Two mothers have teamed up to help combat the island’s plastic waste issue.

Debbie Carcas from Santon and Bronwyn Ward from Ballasalla have begun a small business venture, called Dee and Bee’s Wax Wraps, which aims to replace cling film with homemade Manx beeswax wraps.

Both were inspired to reduce single-use plastic waste in their own homes and across the island.

’It’s not only the reduction in the use of cling film, but also the creation of it,’ said Debbie. ’By using wax wraps it’s helping to lower the amount of production of plastic.’

Bronwyn added: ’This generation is about making the change. We grew up in a plastic generation and didn’t think much of the impact it was having. That’s different today.

’We’re not crusaders. We’re people who have realised it’s possible to make a small difference. I’m a typical busy mum and worker who wouldn’t have thought about reducing their plastic waste a year ago, but I’m aware of the issue now.’

The mothers of three children each will be keeping their product ’as local as possible’, as both are into beekeeping.

Bronwyn said: ’Debbie’s in her second year of beekeeping and I’m in my first. At the moment we’re buying wax from one local beekeeper, Robert Wright.’

She said that her initial interest in the wax wraps, which they’ve made with cotton, tree resin and jojoba oil, began after her research for a school environmental conference.

’As the process involved hot wax I couldn’t make them with the children, so I brought it to Debbie and found that she had already started!’

Debbie continued: ’For my first wrap I recycled my husband’s old shirt. It worked really well and I was really pleased with it,’ she laughed.

Their tested wraps made a first appearance at the Southern Show. Since then they’ve received interest from Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and have sold products to the UK.

They will be selling their wraps at the Food and Drink Festival in September.