One obvious, and relatively easy, trash reduction change my family could make was to stop using paper napkins and switch to cloth. I heard cloth napkins were easy to find at local thrift stores, so I intended to go do some shopping. I really did intend to do that. Like any day now.
 |
| The napkins I already owned |
I wanted to buy some cloth napkins that were not "special." Something my family could use every day. Something I wouldn't worry about getting stains on etc.
I do own some cloth napkins. I bought them over ten years ago when I bought the table cloths I use most of the time. To be clear one of these table cloths has been on our table every day for years. They've been washed many times and had all kinds of things spilled on them. But somehow I thought the matching napkins would be more vulnerable to damage? And by matching, I mean they are made of the exact same fabric.
Finally, I decided we should use some of the matching cloth napkins. I knew exactly where they were, in a cupboard close at hand. I could have easily reached for them anytime. I took them out of the open box they were carefully arranged in on the shelf. I pulled out four to add to the table. This felt good. We were not going to be throwing away any paper napkins tonight!
And that's when I saw it, the little green label still stuck to the napkin I had bought more than ten years ago. Wow, I've really never used this napkin before? Spoiler, it wasn't just that one. All of them still had their original stickers. They were so "special" I had never used them at all. Total #facepalm moment.
Now, instead of a napkin holder full of paper napkins in the middle of the table, we have a stack of folded, clean, fabric napkins, that just happen to exactly match the table cloth. Full disclosure, often they are clean enough to use for multiple meals before getting tossed in the wash basket.
I've removed the labels (and price tags) from all of the cloth napkins we own, and they are all in full use rotation on the dining table. Some day, I may find myself at a thrift store buying more, but I have reason to believe these napkins should be good for at least a decade.
