Pass on Paper Napkins

Posted on Tue May 20 2008

By: Katie Rawls in Daily Green Tips

Share: Digg | Hugg | Del.icio.us | Reddit | Email

When I go to a nice restaurant, familiar features of these establishments are their cloth napkins. I know of these because out of feminine poise, I always remove my silverware from one and then place it in my lap. Good manners are always appropriate, and now I know that the cloth napkins are more than appropriate in this day and age also.

Why?

Why are cloth napkins so good? There is a simple answer to this question. Being the mother of two, paper towels have become a wasted service around my house. Where one is used, another is sure to follow. Pretty soon, it is time to change the empty cardboard roll for a new roll of paper towels. And then those paper towels follow the same fate.

Everyday, at every meal, my husband also insists on a napkin. Being accident prone, it is a good idea. Then there is cleaning the counters. If a cloth towel is out of reach, then the handy paper towel roll gets a spin and off goes another paper towel to do its dirty work. And then there are the guests. Guests always need napkins. The shear fear of having them leave their finger prints of BBQ chicken wings on my couch makes this necessary.

Facts

Since 1960, the municipal solid waste count has grown in paper waste from 30 million tons, to a whopping 84 million tons in 2005. Paper and cardboard waste actually comprise the biggest percentage of waste out of the whole solid waste count in different types of trash. Tissue paper and paper towels account for more of the paper trail then paper plates and cups do.

Now, paper towels and napkins were brought into popularity because they were easy. They are also a way to keep from spreading germs. But that is why you wash cloth napkins and keep several sets, for just that purpose of reducing germs.

The Right Track

I am actually happy to report that recycling of these paper products has also gone up in the last 50 years. Less of this sort of waste is being discarded and more of it is being recycled. America is actually doing the right thing when it comes to recycling their paper trash.

But imagine the impact on this trend if more kitchen dwellers and food eaters (that means everyone) would consider making or purchasing their own cloth napkins. Fine dining would come to home to roost and the sacred paper towel would get a break.