You’ll be burning through too much paper, which will affect our trees. Washing plates is a better option than burning through tons of paper or plastic plates, especially when you don’t live alone. When you choose to wash dishes instead of using paper or plastic plates, you may be able to escape the cost of replenishing or paying for the latter items, but you may spend that amount on your energy bills instead. When they decompose, they become soil because that’s what they’re made from. Still, dozens of them can be manufactured at once, making energy consumption a fair one to the environment. The production process for ceramic items requires a high temperature. However, their carbon footprints have so far proven neutral to the environment. At the same time, if they end up in our landfills, they release toxic materials during their decomposition process.Īgain, we have ceramic plates that we can use repeatedly, but we’ll have to wash them. However, they’re not a great option, as plastic contributes to 80 percent of the waste that ends up in our water bodies. Of course, you can use them for a long time they’re pretty durable and unbreakable and can be washed many times without their quality getting affected. Right from their manufacturing process, they constitute a significant source of pollution, whether to the air, ozone layer, land, or water bodies. Now, plastic plates are a terrible idea for the environment. On the other hand, let’s consider the effects of ceramic or plastic plates, as these are the conventional options for meals in the average household. If we burn through more trees than we can grow, this may be detrimental to the environment at large trees play a vital role in keeping the balance in the ecosystem. While it depends on the species of trees, those that bear fruits may require between two and ten years to grow fully, while the more ancient ones take centuries. So, even though the paper is made from natural resources that can be replanted, the process is more complicated of afforestation is more complicated. This is the general estimate for trees cut down to make paper generally, not plates alone. The production of paper plates results in the deforestation of about 4 billion trees every year. However, these seemingly better alternatives also have their downsides. At the same time, you don’t need to wash them, thereby cutting back on energy costs.

For one, they’re completely biodegradable and can also be composted. There are many benefits of using paper plates. Packaging and transporting these plates don’t strain the environment – these materials come in the simplest packaging options. The manufacturing process begins with chopping down a tree for paper plates, which isn’t always an environmentally conscious decision. The carbon footprint extends to the manufacturing process, packaging, and transportation. When you’re determining the environmental impacts of these materials, you consider their carbon footprints, the cost, storage, disposal, and in this case, method of washing. However, the same can’t be said if you live in a large household. There’s a broader desire to opt for the more environmentally friendly choice – whether it’s buying paper plates that’ll be disposed of after use or washing our dishes with a dishwasher or even using our hands.ĭoing the dishes by hand if you live alone shouldn’t be a problem after all, you’ll have fewer bowls and plates to worry about. Now, questions about the better option for the environment have been asked. Whether you’re a take-out enthusiast or cooked-food lover, you’ll still need plates. Items like plates are among the most common household materials, which we use more often than not. Is it Better for the Environment to Use Paper Plates or Wash Dishes?Įven the most minute steps directed towards sustainable living are applaudable.

Paper plates