English 
Nederlands 
Nowadays paper napkins are used everywhere. They come in all sizes, all colours, with all kind of prints, for all occasions.
And I guess you’ll agree that it’s kind of gross to reuse these napkins again. They can be composted, which is good, but ultimately this is not the best solution.
Paper napkins use a ton of resources and energy to make (Remember I talked about it in the post about paper towels?) And they are more expensive to buy.
Maybe you are asking now: ‘What about washing the cloth napkins? That has also a big impact on the environment?’ Well, If you wash them together with your regular load and you use soap nuts , the cloth napkins are more durable and eco-friendly way.
Bottom line, it’s much better for the planet and for your wallet to ditch your disposable napkins, and choose reusable whenever possible.
Tip for today
Use cotton napkins instead of paper ones. Besides the financial and environmental benefits, they will elevate even your most humble dinner table.
Which is better: paper napkins or reusable cloth napkins?
There are a few factors to consider
- Which is cheaper?
- Which is more environmentally friendly?
- Which is more hygienic?
Which is cheaper?
I did some calculations for you:
Assumptions:
- Household of 4 persons
- Need:
- 2 paper napkins a day/person = 2920 napkins/year
- 4 cotton napkins per person = 16 cotton napkins/year
- Price for plain white paper or cotton napkins (bol.com)
(If you want a particular style and color, they will be more expensive and come in smaller sets)- Paper napkins (4,5 euro for 50 napkins)
- Cotton napkins (29 euro/25 napkins)
Paper | Cloth | |
Purchase | 58 euro | 29 euro |
Washing | (26 euro)* |
*What is the cost to wash cloth napkins?
Anytime I run a load of laundry, I add the napkins to the mix. Since I was going to wash those clothes anyway, and the napkins take up so little room, I haven’t noticed any difference in my laundry costs.
But if you do run a separate machine, you have to calculate this cost. And that depends on your type of machine, temperature, water use , … but on average the cost is around 0,50 euro/machine
So 1 extra load of only napkins every week, would cost you 26 euro/year.
Which is more environmentally friendly?
Any item which you can reuse and is not disposed of after 1 use, is more durable that its disposable counterpart.
The overall energy and environmental impact of paper napkins is from manufacturing.
Moreover paper napkins can be made from recycled materials but can’t be recycled after use. Waste goes to landfills and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, which adds to the overall environmental impact.
The largest global warming contributor of the use of cotton napkins is in the washing process. (For home use this is minimised by adding napkins to standard laundry loads.)
Which is more hygienic?
Especially in these times, people tend to be more inclined to use paper, disposable napkins, due to hygienic reasons.
And that is completely logic if 1 napkin would be reused by different people. I would choose a paper one !
If you want to re-use your napkin, best have one assigned to you.
Anyway, it is common sense that you wash your napkins regularly in hot water. But for household use, in your own bubble, cloth napkins are certainly not unhygienic.
And the winner is….
Assuming you mix your cloth napkins in with the rest of your laundry, the results are pretty clear.
The winner is cloth napkins.
And let’s face it, you also win a lot of style points for setting the table with cloth napkins.