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Dispose of the disposable…

by .... Ali Celt

Everything we see around us these days is disposable. Disposable paper serviettes took the place of the linen napkin. Disposable tissues took the place of the handkerchief. Disposable nappies took the place of the terry square. Disposable feminine hygiene products took the place of cloth. These days even the sipper cups, plates and cutlery you can buy for your children are marketed as disposable – “Take and Toss”

Part of living green for me is to be mindful of what you use and how you use it – and having ‘disposable’ items surrounding us is hardly being mindful.

First, let’s look at what disposable REALLY means. In one sense – it means we don’t have to worry about it for the short term. Got a cold? Use a tissue and throw it out! Why waste time washing a handkerchief? Got an empty cup? Don’t carry it with you! Toss it out – there’s plenty more where that came from. Dirty nappy? Just throw it out, who wants to be cleaning up that stuff anyway???

WELL. You might not want to be cleaning it up right now. But I seriously doubt your grandchildren are going to want to clean it all up in 60 years time. We have to face the facts – whatever is disposable today is truly NOT disposable at all! All we are doing with our use of disposable products is shifting the responsibility for their being cleaned up, down a couple of generations. And that, is neither green living, nor responsible living in anyone’s books.

I hear your questions – "What can I do about it that won’t cost me a fortune?"

It is true that a lot of disposable products are cheaper in immediate financial terms than their multiple use equivalents. But it is a false economy to assume that because a $2 box of tissues has 100 things in it to wipe noses with, that therefore it is cheaper and a $5 box of 3 cotton handkerchiefs. A box of tissues is GONE after those 100 wipes. 3 cotton handkerchiefs will last for years – I have some here that were my father’s and they are still going strong – they are at least 15 years old and have seen me and my children and my father through that many winters – and will probably still be around when my grand kids have the flu. They might be a little smaller from where hems have come undone and frayed, then been cut and re-stitched. They might have a little new embroidery in a corner to hide a spot that has worn through. But they are still the same handkerchiefs.

Living green and not using disposable products will NEVER be more expensive than buying the disposable options. The cost of every item you buy needs to be weighed against it’s lifetime of use. AND the eventual cost of the clean-up many years down the track.

So let’s get to the nitty-gritty. How do we stop these disposable products from taking over our lives when they seem so cheap on the shelves, and require little thought or care.

The basic answer is to start small. Used to using tissues??? Buy handkerchiefs instead. Just one packet at a time. If you can’t find them in stores, and you know how to sew, use your partners old work shirts, cut them into squares and hem them. Even better – use old flannel shirts – they wash up beautifully soft and give your nose a much needed break from the abrasive ness of tissues. Keep buying the tissues if you want – but teach yourself to reach for a hanky first. You will be amazed at how long that box of tissues lives on your bathroom counter once you’ve felt the softness of a hanky on your nose.

Nappies – the statistics on disposable nappies are frankly terrifying. The amount of nappies that the Australian public uses and throws out every year is enough to fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground. And every single one of those nappies will still be present in landfill when our great great great grandchildren are alive. I am ashamed to be a part of a society that happily leaves that much toxic disgusting waste for future generations to clean up simply because it’s “convenient” right now. Cloth nappies DO require extra work. There was even a study (sponsored by Proctor and Gamble, manufacturers of many common brands of disposables) put out that indicated that in water usage terms, disposable nappies and cloth nappies were on an equivalent footing. This study did not address the landfill issue with disposables in any way.

Cloth nappies are easy to use, very commonly available on the Internet, and come in so many varied styles and shapes and colours and sizes these days that you can have the convenience of a disposable in an item that will last you for all of your children. And with washing machines as efficient as they are these days, you don’t even need to soak them in bleach or any toxic chemicals. If they stain – hang them in the sun. Nothing gets stains out faster than sunlight.

Re-usable options for feminine hygiene products – this is a topic that many people turn away from with intense distaste. I can only assume that modern marketing of the disposable products have turned a woman’s bodily functions into something to be ashamed of and thrown away! But that is a whole other tale!
Cloth pads are making a comeback. They too come in a wide variety of fabrics. With water-proof backings, snaps around the gusset of your underpants, and in different shapes and sizes to suit every individual need, they are super-easy to care for, do not smell or leak and will save you hundreds of dollars over the course of your life. There are other options too! Menstrual cups, which have been around for many many years, are a fantastic, re-usable option that is worn internally and has none of the troubles associated with tampons.

Table Napkins are easy to make – you do not need to buy expensive ones at all! Just hem a square of fabric and there you have it!

Dishcloths are a common disposable item and they are often made from polyester or nylon fibres. Do yourself a favour and knit one instead, using cotton. They last for ages, can be washed in with your laundry and re-used – and once they are too ratty to use again, they can go in the compost and be turned into food for your garden, unlike many of the sponges that you buy in the stores these days.

Once you make an effort with reducing some of the disposable things in your life, you will notice a change not only in your wallet, but in your outlook. And your children’s children will thank you for starting a journey that will lead to a cleaner, greener world for them to live in.

Links for more information about cloth nappies and cloth pads: