Home > Categories > Kitchenware > Containers and Storage > Compostic Home-Compostable Cling Wrap review
100% Home-Compostable cling wrap that is free of plastic.
The mission to rid the world of plastic waste starts in our kitchen. The home compostable cling wrap is the perfect alternative to any other plastic wrap.
This compostable cling wrap is third-party tested and certified home compostable, compostic wrap will keep your food fresh and your conscience guilt-free.
Why compostic cling wrap?
• It's not plastic
• 100% home compostable
• Breaks down between 12-24 weeks
• Non-GMO
• Safe and non-toxic
• Guilt free
• Freezer safe
• Microwave safe
• Worm farm friendly
• Keeps food fresh
• Perforated portions
• Breaks down quicker than an orange peel
• Soy based ink
• Made from three biopolymers, including plant waste not fit for consumption
Available in two sizes: 30m and 50m
Product reviews...
This was a new product for me to try that I would probably not have bought as we have swapped to other material wraps and I last bought plastic wrap about 3 years ago. I have had the same roll which I have used very rarely (taking things to others houses, sending kids off with treats etc is about it).
I was excited by this as I do find there are a few things that honeywraps just don't wrap well and if you are sending an item off for an away meal you do worry about getting your stuff back. I did love this wrap for those occasions. It took a bit to get the hang of the box as its a bit more fragile than I would have liked. The first thing I did wrong however was trying to rip the wrap on the side of the box (not realising the wrap is perforated - read the instructions!
Think more like paper towels (but bigger obviously). So the fact it comes off in sections means you really need to think about whether it is the right tool for the job. You can cut them down to size which helped. I liked the "stickyness" of the wrap as some have been less able to wrap in past. Its good if you are always failing to rip the wrap or never have scissors near by (not really my issue but hubby seemed to like the ease).
The fact it decomposes is great - you do need to mention this to people so that is a bit weird when you are out. Much easier to mention at home and show them the box... it did make a few people say they would look out for it. I actually liked that it was not completely clear - makes it look different to the big bad brands.
I think once you have made the move to reusable containers and plates on top of things and generally adjusted your living this is less useful but I imagine while transitioning and if you have kids this may well be a keeper. I can see the usefulness of this and I would definitely buy it if I had a compost (but that is on the to do list!)
I am trying hard to reduce my plastic consumption and currently use reusable covers and honey wraps to help cover food. However, there are still times when I need cling film so I was looking forward to trying Compostable's 100% home compostable cling wrap. It comes in an attractive paper tube but when I peeled the tearaway bit to open it, the box fell apart, not a good start. After taping the box together, I started putting the cling wrap to use.
I tried to rip a small piece using the cutting edge on the box and disaster, the wrap split in various directions and was unusable. I tried again and the same happened. I then notice the perforated edges and the wrap split perfectly without using the boxes cutting edge. Each piece is approximately 30 cm x 27 cm which is great for a sandwich but not useful if you are wanting to cover something larger that you want airtight. I noticed that these come in 50 cm sizes but personally, I would prefer a decent cutting mechanism on the box and have the ability to cut to size. I found myself using scissors to cut pieces off when I only wanted a little bit.
I also found that this wasn't as clingy as standard cling film which was disappointing. I tried to wrap my bananas in cling wrap to stop them browning and the wrap would not stick. I even tried holding the wrap in place to see if the heat helped it bond but that didn't help either. There seem to be lots of positives for this wrap, including being worm farm-friendly, 100% compostable and microwave and freezer safe. However, for me, it didn't perform as I wanted. I want a clingfilm that sticks and keeps things airtight and unfortunately, this didn't.
Environmentally conscious is no longer a "hype" or something to worry about in later times. We are now very very aware of the impact of recycling, reusing, reducing and reviewing, and one of the areas I am conscious of is cling or plastic wrap. I own reusable wraps and lots of containers but do not find them suitable in every instance, so having a compostable and repurposed waste option is great.
I had a look on the box first of all - eager to learn the ins and out of the compostable claim, and was pointed in the right direction with a code you can scan. I am so delighted that there is no trick, or fine print about having to wait a long long long (not in my lifetime) time, or have special facilities to actually compost this into - you literally just take it and put it in the compost - which I have done, but with only a few days since then, I am not able to comment on how fast it composts, but rest assured I will absolutely be checking!
The box itself has no cutter which really confused me, until I realised that the wrap is perforated for easy removal and no need to find the scissors. The packaging is very earth friendly, with a brown unbleached cardboard box and soy inks used. Talk about really trying to be a earth conscious and friendly as possible!
The cling wrap is quite green which unnerved me at first, alongside the different sticky (or lack there of) ability. It definitely feels different, and to be honest, at first I was not impressed. However, in saying that, I gave it a bit of time and more use and realised that it may feel different, but it works really well and it is really strong. The stickability is not on par with plastic wraps - but for me, that is not the end of the world, and the compromise is the composting, which I would hands down take over stickiness.
So, honestly - what do I think? I think this cling wrap with the science and ingenuity in this product making it compostable is amazing. It is a great compromise to plastic wrap or works alongside other options too - for that time when you need cling wrap but feel the pressure to also be worldy kind!
We are always trying to be more environmentally savvy in our house. We try to avoid using traditional plastic wrap as much as we can, however, there are some applications (like freezing/ separating meat and covering custard for example) where there hasn't been a really good alternative. This is why when I saw this cling wrap from Compostic I was really keen to try it out. So often I see products advertised as 'compostable'' or 'biodegradable', but either they are only able to break down in a commercial composter, or just designed to break down more rapidly in the landfill, leaving small micro-plastics in their wake. The Compostic cling wrap was so appealing as it was specifically home compostable, and as we have both a worm farm and compost bins at home, I felt that this product would work out well for us.
When we received the product, the box was nicely presented, and most certainly easily compostable. There was a little less information than I was expecting on the packaging, but a QR code links you straight through to more details if you would like them. The sheets of cling wrap were not quite what I was used to, having a green, rather than a blue tinge, but it most certainly didn't bother me or affect its use in any way. The wrap itself has perforations to split it into sheets (and eliminating the need for the little metal teeth which I always seem to cut myself on). Whilst I understand the reasons for this, I did find the inability to cut my own sized pieces was a little annoying, but using a pair of scissors did work as an alternative.
I tried the wrap on a number of different items. The wrap in all cases was certainly not as sticky as a traditional plastic cling wrap would be. It certainly clung to items and protected everything I tried it on from drying out (in both the fridge and freezer) but didn't cling over on itself annoyingly as I was trying to use it, which I saw as a total plus. Having used a few pieces, I have put them into both my compost bin and worm farm and I will report back in a few months once they have had a chance to degrade.
Overall, a winner of a product from both a convenience and an environmental point of view. Maybe not for you if you need a really firm hold, but certainly a great product to replace plastic cling wrap for most purposes in my household.
Plastic wrap, straws, and bags have been taking a battering recently with governments (and their people) around the world demanding an end to single-use plastics to save the turtles. It's an honourable goal, but there are bigger players that could make bigger changes (Coca-Cola alone produces 3 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year). That being said every little bit helps, and every piece of plastic that remains unused equals a piece of plastic that doesn't need to be created in the first place. So finding a quality alternative is always a good thing.
The first thing to note is the great packaging. A recycled cardboard box with minimalist design is great. It has the tabs on the sides to hold the film in the box, and surprisingly, the whole product is much more compact than other brands of clingwrap. Instead of wasting space on a large cardboard roll in the middle, compostic has decided to be compact and has done it well.
One could assume that is can have a smaller roll because the film itself has different properties. Not being made from plastic, the wrap isn't quite as sticky, so a smaller roll isn't a pain to deal with. It is still able to wrap tightly around things when you place tension and stretch it, but when it comes to delicate wrapping, it isn't as grippy as the usual plastic wrap. What this also means is the wrap isn't always getting stuck to itself, which makes it easier to use and manipulate.
What is perhaps most notable and different about this wrap is that it is bright green and is perforated. This is both advantageous, and a bit of a negative too, depending on your opinion. The perforations mean you don't need to cut the wrap, but it also means you are limited in the type of uses. Smaller items will end up wasting the wrap unless you get scissors of a knife and cut it shorter yourself. Larger items can be wrapped with multiple sheets, but the perforations mean the product may leak. Not ideal if you are working with a large joint of meat, for example.
With regards to wastage though, one of the biggest selling points is slightly mentioned on the top but properly spelt out on the bottom of the packet. This product is compostable. Not "this is technically compostable if it reaches a commercial composting facility in uncontaminated condition" compostable, nor "biodegradable over the next 200 years". This is "chuck it in your compost heap and let the worms do the rest" compostable and that is absolutely huge. This is packaging that we can actually remove from the waste stream ourselves.
Looking at my local New World I could buy a 30-metre pack for $8.99. This is about double the price of plastic wrap, but that's still only a price difference of a few dollars. The only real negative for me is the perforation. If there was a way to add a cutter to the pack (that didn't involve adding plastic) this product would be unbeatable. Near-perfect is still a damn good score though.
I tried the 50 metres Compostic Home-Compostable Cling Wrap and I found it was really great. The box is plain and simple but great. I did find it a bit hard to open the box by tearing open the middle strip, it broke a few times so had to pick away at the box to get into it. Once in I opened the lid and pulled out a sheet. I noticed the soft texture of the cling wrap. It wasn't super sticky how some sheets are and get all messy up and stuck to each other before its made it to the bowl or sandwich.
I really like the perforated portions which is great for my partner and oldest son who appear to have all the struggles when it comes to cling wrap and are forever yelling out to me to help with wrapping their lunches in the morning. I am impressed with the quality of the cling wrap and I love how its so much better for the environment. It breaks down faster then a orange peel which is fantastic. Would be ideal for the kids lunches especially when you can't always promise they put their rubbish in the bin, you have peace of mind knowing if their rubbish happens to blow away its not damaging the environment.
Great product and I would recommend to friends to buy for their household. Unsure on the coast as it says it varies so would be interesting to know what the price is. But anything that is good for the environment is worth it at the end of the day. Great product to have in the draw and I look forward to using it more within our household.
I have a love-hate relationship with cling wrap. Being one of those people who always manages to tangle the film before losing the end altogether, I usually end up wasting half the roll. And that waste is then destined to end up in landfill. Not good!
I had reservations about trying yet another brand of cling wrap. Surely there was no way it could be improved. But I was about to find out that there were significant improvements in this product. Compostable, yes; that was definitely a plus. But then I unzipped the box and was completely taken by surprise. The wrap inside was green! Of course, that made sense as it reinforced the recycling promise. But it also made sense in another way. I could actually see the edge of the wrap; this time, it did not take on a life of its own so I was able to easily take hold of it and mould it to the item I wanted to wrap.
I started with a small black pudding. We had eaten a third of it, and the remainder needed to be wrapped because it dries out when exposed to the air. Here was the second surprise. Instead of including a serrated metal edge, the cardboard outer packet does not offer any means of detaching a piece of the wrap. Instead, the wrap itself is perforated so you can tear off what you want. Although the perforations are easy to unzip, the segments are firmly attached until you actually start to separate them so you can decide how much to use. A single segment was plenty for the pudding. The wrap made a snug seal and, despite the green colour, you could see the pudding label through it.
Next, I made some sandwiches for our trip next day. We were setting out for a 250 km round trip, and to save time were taking a picnic lunch. I prepared cheese and tamarind pickle for myself, and ham with mustard for my partner; to save cross-contamination of flavours, I wrapped each one separately. Again, one segment for each sandwich was plenty. At times like this I feel guilty about using too much cling wrap, but knowing the waste would all be compostable made it much easier. We have four compost bins whose contents are in various stages of decomposition, so the discarded cling wrap would be put to good use.
Finally, I covered some leftover fruit salad before replacing it in the fridge. I found that once again a single segment was enough; I crimped it around the edge of the bowl and it stayed in position. The "stickability" of the wrap is important; you don't want the makeshift lid falling off too easily. But, as the packet assured me, this product is clingy!
Although I have not tried the wrap in a microwave as yet, I was pleased to see that it can be used in this way. We had two kransky sausages left over after dinner, so I rolled them in a wrap segment and put them in the freezer. When the time comes to use them, I will be able to put them straight into the microwave from the freezer. I see this as a huge time-saver, and at the end of the day the wrap will be recycled.
I don't want to end this review without mentioning the packaging. The outer packet is made of unbleached cardboard, the printing is done in natural soy based ink, and the information is presented in a lively, witty manner which made me smile as I read it. Somehow it seemed perfectly normal that a packet of food wrap should be talking to me and assuring me that it would not outstay its welcome.
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