About planBee. From hive to kitchen
Explore planBee’s bond with bees, honey, and beekeeping. Plus, learn about our summer adventures collecting honey in the countryside!
The name ‘planBee’ itself reflects the plan for smart choices. In particular, it helps to protect our environment and stimulates awareness of sustainable alternatives. Often we hear the expression that Planet B does not exist is then a response to the planet we live in today. So the goal of planBee is to legitimize small steps in reducing plastic usage.
Bees and honey have been an integral part of my family’s life since childhood – a family which travels from generation to generation. From an early age my grandmother had beehives and we kids used to go to the village to spend the summer and help collect honey. Now the bee families have been taken over by dad at full capacity. He takes care of the bees in winter and summer, and we help him collect honey.
From the beginning of my studies in the Netherlands, I had thoughts about creating an environmentally friendly product that would help reduce the usage of plastic in human households. The first beeswax wraps I got from a friend and I was very impressed by this idea. Since there was never a shortage of wax in our family, I started experimenting with our family’s beeswax. Wax smell inside the house, mom’s kitchen being covered in wax, and so did my t-shirt… That’s what the first days of experimenting looked like. It took me a long time to finally discover the correct ratio of ingredients in order to produce beeswax wraps.
After lots of days trying, I was looking for more interesting cotton patterns. I asked friends and relatives for some cotton cloths to give it a go. Then I created the first standard sizes which turned out to be the most practical to wrap foods, e.g. sliced cucumber, avocado, lemon, and cover food leftovers in bowls. After all, the first trials I gave to friends and family. I was curious when the first reviews will come out. Surprisingly, they were really good!
Nowadays, in order to make beeswax wraps I use wax from our own bee families, pine rosin (it gives an extra stickiness), and 100% cotton. Wax and pine rosin have antibacterial properties which help keep food fresh longer and prevent mold from being found.
Today planBee is a start-up, driven by two aspects: reinventing beeswax wraps to reduce plastic use and creating a demand for beeswax to support beekeepers. We take care of our bees and we put much love and passion to keep our bees healthy and happy. Therefore, sustainability and beeswax wraps go hand in hand.
