One of the best ways to adopt a greener lifestyle is to rethink the things we buy. Sounds easy enough, but with the onslaught of new "eco" products that have been introduced in the last few years, it's sometimes difficult to separate the green from the greenwashing. While I'm intrigued by these reusable and biodegradable napkins from MYdrap, I'm a bit skeptical too.
We've had the paper towel vs. cotton towel debate before, but what about products that fall somewhere in between? MYdrap napkins are made from natural cotton or linen (and sold in an array of different colors) and come in an easy-to-transport roll with perforations between each sheet. They can be machine washed up to 6 times and then recycled or tossed in the yard waste bin. Compared to paper towels, they seem like a better choice since you get 6 uses from one napkin, but put them next to more durable cotton towels and it seems like greenwashing.
While cotton towels might be the obvious choice around the home - what about birthday parties, picnics or camping trips, where the convenience of paper is harder to resist? Is something like MYdrap a better solution?
(Note: the MYdrap products are currently made in Spain, which is another factor to consider when evaluating their eco-cred. The company's website is also not clear about where the cotton comes from or how it is processed.)
- Find It: Amazon.com, $26.00 for a roll of 25 napkins
Related Posts:
- A Green Success: The Paper Towels are Gone!
- Why Not? How To Go Paper Towel-Less in the Kitchen
- 10 Ways to Kick Your Paper Towel Habit
(Image: MYdrap)
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Kudos for posing this question. One problem is that you can only use the cloth once and it must be washed. Any solids (even microscopic ones) picked up with the cloth will need to be washed off, and rinsing under a sink with a bit of dish soap is not good enough. Bacteria will still be on that cloth and it needs to be washed thouroughly. No doubt deforestation is a huge problem with paper towels. I think recycled paper towels are better, and as far as the environment goes, multi-use cloths are the best. But just 6 uses? Why not buy a durable cotton cloth that will last for years? They are pretty and as long as the cotton is grown using rainwater, I think it's okay. But tossing out cotton when the resource is so intensive may not be so great.
Pointless. Anyone who buys this product is never going to get around to washing them. Straight to the landfill.
The last time these were written about on AT I mentioned that for their retail price you can get a LOT more regular cloths that will last years as opposed to days. These are greenwashing at it's best. Just green enough to pique interest but really just a scam.
Yeah, AT posted these before and all the comments were that these were completely pointless-- why not use real cloth ones?
And just consider the footprint of cotton..
To me, those 'napkins' are right up there with paper towels and using a dryer..