Are paper plates 'selfish?'

In response to the reader who suggested "No paper plates, please" (April 24, The Way We Eat), I am under the impression that paper plates no longer "carry a large environmental burden” since the green bin program.

As I understand, anything in the green bin is collected and converted into compost and biogas, a renewable energy source. The materials are turned into compost that can be used for landscaping, gardening, and potting soil, etc. The benefits of this are widely recognized and also helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.

I assure you I don’t have time to be lazy. Instead I have taught my children (five and three years old) to place paper plates in the green bin and not in the garbage. I spend a lot of time and effort recycling in my home. I am very conscious of the products I purchase and using paper plates made from recycled materials for the occasional family breakfast is helpful and allows me to spend more quality time with my three children.
Help me out --- is this selfish?

Obviously washing and reusing dishes is environmentally friendly but is it not environmentally friendly to use the green bin?

— Antonella Leone

Comments

[Belinda]

While it is definitely not selfish to want to have more time with your kids, and I can completely understand the level of convenience attached to disposable products like paper plates, just because you put them into your green bin does not mean that they are an environmentally responsible choice. No paper plates are made from 100% recycled materials, meaning that new pulp (forestry products) go into them. No matter what, even though you may end up composting those plates when you are done with them, valuable trees are felled in order for them to be produced. Ultimately, just as with gasoline, conservation is not enough, only stoppping usage entirely will ever help.