears: Use them to cut fabric squares, as they help materials keep from unraveling.
• Beeswax beads or pellets: About 1/4 cup of beeswax for every 10 inch square piece of fabric.
• Parchment paper: You can reuse them as you iron.
• Iron and ironing board or cutting board, or other flat surface that can withstand heat.

How to do it:

• Tape or place one piece of parchment paper to the ironing board.
• Place your cloth on the parchment paper.
• Sprinkle beeswax pellets on the cloth.
• Make sure it is evenly spread and the edges are covered.
• Cover your cloth and beeswax with a second piece of parchment paper.
• Set iron on cotton setting. Iron gently over the top of the parchment paper.
• Make sure that wax is melted into all areas. It is better to have too much wax than not enough. If there is not enough wax, liquids will pass through the cloth. If there is too much wax, use an extra cloth to soak up some excess wax. Lay a second piece of cloth on top and then parchment paper. Iron gently until the original cloth has a nice amount of wax.
• Remove the parchment paper.
• Wait a few moments for the cloth to cool enough to touch.
• Gently remove the cloth and let it cool.

How to use it:

• Use it as cling wrap or Ziploc bag alternative.
• Use the heat of your hands to shape and secure it.
• Beeswax melts at 62 °C to 64 °C (144 °F to 147 °F). Heating softened the wax and makes it easier to mold and easier to stick to itself.

How to maintain it:

• Wash with cold water with mild soap.
• Add small amount of wax and re-iron when your wrap loses wax.
• These wraps are made only of cotton cloth and beeswax. They will not be sticky like commercial beeswax wraps, which also contain tree resin and plant oil. These beeswax-only wraps will also acquire folds and creases over time. They may develop areas of “low-wax”. You can add wax and re-iron to refresh the wraps at any time.

To watch the recording, please click the video below:

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