I am a threat to the planet. I admit it! I use shortcuts, like paper plates and plastic baggies. Sometimes the money I spend and the damage I could potentially be doing fade away under the looming pressure of a deadline, and I rationalize!
I tell myself it would take me an extra two hours to do the dishes three times a day ( I am so fussy I wash them by hand, THEN put them in the dishwasher.) and that my time is worth money - I could be earning a living.
So I use disposable plates, with sturdy plastic flatware and cups, that go straight in the dishwasher when done or get tossed if broken. I line aluminum pans with foil to make them last for five or six uses (a chicken rice casserole, a tray of biscuits, a flat frosted cake, a row of baked potatoes and finally a pan of lasagna before it, too hits the garbage pail.)
My kids like me to pack their lunch; I tried using fifty assorted little reusable plastic containers (one for chips, one for cheese cubes, one for the sandwich, one for cookies, one for juice) and broke down a week into the school year. Back to 100% juice boxes, fruit cups, Ziploc baggies and disposable plastic spoons. I managed to hang onto the square plastic sandwich holders. Yay me.
I tell myself when I am old and gray, I will own one dish and one fork - and I will scrub them in sand under the stars outside my environmentally sensitive dugout with solar panels and a windmill generator. I will wash my two sets of garments in the river, compost all garbage, and no plastic shall I own.
Until then, I will try to get at least two uses out of my disposable, planet killing, landfill crowding, totally irresponsible accoutrements that I use to make my daily life bearable, and tell myself it’s like recycling, really, it is!!!
I am laughing so hard at this post. I feel the same way - my mom has a fit about the paper products I use, but I wrok eighteen hour days sometimes, and time is money! I can cook a decent meal and eat in a paper plate, or cook a TV dinner instead - I don’t have time to cook and wash dishes both!
Thanks for making me feel like I am not the only one!!!!