Beeswax wraps have become a symbol for the reduction of single use plastic in the Bundaberg Region with Train-the-Trainers workshops now offered to community groups.
The Burnett Local Marine Advisory Committee (LMAC) has effectively used beeswax wrap workshops to increase community awareness about the need to care for the reef and its related catchment areas, and how simple measures to reduce dependency on plastic can make a difference to the environment.
Beeswax wraps are easy to make and can be used to wrap sandwiches or cover food in the refrigerator, disposing with the need to use plastic clingwrap.
The workshops have gathered great support from the region’s schools since being introduced in September 2019, and the LMAC’s next event, a free Train-the-Trainer Beeswax Wrap Workshop, is aimed at drawing community groups and organisations to the cause.
LMAC chair Sue Sargent said past workshops with schoolteachers had proved successful in sharing the art and purpose of making beeswax wraps and the organisation hoped the inclusion of community groups would draw a similar response.
“The approach we have taken is that our volunteers can’t possibly teach everyone in the community how to make the beeswax wraps, it would take too long,” Sue said.
“Instead, we’ve been able to reach a significant section of the community by having teachers spread the knowledge, and we hope that community groups and organisations, who are leaders in the community, can do the same.”
Sue said the Train-the-Trainers workshop would also include schoolteachers who had nominated for past workshops but were unable to be included due to participant numbers being limited.
Numbers are limited to two participants per organisation who will be presented with a free kit to enable them to run their own workshops within their respective groups.
Sue said there are good reasons to switch to the use of beeswax wraps as a replacement for plastic clingwrap:
- A beeswax wrap is made from materials you can feel good about – beeswax, jojoba or coconut oil, tree resin, and 100 per cent cotton
- It is reusable, just wash it with gentle soap and cool water, and air dry
- It is biodegradable, once your beeswax wrap wears out, cut it into strips to compost it
The Train-the-Trainer Beeswax Wraps Workshop is being hosted at Kepnock State High School, Kepnock Road, Bundaberg, with morning tea and all materials provided.
The first 30 organisations that are new to the LMAC beeswax wrap workshops can receive a free set of materials (fabric, wax, and resin) to make 30 beeswax wraps.
For more information email Sue Sargent at burnettlmac@gmail.com.
The LessisMore4GBR project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
