Of all the creatures on earth, humans are among the most prone to save and preserve things for future use. Dogs may bury bones. Squirrels may hide nuts. But humans are constantly saving everything from gold bullion in bank vaults to supper leftovers in refrigerators.

When we attempt to preserve food items, especially those which have already been cooked, we want to maintain them in the best condition possible. That’s where the benefit of cling film comes in. It is able to reduce the risk of potential contamination. It also helps to keep odours and flavours in the refrigerator discrete.

Kitchen leftovers are a tiny proportion of the things we keep. We have different reasons for keeping things. We like to save the things we value. Sometimes their value is intrinsic – gold, diamonds, pieces of art. Sometimes their value is more sentimental – pictures, a newspaper from the day a child was born, a signed book.

The more value we place on an object, the more effort we’ll expend to preserve it. If we want to keep something we treasure safe, we’ll spend a considerable amount to do that, especially if the object itself is unique.

For Reflection:

• What are the things that you treasure so highly that you go to what others might see as unusual lengths to preserve them?
• How can you go about preserving non-tangible things you value – things like health, relationships, character qualities?