Is using paper plates more harmful than wasting the water to clean a regular plate?

Question

Is using paper plates more harmful than wasting the water to clean a regular plate?

Answer 1

The usage of paper plates should be cut  to a minimum if possible.  Paper products need a lot of tree cutting. We would be better off in a greener environment. The process of manufacturing paper products generate pollutants too.

Answer 2

yes, paper plates are more wasteful....those things take centuries to decompose...and are made from cutting down trees.

Answer 3

Wash your plates in the sink to do the least environmental harm.

Paper plates waste trees.

Answer 4

Water doesn't waste, it just recycles, so unless you live where water is scarce, then I would say regular plates.

Answer 5

I lived in a town where we only got 150 litres a day per house to use and I would say, and did, wash the plates.

To make paper, you have to cut down trees, which help to protect water quality in catchments, then as the new trees grow, they use water which won't make it into the rivers and dams, then you pulp the trees, using water, and bleach, dumping effluent in the water, then you plasticate the plate, using water and petrochemicals, and the plates are probably wrapped in plastic, which needs more water to make etc.   Not to mention the chainsaw, log truck, chip mill, paper factory, supermarket, were all made from materials that used a lot of water in manufacture.

If you really need to save the washing up water, wait till you've got a stack, and think twice about flushing...seriously you get used to it.

Hope this helps

Answer 6

reuse is always best.  paper plates require trees, energy, and water to manufacture.  regular plates on the other hand uses water and energy with NO waste generated so i would say go with regular plates and save yourself some money on those useless paper plates.

Answer 7

That is a very good question.  From a frugality point of view, I'd say wash the plate, but if you are talking about environmentally, I'd say that the plates will decompose back into the earth, and won't be harmful, but we only have so much water, so use the paper plates.  

I myself wash my plates, as I look at paper plates as throwing money away, but I tend to look at things from a financial picture first, and environmental somewhere down on the list.

All things being equal, or if I had an unlimited amount of money I'd say paper plates, but again not for an environmental reason but beacause....welll....I really hate washing dishes, so if I could justify the expense I'd buy them, use them, and feel comforted that they decompose faster than styrofoam plates.

Answer 8

use the water to water plants or wash the car or flush the toilet afterwards and you'll be getting more than one use for the same water

Answer 9

AMY E HAS A VERY GOOD POINT ABOUT THE DECOMPOSING but the fact still remains trees get cut down the make paper plates  , right?,and water gets reused u cant rebuild a whole forest in a matter of hours and our forests are really looking like they might be losing this enviromental battle so i say wash ur plates  but that doesnt mean i say waste water

Answer 10

Do you have any idea how much water is used to manufacture paper plates?  Then there's the bleach and other chemicals in the processing.  And disposal and landfill distribution.

Granted, some people use too much water in washing dishes, but done right, there's no contest.  It's much better environmentally to use and reuse dishes than to use disposable plates.