photo by muffet
Cloth versus paper: Which do you use for napkins and cleaning towels? It’s common for newly frugal people to question whether they should switch from paper to cloth. For some people, it’s an easy decision. Plain and simple, it’s cheaper to use cloth. But it becomes a tougher choice when considering whether it’s greener. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, paper products constitute the largest portion (nearly 40 percent) of the municipal solid-waste stream but also have the greatest recycling opportunities. Reducing your reliance on paper and recycling makes the most sense.
What about the water and energy used to manufacture and clean cloth napkins? Is that frugal and/or green? Pablo Paster, a sustainability engineer and vice president at Climate Check, says that 100-percent-recycled paper napkins are better for the environment than cotton napkins. His analysis is based on material intensity and focuses on what appears to be commercial use and not average home use. Paster says that carbon-dioxide emissions and water used during manufacturing are higher for cloth napkins. In his analysis, Paster also included reusing the cloth napkins a mere 50 times, and they were washed after each use, so I disagree with his conclusion.
Cloth napkins last years, not only 50 uses. Many of my readers use terry washcloths or make their own cloth napkins. A reader, Erika, from Florida said: “Got scissors and some old T-shirts? You can go paper-free.” At my home, I often buy secondhand cloth napkins at thrift stores (big surprise, huh), add them to my regular laundry load, sometimes use homemade laundry soap and don’t have to wash and bleach after minimal use. I can choose to hang dry them, too. Please, no lectures on my supposed bacteria-ridden cloth napkins. I’m reusing a cloth napkin with crumbs shaken out and not one covered with chicken-wing sauce or mucus. Another reader, Savannah, said: “When we finish eating, clean napkins go back in each of our napkin holders and the napkins are put in a basket for the next meal.” She continues: “If some or all of the napkins are dirty, the dirty ones are placed in a container in the laundry room to be washed, and a clean napkin is inserted into the holder. Of course, after a couple of days, regardless of how clean the napkins might be, I just go ahead and replace them all with clean napkins.”
That’s an organized way to use cloth. I take it one step further and nix the cute napkin holders. Each family member simply gets a different-colored napkin. I own a set of 24 and rotate them as needed. If I have guests, I break out the nicest cloth napkins.
With the exception of restaurants that often give an excessive amount of loose paper napkins, most purchased napkins come with packaging, and 100-percent-recycled paper napkins are more expensive. I’ve weighed out various research and opinions, and I use both paper and cloth. I use cloth napkins and cleaning cloths entirely, and I supplement with paper. However, I still consider the frugal factor and will divide a paper-towel sheet in half and use only what I need. And no, I don’t ration toilet paper. I could eliminate paper napkins and towels entirely. It would be easy for my family to acclimate, but I like draining fried foods on paper towels. It might be time to give up fried foods. Cloth napkins are frugal, and they make meals seem more special.
Consider the following:
– Avoid excessive packaging when buying paper or cloth.
– Buy secondhand cloth or reuse fabric.
– Avoid virgin-fiber paper towels that are bleached or patterned with dyes — more specifically, those whitened by chlorine gas.
– Try to find paper products that are made with recycled materials and are chlorine-free. One hundred percent is ideal, but even partially recycled and alternative bleaching is beneficial.
– The best option is to use organic cotton, linen or hemp cloth towels and/or napkins.
– Compost your paper towels.
译文:
省钱的餐巾布
布与纸相比：你是用哪一个当作餐巾和清洁毛巾的呢？对于节俭的人来说，考虑应不应该把餐巾纸改为餐巾布是个很普通的问题。对于一些人来说，这很容易决定。很简单，使用布会更省钱。如果是新手，这就变成一个很难的选择了。根据环境保护组织，纸制品构成了最大部分的（近40 ％ ）都市固体废物流，但也有最大的循环再造的机会。减少对纸张的依赖程度及循环再造，具有很大的意义。
那么用于生产和清洁餐巾布的水和能量呢？那是节俭的或是绿色的吗？帕斯特是可持续性工程师和气候检测的副会长，他说100%再循环餐巾纸比棉布餐巾对环境更好。他的分析是基于材料的强度，重点是商业用途，而不是平均家庭使用。帕斯特说，制造餐巾布过程中二氧化碳的排放量和水的使用是较高的。在他分析中，帕斯特也说明餐巾布的循环使用也只有50次，每次使用之后都要用水冲洗，我也同意他的这个结论。
餐巾布持续使用几年，不仅仅用50次。我的许多读者是使用厚绒布，有的自己做餐巾布，一个佛罗里达读者艾丽卡说:" 拿剪刀和一些旧T恤，你就可以做了。" 我经常去二手店买二手的餐巾布（很惊讶，哈），有时候用自制的洗衣皂，就不用清洗和漂白。我也可以把它们挂起来晒干。请不要对我假定的清除细菌的餐巾布做任何评价。我是在回收利用只有一点可以被抖掉的面包屑的餐巾布，而不是沾满鸡翼酱汁或粘液。另一个读者萨凡纳说：“当我们吃完后，每个清洁人员清洁后把餐巾放入篮子里下一次再用。如果一些或者全部的餐巾都脏了，那些会被放入洗涤室的一个容器里清洗，而且清洁员又能拿到干净的餐巾。当然了，几天之后，无论餐巾多干净，我还是会把它们全换掉。”
使用布是有组织的方式。每个家庭成员都有一块不同颜色的餐巾。我有一套24份的，每次换着用。如果有客人来，我会用最好的餐巾布。
有些餐厅是例外的，他们经常使用过分松散的餐巾纸，大多数购买的餐巾是有包装的，100%循环使用的餐巾纸是最贵的。我已经对比了许多不同的研究和意见，纸和布都用上了。我完全使用餐巾布和清洁布，有时候补充使用餐巾纸。然而我还是考虑了节俭因素，我将纸巾减少一半，只使用我想要的餐巾。我不会约束卫生纸的用量。我可以完全淘汰餐巾纸和擦手纸。我家人也会很容易适应，但我喜欢给油炸食物排水时用餐巾纸。现在可能该是时候淘汰油炸食物了。餐巾布很节俭，而且它们使得食物更特别。
思考以下问题：
-在买纸和布时避免过分包装。
-买二手布或可再使用的编织布。
-不要使用未使用过的被染料漂白过的纤维纸，这种纸被氯气漂白过。
-可以使用由循环材料和不含氯气的做成的纸制品。最好使用百分之百的，即使部分是循环使用的或漂白的也很有益。
-最好的是使用有机棉，亚麻布或大麻布，大麻纸。
-混合你的纸巾。