Keeping with the theme of reader questions (which I’ll say again that I love. I find your questions to be very inspiring and help spark my creativity), here is one I received from Suzanne last week. I’m sure her quandary is one we all face:

I’m slowly learning about greener living and your insight has been so helpful. Which is why I’m writing, in the hopes you know the answer since I haven’t found it anywhere else!

I have three little ones (1, 3 and 4 years) and you can imagine the number of sippy cups and plates we go through. Do you know if it’s better to use paper, which I’m inclined to do for breakfast and lunch, or to run the dishwasher as many as two times a day? I feel as if both aren’t the right choice, for one fills landfills or fills the air with smoke from burning, and the other is so wasteful. Same goes for paper napkins vs. cloth and oh so much more!

What have you found that you’d be willing to share?

There are a couple of ways of answering this question, especially if budget isn’t a concern. For example, there are companies making “disposable” dishes these days that are made of biodegradable materials, such as corn. Mark Caserta of 3RLiving says that you can find dishes made of bamboo and also sugar cane, both of which are biodegradable. A company called VeneerWare makes the bamboo dishes, and Greenwave makes the sugar cane plates. For other biodegradable plates and dishes, check out what’s listed on the Biodegradable Products Institute website.

In addition to green disposable plates, you can buy plastic utensils that are made from recycled plastic and which are recyclable. Hmm, that makes me wonder: are all plastic utensils recyclable then? Something else to look into. Anyway, if you’re not ready to give up your disposable ways yet, these are options to consider.

As far as saving the environment goes, reusable dishes washed in the dishwasher is definitely the way to go. According to Maria Vargas, a spokesperson with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “there is an embedded energy in paper plates,” meaning that you have to think about the amount of energy used in creating the paper plates. Adds Caserta of 3RLiving, “With paper plates, you are cutting down a tree, trucking it to a paper mill and maybe several factories. The process uses diesel fuel, [and] lots of electricity and water.” The same goes for paper napkins, which is why reusable cloth napkins that you toss in the washing machine make the most sense for anyone trying to live green.

With regards to the dishwasher use, Vargas recommends not washing dishes before loading them (I let my dog do the pre-wash, sort of like this dog is doing) and, with a plug for the EPA’s Energy Star program, suggests that you use Energy Star-compliant appliances so that you know you’re saving the most energy and water possible. Caserta suggests making sure that you run full loads of dishes only and, if you can find it, choose an eco-friendly dishwasher detergent.

Again, the same applies for the washing machine you would use for cleaning your cloth napkins, along with the rest of your clothes. Make sure the machine is Energy Star compliant, always run full loads only and choose detergents that are good for the earth.