A lot of “eco-friendly” swaps are significantly more expensive or inconvenient than their normalized counterparts, such as eco-friendly soap or plant-based meat, but some changes can actually save you money, and in this case, add an element of style to each meal.

Paper napkins can only be used once, and therefore generate an unfathomable amount of waste. Although napkins can usually be composted, the “U.S. dumps 662 billion paper napkins in the landfill yearly,” which is unfortunate but not entirely surprising, considering how widely they’re used and how unpopular composting is in the US. It can be difficult to challenge aspects of culture that are extremely commonplace, because any aberration from them is considered abnormal, but in the case of napkins, people should consider more sustainable alternatives.

Paper napkins may produce a significant amount of waste, but the damage they inflict comes from other sources, too. The production of disposable napkins is seriously damaging, as “[m]uch of the tissue pulp in the United States comes from the boreal forest of Canada [and] industrial logging claims more than a million acres of boreal forest every year,” a substantial portion of which can be contributed to the demand for single-use napkins. Not to mention the impact of shipping, manufacturing, and the plastic packaging the usually come with. Although single-use napkins can be practical in commercial settings like fast food, it’s time to replace them at home.

Cloth napkins can be reused hundreds of times, are more stylish than disposable ones, and are easy to clean. Instead of having to buy a new pack of paper napkins every time they run out, cloth napkins can just be thrown in with the wash, and to further decrease energy use, can be run on cold. They can be bought secondhand or made by hand, perhaps repurposing damaged clothing or old fabric for a practical use that is entirely unique.

Using cloth napkins prevents waste, adds personal flair to the dining table, are easy to clean and can save consumers money on endless bags of paper napkins. There’s no argument of sanitation, either, as “no statistically significant differences” were found in an experiment comparing “handdrying methods for removing bacteria from washed hands,” including paper and cloth napkins. Reusable napkins are simply a better option than paper ones, and even in settings where disposable ones are more convenient, consumers can choose napkins made from recycled fibers or sustainably-sourced materials like bamboo. If possible, switch to reusable napkins and never look back.

When researching this topic, I was dismayed to find a lack of reputable sources or properly cited figures, and had a hard time finding the data I was looking for, like the cost and impact of running a load of napkins or the carbon footprint of paper napkins, though I know that those numbers would vary depending on brands and locations. That being said, I was able to compile a good amount of information on napkins, and learned about things I’d never really considered before.

My home uses paper napkins, much to my dismay, and although I can’t make decisions on behalf of my household, I can keep my preferences in mind when I go thrift shopping, and I can keep an eye out for large sets of cloth napkins or fabrics I really like. This change really wouldn’t be very inconvenient, so I look forward to implementing it in my life when I live on my own.

No idea what’s in store for next week, but I believe I’ll be writing a paper on mosquitoes in the near future for my biology class, so maybe you’ll get some information on that! Stay tuned to learn with me!

Leslie, Katie. “GO GREEN / CLOTH NAPKINS: For Earth-Friendly Luxury, Take Paper Off of the Table.” The Atlanta Journal – Constitution, Apr 16, 2009. ProQuest, https://sierracollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/go-green-cloth-napkins-earth-friendly-luxury-take/docview/337543689/se-2.

Click to access issue-tissue-how-americans-are-flushing-forests-down-toilet-report.pdf

Click to access issue-tissue-how-americans-are-flushing-forests-down-toilet-report.pdf

https://www.calgary.ca/waste/what-goes-where/paper-napkins-and-paper-towels.html