What Is Humblee Eco?
A genuine concern about our over-use of plastic, especially in the wrapping of food, led me to the conclusion that there had to be a better way for the future.
Plastic waste in the landfill and in the oceans is having an enormous impact on our environment, as well as contaminating our food.
Wax wraps seemed to me to be a much better medium to use for wrapping and preserving food rather than using cling-wrap.
I set about researching the manufacture of beeswax wraps and I began trialling different mixes in my own kitchen (I am constantly having to iron the wax off the floor!). After many months of trial and error, I perfected my own unique recipe using Beeswax, tree resin and Jojoba.
I also felt it would be good to look at an alternative vegan friendly option for a wax wrap, which was also suitable for those with allergies to bee products. This entailed a lot more research, trials and many errors until I finally worked out a recipe that sticks!
I was finally able to launch Humblee Eco’s Beeswax and Vegan Wraps in November 2018 at local markets, where they have been lovingly received and have created a lot of interest.
I hope you find these wraps work as well for you as they do for us.
Who is Humblee Eco?
My name is Lee and I am the human behind Humblee Eco.
Having been raised on a farm in rural North Canterbury, New Zealand, where one was free to roam and investigate the wonders of nature, my love for this beautiful planet we are so privileged to occupy, was born.
Living in this environment meant we were not wasteful, all food scraps were turned into compost for the garden, our school lunches were wrapped in greaseproof paper & it was normal to pack your groceries into cardboard boxes. Plastic had not entered our lives.
Since those early days, we have seen plastic infiltrate our everyday lives and become such a convenience, that we just think of it as ‘normal’. Our rubbish gets collected from the gate and that ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality has bred a generation of humans who now make up a ‘throw-away’ society.
A real point of difference with our wraps is that we use a very high-quality food-grade tree resin called Damar, not Pine Resin, which often receives a lot of bad publicity and many people are allergic and has a strong odour, unlike Damar. Incidentally, Damar costs 5 times more than typically used pine resin however, we strongly believe it to be worth it for us to not compromise on the quality of our wraps.
But we can no longer throw away, we actually have to stop producing plastic and take responsibility for our own mess. Basically, we need to clean up and manage this planet in order for our future generations and wildlife to be able to continue to live here.
Knowing that all things begin at home, I started not only reducing my use of plastic but trying to eliminate it, which is not always easy. But one thing I could easily eliminate, was my use of cling wrap, which is used in appalling quantities. In fact, in Australia, we throw away 1 Tonne of plastic per minute per year of which 80% won’t be recycled! (Stats from ABC’s War on Waste)
I began researching alternative methods for wrapping food, finding that waxed material wraps were not only an alternative but a better one for both the planet and our food. After a lot of trials and many errors, I came up with my own formula for the ideal Beeswax Wrap. I also came up with a Vegan (plant wax) alternative. In order to inspire others and help them on their journey towards living a plastic-free life, I launched Humblee Eco in November 2018 selling my wraps at local markets. I have been so inspired by the warm reception I have received and by so many people wanting to eliminate their plastic use, I feel our planet may just have a chance to breathe once again.
