How to avoid disposable utensils and paper products
By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Do you ever think how much money you spend and how much waste you generate by using disposable products day in and day out.
One of the easiest things to do is just stop using paper towels, whether to dry your hands or whatever else. On the other hand if you have to use paper in the kitchen then use toilet roll. It is as efficient and often much cheaper than paper kitchen towels.
For use in general create some reusable napkins by ripping up old towel or old sheets and, if you can sew, hem them and viola you are all set to go. Cloth napkins are a great alternative to paper napkins.
For dining outside get some plates from thrift stores, and other such places, and those can often be had for “pin money”. You may wish to have them in complimentary colors but not necessarily matching designs; then again, who cares about color and designs. Those can stay outside on the porch and can be used whenever you are eating outside. Seeing that those plates are acquired it does not matter if one gets broken; they can be easily and cheaply be replaced.
Do the same for flatware. Instead of getting plastic (or even wood or bamboo) buy knives, forks and spoons at thrift stores and charity shops, again they can often be had for pennies, and put them in a glass jar or a tin can and you can leave them outside on the porch in the same way as the plates ready for whenever you want to eat outside.
I even do this with my cutlery for general usage. It all has come to me in the main as individual pieces from charity and thrift shops for very little money and I have even found quite a fair number of spoons, forks and knives left behind in the park from picnics. Waste not want not is and has always been my motto.
Disposables are bad for your wallet and bad for the Planet; let's use reusables.
© 2011
