paper plate vs reusable plate

5
When it comes to finding ways to conserve water at home, one of the first places people look is the dishwasher, or, more specifically, their dishes. It would seem obvious that using paper plates requires less water, simply because they don't need to be washed. But as those dishes pile up in the trash, destined to spend eternity in a landfill, you also have to consider all the water required to make the paper that was used to make those plates. So, if you're looking to conserve water at home, are you really making the best choice by going disposable? This: Paper Plates Pros: They're convenient, easy to dispose of when you're hosting large gatherings, and they do save water in that they require no washing. ADVERTISEMENT Trending Stories The Top 25 Most Perfectly Timed PhotosBoreBurn The Easiest Way To CompostOrganic Life

Upload: nathan-shao

Post on 12-Jan-2016

222 views

Category:

Documents


2 download

DESCRIPTION

Word

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Paper Plate vs Reusable Plate

When it comes to finding ways to conserve water at home, one of the first

places people look is the dishwasher, or, more specifically, their dishes. It

would seem obvious that using paper plates requires less water, simply

because they don't need to be washed. But as those dishes pile up in the

trash, destined to spend eternity in a landfill, you also have to consider all

the water required to make the paper that was used to make those plates.

So, if you're looking to conserve water at home, are you really making the

best choice by going disposable?

This: Paper Plates

Pros: They're convenient, easy to dispose of when you're hosting large

gatherings, and they do save water in that they require no washing.ADVERTISEMENT

 

Trending Stories

The Top 25 Most Perfectly Timed PhotosBoreBurn

The Easiest Way To CompostOrganic Life

Why Have I Not Thought Of This? 10 Cleaning Tips You Need To

Try!…funorfacts.org

Page 2: Paper Plate vs Reusable Plate

The Most Brilliant Raised Bed We've SeenOrganic Life

The Secret Dangers of Coconut OilSafe or Dangerous

Three Things Naturally Thin People Never DoEat Clean

Recommended by

FREE NEWSLETTER

YOU MAY UNSUBSCRIBE AT ANY TIME.YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS | ABOUT US

Cons: Assuming you're using paper plates and not the newer biodegradable

sorts made from sugarcane, bamboo, or other plant starches, it takes lots of

water to produce them: up to 12 gallons of water to produce one pack of 22

10-inch medium-weight dinner plates that weighs a pound (16 ounces),

which is roughly half a gallon for each plate. There's also potential for

another water problem—pollution. Paper pulping mills use caustic chemicals,

which can contaminate waterways. And, finally, there are issues relating to

disposal: Paper plates can't be recycled (the water needed to make paper is

4018

Go! form-bBuR3ZvPQ rol_blocks_new s

Page 3: Paper Plate vs Reusable Plate

cut in half when it's made from recycled paper) or composted, due to a

petroleum-based wax coating applied to prevent leaks.

That: Reusable Plates

Pros: You buy them once and never need to replace them, particularly if you

go with something durable like ceramic or stainless steel. For example,

Corelle-brand plates are made from glass bonded in such a way that the

plates are virtually indestructible.

Cons: Information on the amount of water needed to make a plastic, steel,

ceramic, or glass plate is scarce, which limits the discussion to how you wash

them at home. Assuming your dishwasher is old and uses 10 to 15 gallons of

water per load, and accommodates 14 place settings, as most standard-size

dishwashers do, you'd be using between three-quarters to a single gallon of

water to wash each plate.

<img style="float: right; width: 300px" typeof="foaf:Image"

src="http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/sites/rodalesorganiclife.com/files/living-lightly-paper-plates-300.jpg"

alt="" />

This or That?

Go with…That. Reusable Plates. Looking strictly at water use, it does

appear that paper plates make the better choice (half a gallon to create one

paper plate, ¾ to one gallon to clean the reusable kind). However, as with all

environmental quandaries, you can't exclude all the other factors involved. In

this case, energy and greenhouse-gas emissions are huge issues. The only

life-cycle analysis conducted on paper and ceramic plates we came across

found that the production of a ceramic plate that you can use forever emits

Page 4: Paper Plate vs Reusable Plate

2.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide, whereas using one paper plate every day for

a year would result in 128 kilograms of emissions.

Stick with reusables whenever you can, and here are some tips on

cutting down on water and energy needed to wash them:

• Upgrade your dishwasher. President Obama recently announced a new

program that, come November, will allow states to provide residents with

cash for household appliances. If your old washer is between 10 and 15

years old, upgrade to a newer Energy Star-rated dishwasher that will cut

your water use by half.

• Don't prerinse. Once you get your new washer, you'll probably realize

that it's equipped to handle tough gunk, as most new appliances are.

Prerinsing isn't necessary, and it wastes water.

• Switch to green dish soap. Dishwashing detergents can pollute just as

badly as paper mills, if you use standard detergents that contain phosphates.

Phosphates deplete waterways of oxygen, killing all the living organisms that

live in the water.