What Can I Use Instead of Greaseproof Paper? UK Guide | GMLUK

What Can I Use Instead of Greaseproof Paper?

The honest answer: it depends on what you're using greaseproof paper for. Wrapping, baking, interleaving, lining trays and packaging are all different jobs, and the right alternative differs for each. This guide walks through the realistic substitutes for each application, from a UK paper manufacturer's perspective.

Quick answers by application

Alternative 1: Parchment / baking paper

The closest functional alternative for most baking applications. Parchment paper is silicone-coated paper that delivers non-stick + heat resistance to about 230°C.

When parchment beats greaseproof:

• Baking cookies, meringues, anything sticky

• Lining cake tins where clean release matters

• Higher-temperature roasting (up to ~230°C)

When parchment loses:

• Cost — typically 1.5-2× greaseproof

• Recyclability — silicone coating excludes it from many UK paper recycling streams

• Reusability is limited (2-3 uses); after that release performance drops

For our full comparison see greaseproof vs parchment paper.

Alternative 2: Waxed paper

Waxed paper has a thin wax coating (paraffin or PE wax) on one or both sides, providing moisture and grease resistance. It works as a direct alternative to greaseproof for wrapping, interleaving and short-term packaging — but not for baking.

When wax paper beats greaseproof:

• Active moisture barrier (greaseproof passes water vapour)

• Heat-sealable for form-fill applications

• Wet protein wrapping (fish, meat) where wet-strength matters

• Heat retention for hot food wrap

When wax paper loses:

• Not oven-safe — wax melts at low oven temperatures

• Recyclability is more complex (depends on UK mill flotation pulping)

• Higher EPR fee banding than uncoated greaseproof

• More compliance verification required (food-contact wax type)

See our waxed paper range for grade options. For background on wax types and sustainability, see wax coatings: balancing performance with environment.

Alternative 3: Plain kraft paper

For applications where you don't actually need grease resistance (and many don't), plain kraft is cheaper and simpler. Use kraft when:

• You're wrapping dry product

• The visible "feel" of brown kraft suits the brand

• You want full recyclability with no coating questions

• Cost is the dominant criterion

Kraft paper is the substrate base for most of our converted products — see kraft paper bags for the bag-form version.

When kraft beats greaseproof:

• Lower cost

• Stronger fibre — handles weight and tension better

• Aesthetic / brand fit for "natural" or "artisan" positioning

• Universal recyclability

When kraft loses:

• No grease resistance — fats and oils pass through quickly

• Less smooth surface for printing fine detail

• Higher porosity to moisture

Alternative 4: Silicone baking mats

Reusable silicone mats are the clear winner for repeat-use commercial baking. Heat-stable to about 250°C, non-stick by design, and reusable hundreds of times.

When silicone mats beat greaseproof:

• Higher temperature tolerance

• Reusable — drastically lower per-use cost

• More consistent baking results

• No paper waste

• Better non-stick performance even than parchment

When silicone mats lose:

• Not a wrapping or interleaving alternative — only tray lining

• Higher upfront cost

• Need washing between uses

• Don't fit non-flat applications (curved trays, parchment cones, etc.)

For commercial bakeries baking the same product daily, silicone mats are usually a better lifecycle choice than disposable paper. For mixed-product bakeries with frequent SKU changes, paper retains advantages.

Alternative 5: Aluminium foil

Foil is grease- and moisture-resistant, oven-safe to high temperatures, and recyclable in UK streams. Where it works, it's a solid alternative.

When foil beats greaseproof:

• Higher oven temperatures (300°C+)

• Wraps and seals around irregular shapes

• Reflective — useful for browning/insulating in cooking

• Active moisture barrier

When foil loses:

• Not microwave-safe

• Reactive with acidic foods (citrus, tomatoes, vinegars)

• Higher carbon footprint per unit than paper

• Can puncture and tear at thin gauge

• Doesn't print well for branded packaging

Alternative 6: Wet-strength butcher paper

Specifically for wet protein wrapping (fish, meat, blood-rich products), butcher paper with wet-strength treatment outperforms standard greaseproof. The wet-strength resin allows the paper to remain intact even when soaked.

This is what UK butchers and fishmongers actually use under the counter — not consumer "greaseproof paper from a supermarket roll." See what is butcher paper? UK guide for the full spec story.

Alternative 7: PE-coated / laminated paper

Where you need the strongest possible barrier — fully waterproof, heat-sealable, dimensional stability — polyethylene-coated paper is the answer. Used in: fast food cup paper, soup containers, grease-and-water-resistant heavy wrapping.

Trade-off: PE-coated paper triggers higher EPR fees, requires the same recycling infrastructure as plastic, and complicates sustainability reporting. Use only when uncoated alternatives genuinely fail the application — and verify that against actual testing, not assumed performance.

Alternative 8: Reusable beeswax wrap

For consumer / domestic kitchen use, beeswax wrap is genuinely reusable and biodegradable. The cotton substrate is coated with beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin to provide a flexible, slightly sticky wrap that conforms to bowls, blocks of cheese and similar items.

When beeswax wrap works:

• Domestic kitchen storage of cheese, half-onions, sandwich wrap

• Consumer / artisan brand fit

• Sustainability-led messaging

When beeswax wrap doesn't work:

• Industrial volume — can't be commercially produced at packaging scale

• Hot food (wax softens and transfers)

• Raw meat / fish (food-safety concerns with porous wax surface)

• Repeated dishwashing — degrades quickly

Not a B2B alternative, but worth flagging for completeness.

Bad alternatives to avoid

• Cling film / plastic wrap — not heat-stable, EPR-disadvantaged, recyclability is poor in most UK kerbside streams

• Newspaper — printing inks are not food-safe under UK regulations; widely used historically in fish-and-chip shops but now banned for direct food contact

• Brown paper bags / shopping bags — usually not food-grade rated; check the spec

• Recycled craft / brown paper from packing — same issue, no food-contact certification

• Random kitchen paper / kitchen roll — not designed for grease resistance, fibres can shed onto food

Decision framework for B2B procurement

If you're specifying paper for a food product or process, the questions in order:

1. Does it need to be oven-safe? Parchment paper, foil, or silicone mat. Not greaseproof above ~220°C, and never wax paper

2. Does it need active moisture barrier? Wax paper, PE-coated paper, or foil. Greaseproof is grease-resistant only

3. Does it need to be food-contact compliant? Verify EC 1935/2004 compliance. Standard greaseproof, food-grade wax paper, food-grade parchment. Not consumer wrap or paper bag stock

4. Does it need to be recyclable? Uncoated greaseproof, plain kraft. Silicone-coated and wax-coated alternatives have more limited recyclability

5. Does it need to be printed? Greaseproof, kraft paper, or pre-print waxed paper (print before wax). Parchment and foil don't print as cleanly

6. What volume? Below ~50,000 sheets, retail-pack alternatives may be more cost-effective; above, custom-spec paper from a converter

Why this matters more for B2B than consumer use

For domestic cooking, picking the wrong paper means a slightly sticky cookie or a soggy wrap. For B2B procurement at volume, it means:

• Wrong product spec = supply chain headaches

• Wrong recyclability = higher EPR fees and complex sustainability reporting

• Wrong food-contact compliance = audit risk and potential recalls

• Wrong cost basis = margin erosion at scale

Talk to a converter that actually makes the paper, not a stockist that sells whatever's in the warehouse. A 30-minute spec conversation up front saves months of supply chain rework later.

Bottom line

For most B2B applications where greaseproof paper has been specified, greaseproof remains the right answer — uncoated, recyclable, food-safe, lowest EPR fees, lowest cost. For the cases where it isn't right (active moisture barrier, oven baking, non-stick performance), the alternatives above each have a specific window where they win.

Browse our greaseproof paper range Talk to our spec team

Related

• Greaseproof paper product range

• Waxed paper

• Greaseproof vs parchment paper guide

• Wax coatings: balancing performance with environment

• What is butcher paper? UK guide