Can you imagine how much less waste you’ll have by not throwing away paper napkins!
Other personal Benefit: you should be able to re-coup the initial investment in the cloth napkins w/in a year by no longer having to purchase paper napkins.
Eco-Gift Tip! You can make your own cloth napkins. Pick a pretty pattern at the fabric store on cotton twill or heavyweight cotton poplin & stitch up the edges (fold them back ¼” twice, pin them, then hand or machine sew). It’s that easy! You can even add a little personal touch by adding a hand stitched monogram!
GREENEST: keep cloth napkins in your car & / or your purse – use them when eating out if the restaurant offers you paper.If you take your napkins to a restaurant that would otherwise use paper – ask if they will give you a discount for saving them this expense & helping them be a little greener!
2 comments:
What about the water you will waste when you have to wash them all the time? What about restaurants that have their silverware rolled up in paper napkins?
Great Question, Shannon! Thank you for taking the time to ask! I've often weighed the costs & benefits of this:
cost: water
benefit: paper not in landfill
benefit: 1 time manufacture (energy, polution used & created in manufacture process) vs. single use multi-manufacture.
benefit: 1 time shipping of goods from manufacture to (eventually) your home.
benefit: 1 time reduction in renewable (i.e. bamboo)/ non-renewable (timber/forest used to make paper) resource (great cloth napkins to use are bamboo which is renewable - resources below)
Also, when the time comes to replace your current washing machine, the technology is advancing & creating some machines that do use LESS water, though don't negate the use all-together unfortunately.
Based on this, I've felt it better for me to use cloth than paper. I'd love to hear your feedback, too though!
Part 2 - restaurants that use rolled paper napkins.
Great question!! It is my experience (from both sides of the counter) that these restaurants are often using plastic 'silver' ware in that wrap, too. Why not keep an 'eco-roll-up' of silver ware in your purse or car (cloth napkin & bamboo flatware [resource below]) to use in this case?
I hope this helps answer your questions. THANK YOU for taking the time to ask! Please challenge back on any points you don't agree with or are confused by! We only get better when we keep challenging each other! Have a great simple.eco.day!
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Bamboo Cloth Napkins:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11795981
http://www.fabikins.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=26_33&zenid=ccf8ed26f34265064c962f49cc46d26f
Bamboo 'Eco-roll-up':
http://store.milkweedmercantile.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=86_2&products_id=232
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