Napkins have been around for years and have undergone many transformations. From traditional common cloth napkins for the entire table to recent standard-sized paper towels. People use one paper towel post-meal three times a day. With such a commonly used commodity we often forget to account for its environmental impact.

It is needless to say that napkins irrespective of the material, cause a lot of waste. The environmental impact of paper towels is highly debated, mainly due to their single-time use. the other alternatives like cloth napkins can be used multiple times before they end up in a landfill. However, this is not as simple as it seems. Let’s discuss in detail to understand whether paper napkins are a friend or a foe to the environment.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing process of paper towels raises concern for a lot of environmentalists. These single-time usable napkins are made from paper which ultimately leads to deforestation. Hence, a more durable alternative like cloth napkins is often recommended as a solution to the problem.

The cloth napkins may seem to be environment friendly until you assess the manufacturing process in detail. Cloth napkins are mostly made of cotton. Cotton as we all know is a crop that requires a lot of irrigation. Also, growing cotton requires biocides and chemicals in large quantities.

A cotton napkin weighs around 28 grams. The production process of cotton napkins again consumes 150 liters of water. It also produces 1 kg of greenhouse gas emission.

A better material for cloth napkins is linen which is made from the flax plant and does not require any extra irrigation apart from rainwater. However, it produces 112 grams of greenhouse gas emissions and uses 22 liters of water.

A paper napkin on the other hand produces only 10 grams of green gas emission and uses only 0.3 liters of water. Having said that, we need to consider the reusability of cloth napkins. However, the reusable napkins need to be washed and dried and we need to take their environmental impact into account as well.

Washing napkins

To wash a cloth napkin, we would require a quarter-liter of water and electricity to power the washing machine. This will further lead to greenhouse gas emissions amounting to 5 grams. Also, the detergent and chemicals used in washing the napkin end in the ocean and cause a detrimental impact on aquatic life.

Drying the napkin will lead to another emission of 10 grams of greenhouse gases. A more sustainable way is washing the napkins by hand and drying them in sunlight. Paper napkins do not require washing and are used only once.

Since paper is made from plants it is biodegradable and can be decomposed in compost heaps. However, napkins covered in grease and detergent should not be put in compost as grease residue can reduce the oxygen in the compost and the detergents can be disruptive to the microorganisms present in the compost.

Greener way of using paper napkins

Paper napkins are a necessity for most households. However, considering their impact on the environment it is advisable to take some steps to use them in the greenest way possible. The first step is reducing their uses. To keep the usage of paper towels limited, you can cut them into smaller sizes, if the standard size does not fit your requirement.

Some other methods to reduce the environmental impact of paper towels are:

• Choose paper napkin suppliers that use recycled paper to make paper napkins. Recycled paper uses around 70 percent energy of that used in the production of paper from plants.

• Buy napkins that are not whitened with chlorine bleach.

• Compost the napkins after use except when they are covered in grease or detergent

These are some of the ways to use paper napkins in a way that reduces their harmful impacts on the environment and prevents them from becoming a foe to the environment.