No one likes to think about the environmental impact of the things they use, but we all should. It’s probably the most important thing you can do for our planet—and your health—especially if you’re a parent. That’s why I’m so excited about eco-friendly napkins! (And no, I’m not joking.)
If you haven’t heard of them before, here’s a little background. Eco-friendly napkins come from sustainable materials and are compostable instead of thrown them away. While this doesn’t sound like much on its face. There are some pretty major benefits to using them instead of regular old tissues or paper towels. But before we get into that…
What are the environmental factors?
While the environmental impact of napkins is fairly straightforward, there are a few factors to consider when comparing the two. First, you should know that the amount of waste created by one person using paper towels instead of a napkin is roughly 30 times less than if they used paper towels instead of cloth ones.
Second, it’s important to realize that if people use a single paper towel for their entire meal. They’re creating more trash than if they’d used four or five cloth napkins for the whole meal! This means that some eco-friendly products might appear to have an “excessive” price tag at first glance. These costs quickly disappear when you consider how much waste we consume by choosing them over non-eco alternatives.
How are napkins made?
Napkins come from a variety of materials, including paper, cloth, and plastic. Regardless of the material used, napkin manufacturing is a fairly intensive process because it involves many different steps.
The first step in manufacturing napkins is cutting them into squares or rectangles. This process requires raw materials like pulpwood (which comes from trees), water, and chemicals. This amount of waste is significant on how many products are wasted during operations and if they’re recycled after use.
Next comes folding/glueing/folding again to create finished shapes for every napkin size out there. Large square or rectangle; small square or rectangle; round shape; even heart-shaped! Each one requires adhesive like starch or glue made from natural ingredients such as soybean protein isolate.
What about alternatives to napkins?
Sure, you could use washable cloth napkins. They’re more expensive, but they’re also better for the environment and your wallet. Also, consider paper towels or cloth wipes in place of traditional napkins. They’re both much more eco-friendly than the former option. If you want to use reusable dining ware more, invest in reusable paper and cloth versions for your next gathering!
What does it cost to make eco-friendly napkins?
What does it cost to make eco-friendly napkins? To be frank, just about the same as regular ones. The only difference is that you have to wait longer for them to grow. Trees are made from cellulose—a substance that comes from trees or other plants and can be used in a variety of ways, including making paper towels.
Trimming down trees takes time and money, but once they’re gone, they stay gone forever. There’s no need to replant them again next year like a crop might require if you were farming cotton.
However long it takes for trees to grow back depends on the type of tree we’re talking about here. Some species (like eucalyptus) are more resistant than others (such as oak). Also, consider how much sunlight each type needs. Some species require more sunlight than others do due to their growth patterns!
This means that certain types will take longer than others do before they begin producing fruit again after being cut down by humans who want our napkins made with cellulose fibres instead of those pesky disposable paper towels we’ve all gotten used to over time.
All that being said, why should we use eco-friendly napkins?
Chances are, you’ve heard of the many benefits of using eco-friendly napkins. They’re better for the earth, they’re better for your health, they’re better for your wallet and they feel better in your conscience. But what most people don’t know is that they’re also better for families!
The average family uses more than 5,000 paper towels per year. That’s a lot of waste! And because many paper towels don’t decompose easily (or at all), it can take decades before they start breaking down into soil nutrients. Imagine how much time all that trash is keeping away from our children and loved ones!
The fact is: that there’s no reason to use disposable anything when eco-friendly alternatives exist—not when there are so many benefits to choosing greener options.
Eco-friendly napkins are better for the earth, but they aren’t mass-produced, which can make them more expensive.
Eco-friendly napkins are better for the environment, but they aren’t mass-produced. This means that they’re producing it in small batches and from recycled materials. While this makes them more expensive than regular napkins, it’s also a good investment.
Because of their smaller quantities, eco-friendly alternatives are often more expensive than their traditional counterparts. You’ll be glad you spent the extra money on something that can hold up to multiple reuses without posing any harm to animals or the environment!
MioEco
MioEco is an eco-friendly napkin company that makes napkins from 100% organic cotton. Their products are made in India and are manufactured using zero water pollution, zero waste, and zero harmful chemicals. They also use the highest quality materials for their products, which results in a higher price point than regular napkins.
The brand was founded by two friends who wanted to create better alternatives for everyday products that have harmful effects on the environment and human health. The founders of MioEco were passionate about creating a product that’s not only sustainable but also used high-quality materials.
Indi by Kishu Baby
There are a few big differences between Indi by Kishu Baby Napkins and other cloth napkins. First, they’re made in India, not China or Pakistan. Their cotton is organic and they use a high thread count so they’ll last longer than an average paper towel.
They also make sure that the cotton is yarn-spin on looms in India rather than overseas machines (a process that saves water). Plus, Indi’s packaging is biodegradable—so much so that you could even eat it if you wanted!
Indi by Kishu Baby napkins cost more than regular ones because they’re producing it with care by hand. There’s no automation involved at any point during production! This means that each one goes to an artisan and carefully inspects before packaging up for sale.
While this might seem like an unnecessary step when buying something as simple as a paper towel seems like an unnecessary step when buying something as simple as a paper towel. It makes sense once you think about how many people have touched your product before it arrives at your door—and how many lives those people touch during their travels around the world to get here!
Imperial Bamboo
Imperial Bamboo Handkerchiefs consist of 100% organic bamboo and come in a variety of colours and patterns. They are incredibly soft, absorbent, and durable—making them perfect for use as napkins, tissues, handkerchiefs, or cleaning cloths. Bamboo is an eco-friendly material that requires no pesticides or fertilizers to grow. Instead, it uses natural defences like thorns and cyanide toxins to keep pests away!
Ippinka
Ippinka is a company that makes eco-friendly handkerchiefs from 100% organic materials. They come in a variety of colours and patterns and are incredibly soft, absorbent, and durable. This makes them perfect for use as napkins, tissues, or cleaning cloths.
Fingercraft
Fingercraft is a sustainable brand that makes napkins, paper towels, and toilet paper. The company is based in the UK and is a certified B-Corp. It also holds certifications from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This helps them ensure responsibly produced products that are non-harmful to the environment and workers’ rights.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that eco-friendly napkins might cost a little more than regular ones, but they’re worth it. Not only are they better for the environment and your budget, but they also come in fun colours, patterns, and designs. Plus, you can feel good about using them!
Looking for a perfect pairing on your napkins and apple watch bands? Check out these sustainable Apple watch bands to pair up with your eco-friendly napkins.