Reducing my Carbon Footprint

Last year, I decided to stop using paper napkins.

Why?

One: Cloth napkins are better at wiping fingers and spills
Two: Cloth napkins are better for the environment because I throw away a lot less stuff. Yes, I have to do one more load of laundry every three weeks and I have no idea if that is really any better than the resources used to produce paper napkins.
Three: Cloth napkins feel a lot nicer than a scratchy paper napkin. It makes a meal feel a little luxurious.

I still use paper napkins for outdoor grilling activities. And actually, with a child, I like using a kitchen towel as a napkin. It can be an improvised bib as well as place mat. So I keep an eye out for when kitchen towels go on sale. One thing I like to do is buy a seasonal kitchen towel, like that Valentine's Day one up there after the holiday for 50% off or more.

In fact at our last two holiday parties, we used cloth napkins for the 30 people who were at our house. More than one person remarked how nice that was.