So if you could make eco-friendly furniture using nothing but recycled paper, why not? Cost effective, green, and even stylish. Check this video out…
Wow right. Visit Debbie Wijskamp to see more of the finished product.
You are currently browsing articles tagged green furniture.
This week we’re taking a look at cloth napkins. So far we’ve discussed basics of why you need to use cloth napkins, and looked at some places where you can get some for your home.
Now for some pros:
- Cloth napkins feel better and work better than paper napkins.
- Cloth napkins are very cost efficient. Even if you buy a super nice set, cloth napkins will still save you money over paper napkins.
- Cloth napkins are much healthier for the earth than paper napkins or paper towels. Paper napkins not only create waste because they’re made with paper, but they also come in wasteful packaging, take gas to ship, and are extremely hard to recycle.
- Cloth napkins last forever and serve other purposes. While paper napkins are a use and toss product, cloth napkins can be used to death, then switched over to cleaning rags. I still have good cloth napkins from over five years ago. My now scrappy and unusable napkins are used for dusting and cleaning. Pretty soon they’re going to biodegrade right at my house they’re used so much.
- Cloth napkins are NOT that much more work. To keep them looking good throw them in a wash when you do a load of cold delicate items. If you don’t care if they lose a little color, toss them in with any load of laundry.
- Cloth napkins, contrary to popular belief are still better for the environment than paper, even though it takes water and energy to wash them. Cloth napkins are so small – even if you have a big family, cloth napkins will only run you about one load of wash per week. If you wash on cold, hang dry, and use eco-friendly laundry soap, they just don’t add up to the same eco-badness as paper napkins.
Are you still using paper napkins?
In the last post I had myself a little rant about how My family (and maybe your family) are killing trees in one fast swoop. I.E the cloth napkin vs. paper napkin rant. In any case, there are loads of cloth napkins on the market. AND they’re at all price ranges. There is no reason ever to use paper.
Where are all the cloth napkins…
- Thrift stores.
- Department stores.
- Trendy eco-stores.
- Antique sales.
- Ask for them on your wedding (or other) registry.
- Make some.
Some options… Read the rest of this entry »
The other night I went to a family dinner at my dad’s house. There were maybe 15 people there. We had pizza (good), salad (good), ice cream cake (even better) and LOADS of paper napkins. Oh my.
At my own house, all we use are cloth napkins. We’ve never used paper napkins, and we don’t even use paper towels. I was a little shocked about all the paper napkin use at dinner the other night, and almost considered wiping my hands on my jeans just to cut down on the excess. On a given day, (not a family dinner night) there are still about 5-8 random people at my dad’s. If you do the lowest math that’s about 5 people x’s three meals and snacks a day. That’s possibly:
- 20 paper napkins a day.
- 140 paper napkins a week.
- 7,280 paper napkins a year! For ONE household. Not to mention the family dinners.
Wow right?
How many trees is that affecting? Let’s use a basic bulk pack of Bounty Quilted Napkins, 100-Napkin Packages (Pack of 20) for our calculations. If you buy in bulk, that’s about 12 pounds of paper napkins. In my family, you’d need about 3.5+ bulk packs for the year.
Semi-fuzzy math calculations: Read the rest of this entry »
Hey folks. I took the day off for my birthday, got a little R&R, and now I’m back and raring to go. The other day we started looking at ways to Set Your Perfect Eco Holiday Table. We started with bare basics, a decent earth-friendly table. Today we’ll be looking at what goes right on top of said table.
Linen table items are best because they’re reusable, and of course last longer than paper products. Plus, they just look nicer. Some good linen fabric choices include hemp, organic cotton, and bamboo. Although, I’m more of the mindset that if you use linen over paper, paying extra for organic is cool, because you limit chemicals, but honestly, any linens are better than paper. Here are some good choices for the holidays:
Amenity Cove Organic Placemats via Velocity – I like the cocoa and silver above, but these come in a great gray and espresso color as well.
Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re looking to set your perfect eco-holiday, I’ve got you covered. I’m going to be running a table series covering everything from eco-friendly dishes to cloth napkins, to flowers. Starting with…
The table.
Of course you’ll need a table to dress up. Being that I happen to be heavily addicted to ogling eco-furnishings I see an untold amount of tables. I have lots of favorites. I picked a nice variety to share here. Hopefully you’ll find something to love.
The Lapis: A table I’ve always loved; well, not since birth, so always is inaccurate. However, I have loved it for a good long while. It’s lovely and light, modern and fresh, and simply glows. This piece is finished with an organic milk paint finish. Comes in various colors, but I’m sticking with linen, my fave.
