6 Eco-Friendly Alternatives To Cling Film To Try

Looking for eco-friendly alternatives to cling film? Well, it’s a wrap – I’ve found six great sustainable and reusable alternatives for you to try.

Cling film might be cheap and help you cut your food waste, yet it comes at an environmental cost. This single-use plastic contributes to the plastic pollution crisis, is not recyclable, and is made from potentially harmful chemicals. When cling film ends up in landfills or incinerators, both PVC and PVDC – the plastics it is made from – can release a highly toxic chemical called dioxin.

If you are looking to explore sustainable options that help keep your food fresh while reducing your plastic usage, then you’ve come to the right place.

Growing up cling film was used ubiquitously in my house (ubiquitously!). However, I ditched the stuff a long time ago in a quest to save money and cut plastic waste. And do you know something? Not having a roll to hand hasn’t been a great loss. Finding reusable alternatives that worked just meant thinking a bit more creatively in the kitchen. Here’s what I came up with!

6 Sustainable & Reusable Alternatives To Cling Film To Try

Here are the reusable eco-friendly alternatives to cling film that work for us:

• Crockery
• Reusable Storage Tubs & Jars
• Reusable Bowl Covers
• Beeswax Wraps
• Reusable Food Bags
• Silicone Bags

Crockery

Got some leftovers from dinner time? If the food is in a bowl I’ll cover the leftovers with a plate and pop it in the fridge for later. If the leftovers are on a plate I’ll use an upturned plate to cover it with. And if you’re in a pickle and out of plates, then saucepan lids also make pretty good plate and bowl covers too. Pro tip!

For reheating food in the microwave I simply pop a non-metallic plate on top of the plate or bowl. This helps avoid food splatters. So thrifty, so simple, and my favourite sustainable cling film alternative. If your fridge is a bit on the full side you can even balance things on top of the plate. Pro tip number two!

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Reusable Storage Tubs & Jars

I have a collection of Tupperware, amassed over the years. I use these to decant leftovers into or to store foodstuffs in the fridge that I might once have otherwise wrapped in clingfilm. Whether that’s half an avocado or an opened tub of yoghurt, these go in sealed tubs.

Yes, they’re plastic, so aren’t that great for the environment. However, they aren’t single-use. Plus it’s always more sustainable to use what you already have rather than binning them and buying anything new. My plan is to gradually replace my plastic Tupperware with glass storage tubs as they break. See my guide to recycling Tupperware if you’re in a similar situation.

I’ve found some great glass storage tubs at Marks & Spencer, starting from £6. You can put the glass trays (without the lids) directly into the microwave and oven (up to 240°C). What’s more, as they’re glass, they won’t stain if you put tomato-based foods in them. They are also 100% airtight and leakproof too. They are even freezer-safe. In short, they are a lot more durable than plastic Tupperware. 

As well as Tupperware I also use glass jars to store food in, rather than wrapping some cling film over a bowl. It’s a great zero-waste kitchen technique. Leftover soup lends itself to being stored in a lidded jar quite nicely. And if you want to take the soup to work the next day for lunch then you can just pop the jar in your bag. No spills! Pro tip number three!

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Reusable Bowl Covers

My partner makes us homemade pizza each and every Friday. If you’ve ever made dough before, you’ll know what it takes to make the dough – you need to leave it to rise someplace warm for a few hours. I know from watching The Great British Bake Off that it’s common practice to use cling film when proving your dough.

My partner is no Paul Hollywood, but he says you don’t need cling film. Instead, he covers the bowl with a clean and dry tea towel. In the summer we set the bowl on the windowsill to prove. And in winter we sit the bowl near the radiator. No plastic required.

If you don’t like the idea of using a tea towel, don’t worry, there are eco alternatives. If you are handy with a sewing machine then you can make these pretty bowl covers instead. And if you don’t want to make covers, then you can buy these stretchy organic cotton bowl covers from Aspiga, for £18 for a set of three. They’re made from leftover fabric from clothing production, so are a great zero-waste solution.

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Beeswax Wraps

If you want to wrap food up – for example, a hunk of cheese or half an onion – then reusable beeswax wraps are pretty amazing eco-friendly alternatives to cling film.

These clever wraps mould around food with just the heat of your hands and are washable. You can make your own in minutes using beeswax pellets and fabric scraps with this handy beeswax wrap DIY. If you’re time-poor you can buy them online from Ethical Superstore instead. If you’re vegan, you can even buy vegan food wraps from Dunelm.

A word of advice – don’t use wraps on hot food or on meat. Instead, pop the hot food or meat in a bowl and use the wrap to cover the bowl.

Beeswax wraps are super easy to keep clean. Check out my full guide on how to wash beeswax wraps to help keep you right.

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Reusable Food Bags

When I think of packed lunches I ate at school, I think of sweaty ham or cheese salad sandwiches tightly wrapped up in clingfilm. These days I approach my kids’ packed lunches a little differently. For eco-friendly alternatives to cling film, I have a few reusable Keep Leaf sandwich bags (£6.95 from Ethical Superstore) that I pop sandwiches into, before placing them in a lunch bag.

I also use these as easily portable snack pouches for my kids. If you have kids, then you know just how many times a day you’re asked for snacks. These handy washable pouches help cut down on single-use plastic from snack wrappers. I’ve also got tons of plastic-free snack ideas to fill your pouches with!

To clean, you can either wipe down the inside or hand wash or machine wash the sandwich bags ready for the next use.

For a no-cost alternative, I will also wrap sandwiches in a cotton napkin. Or, if I’m using a Tupperware tub or lunchbox I’ll pop the sandwich straight in – no covering required.

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Silicone Bags

Finally, I have a few reusable silicone Stasher bags in my sustainable food storage arsenal. I have found that they make for fantastic alternatives to cling film. I’ve been using the same ones for years and years now, so can confirm they are incredibly durable.

Stasher bags are incredibly versatile. These seal tight, so you can store quite wet food in them without fear of leakage. They keep dry food fresher for longer. You can freeze food in them. You can even wash them in the dishwasher. I even take them with us when we go on holiday, putting things like dishwasher tablets or tea bags in them! Suffice to say that I’m a little bit in love with mine.

That’s A Wrap

Hopefully, I’ve encouraged you to give these eco-friendly alternatives to cling film a go! As you can see, there are plenty of reusable alternatives to that not only help preserve your food but also contribute to a healthier planet.

Although I have a few things that I’ve bought, these aren’t essential. Instead, I hope the takeaway message here is that giving up cling film just means being creative with what you already own. And if you don’t use cling film, I wonder, have I missed any tricks? 

Do also check out my guide to eco-friendly alternatives to freezer bags if you’re looking for other ways to green your food storage.