Sustainable replacement: These baking paper alternatives are good for the environment

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Baking paper substitute: With these alternatives you protect the environment

Although baking paper is made from paper, it must be disposed of in the general waste. This is due to its coating, which is not water-soluble and therefore suitable for paper recycling. Nevertheless, it is used in millions of households because its function is indispensable for many dishes: Thanks to its coated surfaces, no food sticks to it, even at a baking temperature of up to 250 degrees. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that the use of baking paper – in the truest sense of the word – is for the bin. In the interests of sustainability, five practical alternatives are presented below that produce no or at least less waste.

These alternatives replace the parchment paper

1. Fat

Simply smear the baking sheet with fat. It doesn’t matter whether you use butter or margarine, sunflower oil or coconut fat – anything that is well greasy is suitable for baking. And ensures that your dishes do not burn on the tray. For soft dough masses (e.g. cakes or pizza) it is important to know that you should dust the greased tray with a thin layer of flour so that nothing sticks to it.

2. Wafers

So-called baking wafers consist of water, flour and starch – this makes them edible. The small luggage can be found under various gingerbread specialties, especially at Christmas time, but it can also be used to bake cookies. There is round wafers how square wafers in different sizes that don’t stick to the baking sheet, so you don’t need additional baking paper.

3. Greaseproof paper

Conventional greaseproof paper is – at first glance – very similar to baking paper and is often used as a substitute for baking paper. Although it does not have a Teflon coating, it is still a useful baking mat. In contrast to the original, the greaseproof paper has the advantage that it does not contain any plasticizers. But after baking it ends up in the garbage can just like the baking paper, so the wear and tear is similar.

4. Permanent baking foil

Silicone-free, permanent baking foils consist of a glass fiber mesh and are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, better known as Teflon – but unlike ordinary baking paper, they can be used several hundred times. There is ready tailored sets in different colorsBut you can also use permanent baking foils that you cut yourself.

5. Silicone mat

Meanwhile there is also Silicone baking matsthat can be used as a substitute for baking paper. Its smooth surface ensures that nothing sticks to it. After baking, the baking mat can be cleaned by hand – depending on the manufacturer, in the dishwasher – with washing-up liquid and water and reused. If the silicone mat ends up in the garbage, disposal is not harmless for the environment.

That is why aluminum foil is not a good substitute for baking paper

It used to be common practice to use aluminum foil when there was no parchment paper in the house. This is strongly advised against today and for the following reasons: On the one hand, bauxite is used in the production of aluminum ore, which comes from the rainforest floor and drives the clearing of numerous trees. On the other hand, a lot of energy is required for the production of aluminum foil – which is even worse and the real problem is that toxic waste is generated during production. In addition, aluminum is a neurotoxin, the ingredients of which can be transferred to your food. For this reason, aluminum foil is not a good substitute for baking paper.

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