It starts with a napkin? Okay, let me explain. For years, my husband and I used paper napkins with every meal. Six paper napkins a day doesn't sound like much, but consider this. How does 2,190 paper napkins sound? 25 years worth? 53,750! (Give or take a napkin or two)
That's why we decided to take a small step and switch to cloth napkins. One little gesture and we've eliminated something from the world trash heap. And, if you're wondering, throwing a few small napkins in a weekly load of laundry adds nothing to our utility bills. We've also switched to select-a-size paper towels but use cloth towels for clean-up whenever possible.
We recycle our grass clippings around trees and shrubs instead of filling plastic bags for the town pick up. Much easier on us and it also saves a lot of plastic trash bags! Even better.
We still have a long way to go. It's not easy to give up on conveniences, but, like us, you can start with the small stuff.
What have you done for Earth Day? Earth Year?
Why not pull out the cloth napkins?
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5 comments:
I've been doing the cloth napkin thing for awhile, despite the teasing I get from relatives. It's a great solution and you're right, Mary - every little bit helps!
Regan
http://www.reganblack.com
The big picture seems so overwhelming, which is why I started small.
Forgot to mention cloth grocery bags. I'm a fanatic when it comes to that and give people dirty looks at the checkout when they use plastic. Well, I really don't, but I want to!
Great post on an important issue. I try to recycle whatever I can and be more mindful of buying products in larger containers so there isn't too much waste.
However, I noticed a new commercial on TV where they're hawking a fresh paper towel for use in the bathroom rather than the good old tried and true cloth ones. That had me wondering if any of this "green stuff" is getting through to big corporations!
Well, it is a tricky subject. Re-using cloth as kitchen hand towels carry germs. Then there's the water issue, soap, and electricity for cleansing, and paper does biodegrade. You could drive yourself crazy trying to keep up with the most appropriate way to live your life. Personally, I'm a tree person, so I opt for the cloth to save the trees.
I'm not nearly as conscientious as I should be, but I'm trying. You're right about the cloth, Darla Sue, but I still want to use it whenever possible.
I suppose, if we all take small steps, Eileen, we can help! One plastic bag at a time!
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