Is it beneficial to use disposable tableware at home?

It is generally accepted that the history of the emergence of disposable tableware is associated with a curious incident. Once an American student, dissatisfied with the cleanliness of a drinking vessel in a public institution, built an impromptu glass of cardboard. More than 100 years have passed since then. In addition to cardboard, plastic is used for manufacturing, and the appearance of the dishes has become more presentable. The main thing has not changed: the purpose. Disposable items make life easier and easier.

The originality of disposable tableware

The very situation "eat and throw out" is very attractive in the eyes of a busy person. Remember how much time it takes to prepare the festive service in advance for meeting guests. The subsequent laundering of a mountain of dirty dishes is not encouraging either. And if you have to leave the city?

Reference! A picnic, office gatherings, democratic catering have long been inconceivable without disposable items.

Convenient, hygienic, no washing required - these are undoubted advantages.

Dishes that it's not a pity to throw it away - a competitor to traditional table setting items. Encourages the transition to everyday use and affordability.

This is probably why many people often advocate the transition to disposable items. And there are a great many of them today!

Types of disposable tableware

Disposable tableware was originally made from paper. Over time, plastic items were added to paper items - made of polypropylene or polystyrene.

Paper

Laminated paper tableware is represented by plates and cups. They keep warm well, do not get wet. Such dishes safe. But at the same time expensive to manufacture!

Important! The advantage of paper dishes is that they are recyclable and biodegradable.

Plastic

Plastic utensils sometimes hazardous to health person. Polystyrene products are not intended for hot food! On contact with heat, they release styrenes that are hazardous to the body.

For second and first courses, it is better to use polypropylene plates and cups. You can pour tea, coffee, lemonade in them - any drink, but not alcohol.

Reference! Under the influence of alcohol, poisonous formaldehydes and phenol are released from polypropylene.

The line of plastic products is diverse. The versatility of the material allows you to make plates for second and first courses, mugs for hot drinks, glasses for alcohol and cutlery.

Plastic attracts with its price, but damages the environment due to a long decomposition period.

Important! The aluminum molds or laminated lunchboxes that fast food cafes use to pack food are not disposable tableware. This is packaging!

Using disposable tableware at home

For their lightness and compactness, such dishes were liked by those who are not used to sitting still. Why not transfer this ease to everyday life? But are such dishes good for the home?

Convenient or not?

Of course, it is convenient if we say that you don't have to wash anything! Imagine how much time will be freed up if you remove only one link from a series of household chores - washing dishes! It is a pity that there are no disposable pots and pans yet!

And if we talk about use, then here it will not be possible to answer so unambiguously.

• If the plastic is dense, holds its shape well, then such the plates are no worse the usual porcelain or earthenware.
• It's harder with cups. They are usually small, they have awkward handles, which interferes with enjoying tea. You can quench your thirst from such cups, and have fun, warm your hands with their warmth Not sure it's going to happen.
• About cutlery I don’t even have to say. They good for fast food, but a good piece of meat requires a metal or ceramic knife. Using bending forks and spoons is also a very dubious pleasure.

It is clear that the current assortment of disposable tableware is not able to displace durable metal, glass, and ceramics from household items. And it does not completely solve the problem of washing: after a meal, kitchen utensils still have to be sent to the sink.

It is important that you need to constantly take care of replenishing tableware. At this moment, another question arises: how economically justified is the transition to one-time items?

Is it profitable or not?

Everyone solves this problem for himself. Someone with a calculator, someone thinks in their minds.

A couple of hundred a month on plates - it seems inexpensive, about the same as one porcelain counterpart. Plus, water, detergent is consumed, sponges, towels are bought. These are the pros.

And what is the "against"? All the same. You just need to multiply the spending on disposable plates by the life of the porcelain plate.

Important! The ruined health from improper use of plastic is costly in the end. Unfortunately, few people think about it.

Should or shouldn't be used at home

To make a decision in favor of a certain type of item, you need to consider several points.

• Washing dishes is a great educational and disciplining moment. Parents with children should not discount it!
• The amount of household waste will increase dramatically. And we must not forget about ecology!

Reference! If every inhabitant of the Earth throws out three plates a day, then this is almost 23 billion pieces. The weight of one plate is conventionally equal to 10 g, therefore, 230 million kg will go to the landfill!

• It will not be possible to do without the usual devices. After all, the question of home table setting with plastic is not worth it. This idea is rejected even by the fiercest admirers of the disposable.

Does it mean that it is necessary to abandon disposable tableware altogether? No, it doesn't. There are times when she is very helpful. It is important to proceed from the conditions of expediency and reasonableness. Why not have a bite to eat on these utensils during the renovation, when the water is turned off?

To the delight of fans of disposability, they have already come up with a completely biodegradable tableware made of dietary fiber such as bamboo, cornstarch, palm leaves, and even conventional husks seeds. Perhaps we will return more than once to the question of whether it is worth eating at home on disposable dishes ...