Why reduce our paper napkins? Like any product, disposable napkins go through quite a journey to get to us, including trees cut down, transported, turned into pulp, possibly bleached or dyed, transported to be packaged and put in warehouses, transported to our stores or homes. All of this takes energy, oil, causes pollution in our air and water. This is to say nothing of the garbage transportation and afterlife of these paper napkins. So how can we reduce our use of paper napkins?
REDUCE
My favorite way to reduce my use of paper napkins is to use cloth napkins instead. I find them to be superior in so many ways. They’re softer, they’re cheaper in the long run, they are far more absorbent, and they’re better for the environment*. (Cotton is an extremely wasteful crop, so try using eco-friendly fabrics or reusing fabric from other items.) Cloth napkins are easy to make, and they are a great project for reusing fabric pieces. If you want finished edges, you can stitch around the edges, a project that, while a bit tedious if you’re making a lot at once, is easy enough for a novice sewer. Some people might want matching napkins, but I find that using what fabric is on hand is easier and creates a fun assortment to choose from. You can also use napkin rings to keep track of family member’s napkins if they aren’t too soiled, so they can be reused at another meal.
This cloth napkin idea can definitely be carried out beyond the home as well for those who are feeling truly dedicated. A small “clean” cloth bag and “used” cloth bag for cloth napkins can be tucked into a bag or purse for outings.
If you have young kids and you’re anything like me, you may turn away from any food establishment that uses cloth napkins, a quick indication that kids may not be welcome, but I hope to see that shift. I’ve seen lots of casual, smaller, independent food places use fun cloth napkins at their tables, and it’s so nice to see businesses taking charge and reducing their waste. These cloth napkins are also far more useful than the paper ones, which I find people have to sometimes grab three or four of during a meal.
Another simple way to reduce paper napkin waste is to just be conscious of how many you are taking and be sure you are using them wisely. Think about what the napkins have gone through to get to you and appreciate them.
REUSE
Again, reusing a paper product like this seems like a weird thing to address. But, as with the tissue post, for instance, if you find yourself with napkins that for some reason aren’t usable for their intended purpose or aren’t that soiled, you can use these to wipe up oily or grease-y messes. I know we always have certain foods that are tough to wash off of dishes, things like butter or oils. So, it can be helpful to keep a stash of only slightly-used paper products on hand to reuse for wiping up things like this, so they can be given a second life.
If a cloth napkin becomes too used or stained for continued use, see if you can use any bits of it for another scrap sewing project or keep it on hand as a cleaning cloth instead.
RECYCLE?
Just as with some of the other disposable paper products I’ve covered, I find that recycling paper napkins doesn’t seem to be a possibility many places. If your napkins aren’t bleached or dyed, you may be able to add these to a compost pile, especially if they aren’t grease-y.
The plastic wrap that surrounds a package of store-bought napkins may be able to go into a grocery bag recycling bin at a store.
Cloth napkins that can no longer be used as cleaning cloths or scraps, can be recycled with textile recycling.
ENDING THOUGHTS
The great thing about starting to reduce disposable paper products and replacing them with cloth is that it all starts to fit together like a puzzle. Once you start using cloth instead of paper towels or napkins or tissues, it becomes part of your daily life. You never have to run out and buy these products, because they are always on hand. You can group your cloth laundry in a way that makes sense for your family and uses the washing machine consciously.
Cloth napkins are such a fun choice to make. Not only are the colorful or designed napkins a great addition to your table, but these napkins are also far more effective than the disposable ones. This is a great way you can start to make big change.
Thank you for reading. Your actions can and will make a difference!
