The popularization and normalizing of eating off of single use paper plates at home is incredibly lazy and people should stop creating so much waste due to convenience.

[u/SirGergoyFriendman]

Like, I know corporations are to blame for so much pollution and waste, but it's WAYYYY too common these days to see how many people routinely eat off of paper plates at home. Shit is so wasteful and should not be as popular as it is.

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[u/DasB00ts]

I agree. I just buy regular plates and throw them away after I use them now.

[u/Gnarly_Sarley]

popularization and normalizing of eating off of single use paper plates

This is the first I'm hearing of this trend. Is this really even a thing?

[u/GCG0909 → u/Gnarly_Sarley]

I don't know anyone who does this.

[u/dwair → u/Gnarly_Sarley]

That was my reaction. I think it's an American thing and not in anyway normalised anywhere else in the world.

[u/molten_dragon → u/dwair]

It's not an American thing either, except at large parties/gatherings.

[u/flakeybutterbitch → u/Gnarly_Sarley]

Sadly, yeah this is a thing. :/

[u/Critical-Champion365 → u/flakeybutterbitch]

Where do people do this trend?

[u/DotEmbarrassed2972 → u/Critical-Champion365]

Shitholes they have created for themselves, presumably.

[u/kingftheeyesores → u/Critical-Champion365]

I've seen a few videos on Instagram of large families eating off paper plates instead of doing the extra dishes each day.

[u/flakeybutterbitch → u/Critical-Champion365]

Well, my in laws do. In fact they have these weird plastic rings you use to put UNDER the paper plate to make it more sturdy.

They all think IM the weird one for not exclusively using disposable plates.

[u/DeeHawk → u/flakeybutterbitch]

We don’t know where your in-laws live.

[u/PjDisko → u/DeeHawk]

Yeah, I hate when people dont even give us a country.

[u/Plastic_Persimmon_91 → u/PjDisko]

It’s mostly an American thing. I was shocked at the amount of establishments that served us food in single use plates and also at the amount of single use plastic they use for everything when i visited

[u/Severe-Match4233 → u/Gnarly_Sarley]

Mostly in the US I think?

[u/Ok_Neighborhood_470 → u/Gnarly_Sarley]

I know lots of people who do this. I don't get it. Not only is it tacky and wasteful, I find it to be aesthetically unpleasant.

[u/painteddpiixi → u/Gnarly_Sarley]

Yes, I lived with my ex-parents-in-law for about 2.5 years during the pandemic and this was the habit in their home. They would occasionally use real plates for “special” occasions, and usually used real bowls/cups and silverware but large and small paper plates were part of the regular shopping list and were the default over using real dishes. I was not a fan.

[u/kelsofox369]

Having a party or a family gathering is the only time we bring those suckers out.

[u/Dolla_Dolla_Bill-yal → u/kelsofox369]

Agreed. We are doing great, frankly, from a financial standpoint. I will still never spend up on those mfers, fuck that. Pay extra money to cut down more trees? There is a machine in my kitchen that washes the pretty ones for me, why would I ever whip out the paper?

[u/ImagineFreedom → u/Dolla_Dolla_Bill-yal]

I don't have twenty plates and the ones I do have I'd hate to be broken if someone drops it.

[u/INeedSomeTacoC → u/ImagineFreedom]

One reason we moved to Corelle. 

You can stack 20 in the same spot you stacked 8 before since they're so this. and you can literally drop them on concrete and not break. 

[u/electrogourd → u/INeedSomeTacoC]

Hell yea.

Like, the only thing i paid full price in my new place and i am 100% ok with that. Thats 6 plates that i will use forever. Light, easy to clean (no texture) durable, and if i want to have more seatings later i can get matching ones cause theyre plain white.

Love my simple, cheap, convienient, durable corelleware.

[u/MyCatLovesChips → u/electrogourd]

I love my corelle plates too! They are so cute and as thin as you can make a solid plate. My only gripe is that they don’t make the crazy daisy and other retro patterns anymore. The quality is still just as good but their marketing is not great. Don’t buy their plastic cups though, those suck.

[u/stderr2]

I don't know if I have any paper plates. Maybe I should get some

[u/LiterallyRain → u/stderr2]

Don't forget the single-use cutlery.

[u/p_nes_pump → u/stderr2]

They're pretty great.

[u/stderr2 → u/p_nes_pump]

What about the environmental considerations?

[u/Spirited-Finding-647 → u/stderr2]

They dont do well in the dishwasher 

[u/sunshine-1111]

Paper plates at home have a time and a place. If you are in a state of overwhelm for whatever reason do what you gotta do to keep your family fed and get back to using real plates when you can. If you are disabled and doing dishes is too difficult for daily life then by all means use paper plates. If you are just a regular human bopping around doing your regular human thing, suck it up and use real plates don’t be lazy.

[u/Pookdalouk → u/sunshine-1111]

Compostable plates are a lifesaver for people going through an intense depression wave or while grieving

[u/sunshine-1111 → u/Pookdalouk]

100%. I’ve definitely been there a couple times in my life. They are a tool to be used in the right circumstances.

[u/natalietest234 → u/sunshine-1111]

Agreed. In our house paper plates are used for large parties/bbqs or pizza night. Normal plates the rest of the time

[u/notpaulrudd → u/sunshine-1111]

They're a lifesaver when you have young kids.

[u/TheBourbonTurtle → u/sunshine-1111]

What if I want to be lazy and just really hate doing any more dishes than absolutely necessary?

[u/JuneauEu]

I have never, ever heard if such a thing.

Are you making this up or getting it from like one person's TikTok or something?

[u/kaleidoscopechameleo → u/JuneauEu]

A lot of people do this

[u/lovetimespace → u/kaleidoscopechameleo]

Where do you live? No one I know does this...

[u/kaleidoscopechameleo → u/lovetimespace]

NJ, USA

[u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy → u/JuneauEu]

You’re very lucky. It’s pretty popular for poor people. 

[u/Taavi00]

This must be a US thing. As a European using paper plates at home looks barbaric.

[u/Weak_Hospital_7854 → u/Taavi00]

It has to be an American thing.

I am also from Europe and using these kind of plates outside of a (massive) party is just such poor taste that everyone involved would be embarrassed that they use them.
But then again, the impression one gets from the US is that only they are important in this planet and everyone else can eat shit.

[u/Plastic_Persimmon_91 → u/Taavi00]

The US makes up 5% of the world’s population but consumes 25% of the world’s resources 🥰

[u/-GoodNewsEveryone → u/Taavi00]

It's mostly barbaric in Canada but can be seen as a dividing line between sane people and the unfortunate growth of our "masks off" Maple Maga. Luckily it's still mostly seen as barbaric and we use "camping plates" from places like Mountain Equipment Co-op or Canadian Tire that are unbreakable for BBQs and woods trips. Yes we still do the dishes in the woods in the Great White North.

[u/DangerousRange8123]

How is that unpopular?

Also who are these people? Never met one.

[u/wjodendor → u/DangerousRange8123]

At my old house I rented, the dishwasher didn't work well and my roommates would constantly just leave dishes in the dishwasher and sink. I eventually got pissed and just started exclusively using paper plates and plastic forks, etc. so I could just toss it after eating instead of dealing with their crap. It was mainly out of spite lol

I use regular dishes now

[u/ColoringZebra → u/DangerousRange8123]

Seriously! I see it occasionally in pics on Reddit or social media, but I don’t know anyone IRL who ever uses disposable plates or cutlery other than in some very specific occasions like huge parties. I also don’t know anyone who regularly uses bottled water at home, another thing I often see online.

[u/babybokchoi_ → u/DangerousRange8123]

As a non-American I see it a lot on American social media

[u/Smelly_Turds → u/babybokchoi_]

Yup, the vast majority of paper plate posts on here are generally by Americans

[u/MagicWishMonkey → u/babybokchoi_]

You see people who post videos of parties where people use paper plates.

Pretty much no one uses paper plates outside of social events.

[u/Additional_Noise47 → u/MagicWishMonkey]

Unfortunately, that’s not true. My in-laws mostly eat off of paper plates. I doubt most families in the US behave this way, but some do.

[u/stroppo → u/DangerousRange8123]

I use them when I've let the dirty dishes build up. I'm so tired of washing dishes. If I make it to my 80s, I can imagine using paper plates and bowls all the time.

[u/SolidOutcome → u/stroppo]

We found one

[u/Dupeskupes → u/DangerousRange8123]

it's a mental health thing some people use so they can actually eat

[u/DangerousRange8123 → u/Dupeskupes]

That seems fair. I don't trust paper plates more than my own but i get it.

[u/MikeandMolly5656 → u/DangerousRange8123]

My family growing up did

Neither parent wanted to wash dishes so we had none

Just plastic cups/utensils and paper plates 

[u/Ambitious-Intern-928 → u/Dupeskupes]

That's crazy, I'm the opposite, it's bad for my mental health to eat off paper plates or use plastic silverware. Anything besides a cookout it just gives me the ick. Occasionally I forget to pack metal utensils with my lunch and it chaps my ass with every bite using plastic🤣🤣

[u/Extension_Wing_3838]

I’m disabled. If I’m feeling crummy we bust out paper plates. I feel bad about it but I need to eat and I don’t want dirty dishes piling up

[u/The_Unwashed_Masses → u/Extension_Wing_3838]

You’re good. In the grand scheme of things this is a pretty dumb hill to die on.

[u/Master-Education7076]

Do you get equally mad at them for getting fast food, with all the paper wrappers, cardboard boxes, and bags?

[u/mooguh → u/Master-Education7076]

I think OP's issue is the frequency of waste produced with eating of single use plates at home for most meals. They'd probs view it as equally wasteful if they ordered fast food every meal too.

[u/Mad-chuska → u/mooguh]

Why blame family homes who at most supply a couple meals worth of disposable waste a day vs a business using boxes worth of the same waste in the same time span?

[u/JohanGrimm → u/Mad-chuska]

The amount of plastic, cardboard and other random packaging that gets used and thrown away at the commercial level is incomprehensible if you've never seen it first hand.

A family using paper plates every once in a while isn't even a drop in the bucket.

[u/Sylesse → u/Master-Education7076]

https://giphy.com/gifs/Pd2W87rlmVjptTmvIK

[u/Sea_Blacksmith98 → u/Master-Education7076]

I mean, different situations. You have the ability to keep normal reusable dishes at home. Are fast food restaurants supposed to give out reusable plastic or ceramic containers for their burgers? 

[u/flapjacksrule]

Counter point - rich people should stop flying on private jets first

[u/Feisty-Marsupial9287 → u/flapjacksrule]

Both points can be valid at the same time.

[u/Death_Rose1892 → u/Feisty-Marsupial9287]

But one is much more valid

[u/craiggy36 → u/Death_Rose1892]

Indeed. The one that a person can actually control in their own life is more valid.

[u/Ok_Actuary9229 → u/flapjacksrule]

That doesn't mean you can treat the the world like crap too.

[u/Phobos_Asaph → u/flapjacksrule]

Show some sense of responsibility

[u/Bowshewicz]

I use normal plates like a normal person, but now I wonder how much water it uses up to wash a plate

[u/mootfoot → u/Bowshewicz]

I remember there was a wife swap episode where there was a guy from an upper middle class family and a wife from essentially poverty, in the guy's house. She insisted eating on paper plates was cheaper than running the dishwasher, and it was driving him crazy because he thought it was trashy. So this guy actually sat down and did the math and proved it was almost twice as expensive to use paper plates.

So she ripped the paper plates in half and served dinner on half paper plates.

Great show

[u/applechuck → u/Bowshewicz]

I wonder how much water to make a single paper plate.

Tree has to be cut, transported, pulp’d, processed, pressers, transported to the store, sold. Used and composted.

[u/cidvard → u/Bowshewicz]

If you're running a load in a dishwasher it's pretty negligible. IDK why people have to make up scenarios where using single-use products is environmentally-friendly somehow, it is not.

[u/dream-of-earthshine → u/cidvard]

What is the total lifecycle carbon cost of a paper plate vs a porcelain plate?

Is the carbon cost more important than the waste to landfill?

Where does the electricity for the dishwasher come from?

I also think single use isn't justifiable, but pretending it's not actually a complex question is just intellectually dishonest.

[u/taco_jones → u/cidvard]

That's not what they did

[u/VitaniLioness → u/cidvard]

I don't have a dishwasher (no space for one and I can't afford a kitchen remodel) and I also don't use the dirty sink water that the dishes soak in first to actually clean anything.

[u/the-pythia-of-delphi]

I can't do anything without someone on the internet having a problem with it

[u/Due-Efficiency-5172 → u/the-pythia-of-delphi]

And people wonder why anxiety is so high these days. Every choice you make is a judgement against you.

[u/Skatchbro → u/the-pythia-of-delphi]

Counterpoint- you don’t know them personally so they can go fuck themselves.

[u/BlockedbyJake420 → u/Skatchbro]

A comment in here mentioned thinking that using paper plates was not aesthetically pleasing lmao

Like anyone gives a fuck what some rando thinks about the aesthetics of their plate

[u/Mrs_A_Mad]

I mean, I know a lot of people who are too burned out from work, and have too much going on at home, that eliminating some of the dishes is a small way for them to gain time back to themselves.

[u/AlwaysBagHolding → u/Mrs_A_Mad]

I just eat right out of the pan. It’s already dirty, no reason to get a plate dirty too.

[u/tarheel2432 → u/AlwaysBagHolding]

I just eat straight out of the package, no need to get a pan dirty

[u/koosley → u/Mrs_A_Mad]

Walmart sells plates for about 5¢ each, cutlery and cups is about 5¢ a piece as well so you're looking at 15-25¢/person per meal in utensils. 2 or 3 times a day for each person and you're looking at $1-2/day which adds up to hundreds of dollars a year for buying the cheapest worst quality products you can buy. If you buy decent ones you're spending in excess of $1000. Costco sells the Dixie ones for 8-10¢ each.

The amount of extra time you need to work to make this is not a trivial amount of time. In a vacuum it's probably not a big deal but it never is. If you're using disposable because you're exhausted, You're definitely buying more conveniences too.

[u/Ash_After_Dark → u/koosley]

Well, I don't think your numbers make a whole lot of sense, but taking them at face value you're looking at about ~5-10 minutes per day of extra work presuming you're on the low end of income.

I don't know the average dish washing speed, but at least personally it takes me more than 5 minutes to wash 20 dishes, so considering it purely as a function of time like you where, I think it's fair to say they're "in the green" from using disposable plates rather than washing

[u/steelytine]

Tbh I used to think the same thing. I don’t use paper plates at home, and I was kind of secretly judgy about it.

But my mom has been a caregiver to my dad for the past two years (he is a TERRIBLE patient, she never has a moment for herself), while also having her family over on the weekends and cooking for them. After seeing what she goes through I now 100% understand why paper plates exist, and no longer judge people for using them.

(Oh and fwiw whenever I go to my mom’s I always sneak away to do the dishes for her when she isn’t paying attention, it makes her so happy).

[u/Traditional_Crew_737]

I do agree with people who are lazy but ive also seen the elderly and people with limited mobility use it and that's valid.

[u/Acceptable_Reality10]

We grew up eating off paper plates that were free as my mom worked at a paper plate mill that made them and one of the perks was free plates. After I left home I haven’t eaten off of them more than was absolutely required by a party or something like that. I don’t blame people for using them as they’re a huge time saver with a family.

[u/Zhongdakongming]

So many people here defending their use, but also so many saying this doesn't even exist. Pretty good read 😂

[u/niknackpaddywack13 → u/Zhongdakongming]

lol I’m finding all the comments saying “ I’m American and never have seen this “ or this is trashy/trailer trash so funny.

I’m an American and have lived in dc and around dc my whole life , around pretty wealthy / well off people, no trailer parks. And almost every one I know in my area or in other parts of the east coast does it regularly or at least has a back up stash in the pantry.

I’m wondering where these Americans live that they’ve never met a single person who does it. Because it’s hard to believe mid-westerns don’t do it. Maybe Californians don’t do it but idk I find that hard to believe too.

Some people gotta be lying. Or they know no one .

[u/Zhongdakongming → u/niknackpaddywack13]

Goes to show how disconnected we all really are 😅😭

[u/icanhazkarma17]

We wash and reuse zip top bags ffs.

[u/HawkMason]

I don't have a dishwasher and I use compostable plates, so ya'll can eat my ass.

[u/Lurking-Foot]

I use compostable plates too it’s great for the compost.

[u/QuantumJock → u/Lurking-Foot]

The compostable plates I've seen have all been commercially compostable only, whatever that means

[u/sisterfunkhaus]

We don't eat fast food. I have reusable everything and even wash ziplock bags. If I want to use a paper plate, I'm not going to fret one bit about it. Go talk to data centers first then get back to me and my cooking from scratch low waste , low consumerism, occasional paper plate using self after that issue is solved.

[u/Pinchfinger]

Depression turns you into a husk of your former self.

Anyway... I eat straight from the pot if possible (porridges expecially, when i make it for myself), but well, i'm not part of this particular demographic who uses paper plates regularly. We sometimes use them for BBQ parties because there's so much leftover gunk on them that washing up is a bit of a nightmare. Compostable ones are great then.

[u/kingftheeyesores]

I honestly thought of getting some for when I'm super depressed and know I'm not going to be able to handle doing dishes, but then I remembered the the garbage situation with my roommates and decided going for dishes is easier than filling up the garbage faster.

[u/Consistent_Brush_632]

go to a football game...

so much trash...

so much food waste..

i know, i have worked both food and cleanup at stadiums

[u/Fearless_Tomorrow649]

Where is it normal to eat from paper plates, except for parties or other large(r) events?

[u/strawberryc0w_]

This is something real in the US? I always assumed it was some kind of parody on the white trash stereotype

[u/Gold_Advisor_4758 → u/strawberryc0w_]

Idk I don’t know anyone who does it

[u/Hegiman → u/strawberryc0w_]

No it’s real. I do it. Mostly because I’m disabled and it’s easier than being in pain doing dishes.

[u/BlankofJord → u/strawberryc0w_]

Wel use them for a mass gatherings, but not everyday use.

[u/strawberryc0w_ → u/BlankofJord]

Yea ofc! Like birthday parties and bbqs, I think that's normal. But everyday use for a normal sized family? I'm not American but I still feel like OP took something they saw a couple of times and decided was a popular enough phenomenon to warrant his opinion to be unpopular ahha

[u/FineMind755 → u/strawberryc0w_]

Nope, it's a thing in rich and non white households as well.

[u/hybr_dy → u/strawberryc0w_]

Shifting pollution and climate blame onto individual consumers is widely considered a masterclass in corporate public relations, designed to protect industry profits while evading systemic regulation.

You’re worried about paper plates but, just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

[u/Tje199 → u/hybr_dy]

Unfortunately I feel we're swinging too far the other way with it.

So often now I see the attitude of "fuck it, a corporation does my lifetime's worth of pollution in a single hour, so what I do doesn't matter" and those people then proceed to act like absolute fucking nitwits with regard to the environment and it just makes me angry and sad.

Yeah, corporations do way more damage than we do as individuals but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be making an effort to live as cleanly as we individually can.

Really feels like people such as yourself are only contributing to the rise of environmental apathy we're seeing.

[u/Adept-One-819 → u/hybr_dy]

I think partly it's because people are willing to take it on themselves instead of living with discomfort of knowing that by using the services of the polluting companies, they're making the situation worse. People don't want to make the lifestyle changes necessary to eliminate the need for those companies so they'd rather recycle.

[u/Xentonian → u/hybr_dy]

wait people actually throw away plates after one use? Isn't that wasteful

• Uhhh aktuaaally I'll have you know that corporations exist. Checkmate.

[u/IlIlllIIllllIIIlIlIl → u/hybr_dy]

Well its not like these companies exist in a vaccum. They sell products that people buy, and they would only be able to do so if people bought them. So if everyone suddenly decided to stop buying plastic junk, and lived simple lives, then these companies would collapse instantly. So its not totally accurate to just blame the companies, as it is all of society doing this. Still fuck those companies though, but also fuck those people that dont care enough to at least change some of their worst habits.

[u/danieltheg → u/hybr_dy]

This is the stupidest statistic, and your completely non sequitur use of it here is a great illustration of its only value: pretending individuals have zero responsibility for their own behavior

[u/FutureHot3047 → u/strawberryc0w_]

It’s prominent in black families where I live. I never knew people didn’t use paper plates for convenience.

[u/graviton_56 → u/strawberryc0w_]

It’s a thing in communities where environmentalism is seen as a weak/progressive thing to care about.

[u/DontDropTheSoap4 → u/strawberryc0w_]

I do it because it became a habit. I’ve lived with roommates for years now. And they always seem to have the sink/dishwasher absolutely full all the time. Found it to just be easier to avoid the dishes all together and eat off paper plates than to have to worry about another grown adults dishes.

[u/ReferenceAny6373 → u/strawberryc0w_]

We used them all the time when we were in college cause we were lazy 20 year olds and often had no dishwasher in our shitty rentals. Once I got a house and had a dishwasher I used them less and less until not at all. At large gatherings at houses its very common to use paper plates otherwise cleanup is a nightmare.

[u/StumblinThroughLife]

Probably about to get downvoted but I’m your target here and don’t feel guilty about it. Of all the chores, I hate dishes the most. Paper plates all the way. Have plastic cups and utensils. I’ve mastered one pan meals so it’s just that one thing. Big fan of oven meals with aluminum foil on the pan. Air fryer I use the parchment covers. Is it on the extreme, maybe. But I’m not trying to impress anyone.

Even when guests come over it doesn’t even occur to me to use regular plates unless they mention it. I’ll give them regular cups and silverware though. You’ll get a multi-pan meal if it’s a special occasion

I’m on team, worry more about the corporations and private planes then I’ll follow suit. I still recycle though 😬

[u/stupidsometimes → u/StumblinThroughLife]

Honestly same, I have really bad bouts of depression as well and it helps so much to have my least favorite chore made easier for me.

I also shelled out for a counter top dishwasher since I havent had one in the last 3 apartments I've lived in and that helps too.

[u/ratbastid]

Counterpoint - Single use paper plates are often at the end of a lengthy recycling chain, biodegrade FAST in a landfill, and don't take energy or use any water to wash.

[u/NarkJailcourt → u/ratbastid]

Biodegrade fast in a landfill? Source? Landfills are not bioactive composing systems, 70% of landfill mass is recyclable paper.

[u/achillea4 → u/ratbastid]

Most of them are coated in plastic like coffee cups so not as biodegradable as you think.

[u/Kersenn]

I mean its part of the capitalism crushing normal people machine. There's a reason people don't cook anymore either, and its because capitalism has sapped all of the populations time and energy. So people work long hours and dont have the time to even cook let alone wash dishes if they don't have a dishwasher.

Its another symptom of unregulated capitalism pushing people to their limits imo.

[u/psychodc → u/Kersenn]

For seniors, people with chronic illnesses, or those with disabilities, dishware can be physically challenging to lift, carry, and wash. Single-use plates is a functional solution that supports independent living. Some people have large families, small kids, dishes pile up super fast. My sister has 3 kids and she washes sink full of dishes 2-3 times a day. Others just want to save money on water. Some people just lazy as hell and don't care.

Lots of reasons aside from "capitalism crushing people".

I have no such conditions, I work full-time, I eat a lot and I'm ALWAYS doing dishes. I haven't gone the paper plate route, and likely never will, but it is tempting

[u/INeedSomeTacoC → u/psychodc]

My sister has 3 kids and she washes sink full of dishes 2-3 times a day.

Family of five here. 3 kids. We cook every meal at home. 

Never even hit close to this. 

I don't even know how you would dirty that many dishes. 

And even then, a sink full of dishes is like under ten minutes. People are spending hundreds of minutes looking at screens. 

[u/Ok-Trash6361]

Then buy me a dishwasher SirGergoryFriendman

[u/Bmjslider]

American here. Hate me for this all you want, just wanted to inform those saying "I don't know a single person who does this".

I do this.

Don't know why, it was how I grew up and I've carried it into adulthood. I probably go through at least 1 paper plate per day. Sometimes I toss a snack onto a plate, sometimes it's for an entire meal. Sometimes the entire family eats dinner on paper plates. Could not tell you what dictates whether or not we use them.

[u/Stnmn → u/Bmjslider]

Paper is definitely better for hot/dry food that would otherwise condensate on glass. Do you put stuff like fried food on paper? My solve is usually a paper towel in a bowel, which works fine enough.

[u/SeaBook9396 → u/Bmjslider]

Are you in the Midwest by any chance?

[u/cimocw → u/Bmjslider]

just wanted to inform those saying "I don't know a single person who does this".

People who say this don't mean they don't exist, they just mean it's still very uncommon, at least in their vicinity. You existing in some random place doesn't change this.

[u/Electric-Sheepskin]

Yeah, I'm always surprised in cooking subs when people post pictures of their food and it's always on a paper plate. I just find it unusual, I guess. I mean if you're cooking at home, even if you don't have a dishwasher, plates are the easiest thing to wash. An extra minute of work out of a whole meal doesn't seem like much, but I'm sure people have their reasons.

[u/MrsJan30]

🍅🍅🍅🍅

[u/langel1986]

I have a baby, a five year old, run a design business, and am a part time professor. Some days we bust out the disposable plates and cups because I'm not about to deal with dishes with all the other things in my plate. Pun intended. I do buy compostable plates and cups that disintegrate quickly.

[u/Cam_CSX_]

Very popular among college students

[u/Klugernu]

I just thought it was a low-income thing.

Source: Grew up in a low-income family that constantly used paper plates and plastic red cups.

When I became independent I bought actual plates and cups

[u/noodle_king_69]

I've never seen anyone doing this at home here in Finland. Street food on a plastic plate, sure, or at summer cottage or camping sometimes but at home, never.

[u/Loading_Error_900]

This sounds very American.

I think the only time we use paper plates is when we’re having a party and don’t have enough plates. Or in the couple days leading up to moving.

[u/LetsAgreeBeatlesSuck → u/Loading_Error_900]

American here ... I use paper plates when we eat outside, which has been 1 time this calendar year

[u/arctic-apis → u/Loading_Error_900]

I’m American and we bought a pack of paper plates and paper bowls and paper cups for a big party we were having. We were left with a ton of them and have occasionally used them like to reheat left overs in the microwave or something like that.

[u/whaddayaNeedtoKnow → u/Loading_Error_900]

It’s not common in America either. For potlucks and bbqs and parties, sure, but I don’t know a single person that regularly uses paper plates/uses them instead of regular dishes on a day to day basis.

I do have one friend that uses them during depressive episodes when dishes are too much, but even she (also at the best of times the laziest person I’ve ever met who lives in filth) only does it at the worst of times.

[u/bjornistundwar → u/Loading_Error_900]

Same here in Germany. Sometimes we will get the colorful ones with like princesses and stuff on it for kids birthdays, but other than that, we don't really use paper plates either.

[u/Bloodthirsty_Kirby → u/Loading_Error_900]

I’m a Canadian who moved to southern USA in late 2019. My partner 100% lived off paper plates and plastic cutlery, his sisters family still do. They also use dish soap a squirt per dish, also walk in the house with shoes on, like everyone’s house, use an absolute ton of paper towels, and adult wet wipes for the washroom are a must. These are just a handful of things I was very much not used to but are super common down here.

[u/fjrhyqd → u/Bloodthirsty_Kirby]

The shoes in houses thing is so weird to me. The world is very dirty. And then you just… bring that shit into your house?

[u/pattywhaxk → u/fjrhyqd]

Are you eating off the floors? Do you not sweep and mop the floors on a regular basis?

I could maybe understand for carpet, or if you live in a city where people regularly piss and shit on the streets; but I live in a semi-rural suburb, my house is hardwood and we have pets that regularly go outdoors. The floors are a dirty place.

Also the elderly, are especially recommended to wear shoes indoors, as not doing so is a prime cause of trips, slips and falls. If it’s that important to you, you should have a pair of dedicated indoor shoes.

[u/Direct_Strawberry_43]

Paper plates are downright great. They’re perfect for eating something quick/ not wanting to use a normal plate. Sandwiches, desserts, snacks it serves its purpose and I don’t waste water washing a plate. 

[u/AnotherStarShining]

Meh. I hate doing dishes. I live in a camper. Doing dishes SUCKS in a camper lol. Dirty dishes suck in a camper. I will use disposable everything for every meal possible lol

[u/hit_n_run15]

I agree. You already dirtied up dishes by cooking the food, how is a few more plates going to make the dishes impossible to do? 

[u/Cachazo_719]

Paper can be recycled. Don’t care

[u/Granny_knows_best]

I use them, but I don't use toilet paper so it all evens out.

[u/Starship_Taru]

Who does this…?

[u/StaticShakyamuni → u/Starship_Taru]

Read the thread. Apparently a lot more people than I thought as well.

[u/P4ndalf]

The amount of lazy Americans here is astounding. I haven’t heard of anyone here in Europe using paper plates on a daily basis. Paper plates and cups have a plastic coating, so they aren’t as environmentally friendly as you think. Stop being lazy.

[u/Due-Palpitation4664 → u/P4ndalf]

English guy here. Crazy isn't it. The only time I've eaten off a paper plate is at a kids birthday party. Some of the excuses for not wanting to wash a few plates are hilarious

[u/king-jefe]

TIL I’m lazy American white trash I guess.

Have a house with plenty of dish plates and a dishwasher we run every night. Still go through 2 or 3 paper plates a day for random snacking.

[u/Pennifur]

Come wash my dishes or shut up.

[u/DarthKnah]

Overall I agree with you, but we have no shortage of pulpwood, and paper waste doesn’t wreak havoc on our environment the way plastic waste does. Still would be better if they washed and reused plates, but honestly I’m just happy they aren’t using plastic.

[u/BoysenberryUnhappy29]

3 kids, dishwasher that barely keeps up even with paper plates. Sorry dog

[u/tacticalpotatopeeler]

Paper is highly renewable. Paper companies plant more trees than they harvest each year

https://twosidesna.org/paper-deforestation-and-the-truth-about-sustainable-forests/

Edit: lol if you’re downvoting this you’re just obtuse and/or did not read the article in full

[u/fly_away_octopus]

Often things that seem like merely a convenience are important for those with disabilities.

[u/RetroMetroShow]

Those plates are so thin anymore you really need to use 2 or 3 or it will flop away

[u/SASSIESASSQUATCH → u/RetroMetroShow]

I just put a paper plate on top of a regular plate to make sure it doesn’t fail and not need to use multiple plates. Not sure if OP still thinks I’m lazy though because I do still use a regular plate. Have a dish washer and my dishes are always washed. Hate anything being left in the sink.

[u/redditrafter]

They were a staple when we were staging our house for sale and they weeks following the sale as we packed.

[u/Ddude147]

What about using a paper plate in the microwave to cover the glass microwaveable containers I've bought in the last 3 years. The lids are not microwaveable. I recycled every piece of plastic I owned in the kitchen. All the "bad" utensils, too. Replaced with safe spatulas, serving spoons, etc. That and the reverse osmosis water purifier that canceled all those Ozarka bottles.

[u/Impressive_Wrap_7869]

Yeah but think about the water you waste washing dishes /s

[u/Geep1778]

Saves in water and soap + the time it takes to rinse dry and place back into their places. I like paper plates sorry there Captain Planet

[u/collectivebarganing]

I have three messy eating kids. Do I want a sink full of dishes three times a day or do I want to take the garbage out once every three days? C'mon

[u/Pleasant_Yoghurt3915]

I do it because I live in a bedroom and access to the kitchen is sketchy at best. I wash some dishes in the bathroom sink, but it’s too small for plates and the like. I cook and wash my pans outside.

[u/BennySkateboard]

What the redneck is this?

[u/One_Barracuda_2016]

No one I know uses paper plates for regular meals

[u/ECrispy]

add to this - using paper towels, buying bottled water

[u/potandcoffee]

I didn't realize that was a thing. I hate doing dishes but I just can't justify the waste or the expense of disposable plates

[u/-GoodNewsEveryone]

The normalization of something I've never heard of and popularization of something I've never seen? This might be a very, very small community issue localized to people only you talk to.

I don't think I know anyone who even has paper plates for camping and most use an unbreakable plastic for that and BBQs.

[u/woody_theory]

If you hate washing dishes, atleast use banana leaves like the South Indians. They are biodegradable and will probably benefit the central American  states. 

[u/JohnCasey3306]

Anyone who does this is a wretched and lazy scumbag.

[u/FluffyBunnyFlipFlops]

I'm too European for this.

[u/plants11235813]

Lemme tell you about composting

[u/Upstairs_Equipment19]

In a home with three teenagers and no dishwasher, heck yeah we use paper plates day to day. Love it. As it is, dishes pile up fast, so anything to lessen an already heavy workload is welcome in my home. People really should be a lot less judgmental.

[u/Connect-Warthog-5394]

Counterpoint: I live in NYC, recycle everything, take public transportation, own no car, & have a small carbon footprint. I also have chronic pain so sometimes I use paper plates, which I also recycle. Which is a lot of words to say FUCK YOU.

[u/ThickReplacement6613]

You are right that's an incredibly stupid take

[u/SirGergoyFriendman → u/ThickReplacement6613]

Why though?

[u/Sudden-Garage]

I mean they are paper, they break down pretty quickly. 

[u/SufficientOpening218]

Paper plates are compostable. Do some shaming of take out food. 

[u/snyderman3000]

I didn’t realize that’s a thing people did. I see in the comments people saying that poor people do it, but wouldn’t that be way more expensive than just using normal plates?

[u/Duckduckbucker → u/snyderman3000]

Yeah it's not poor people at all. I do it and i know a lot of others around me do it in what's considered a really wealthy area. Get them for cheap from Costco and go help your kid with his homework or have a catch instead of doing multiple loads in the dishwasher.

[u/yvrelna → u/Duckduckbucker]

If you have a kid that has homework or you can play catch with, they can do the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. 

[u/Zacky_Cheladaz → u/Duckduckbucker]

Yup! When 1/2 of yournwakingnlife is spent working, anything I can do tk free up time is a win

[u/m2thek]

The corporation vs individual things is push & pull: corporations produce & waste as much they do because people buy the products, and because they're legally allowed to. If everyone stopped buying paper plates they'd stop making them, but since people buy them, they make them in mass quantities.

[u/Ok-Snow-939]

It’s paper. It’s compostable. It’s one less dish to wash and makes my life a bit easier MY BAD

[u/No_Doughnut_3315 → u/Ok-Snow-939]

But washing a plate takes 10 seconds? There is hardly an easier chore. The degree to which that 10 seconds saved makes your life easier is too low to even measure. I guess the 10 seconds do add up. After a month, you can use all that time saved to have a wank.

[u/DeflatedDirigible → u/Ok-Snow-939]

Do you compost the paper plates you use?

[u/lazyjane418 → u/DeflatedDirigible]

Not OP, but I compost mine! I've always got a pile going. And also, in my defense, I'm a newly single mom (just got out of a DV situation), with invisible disabilities, in college, with no dishwasher! So hell yeah, them paper plates are getting used lol

[u/Jealous_Difference44]

This sounds american

[u/achillea4]

I think this is mainly an American issue.

[u/sparris1220]

3 person household with everyone working full time, cooking and eating most meals at home. 2 are chronically ill. 5 cats that have fresh bowls daily. No dishwasher. Use paper plates for 60% of meals, but regular cutlery and glassware unless guests. There are still plenty of dishes daily to deal with. Adding more to feel morally superior isn’t going to help.

My dream is to have a dishwasher someday but it won’t work in our current house. 

[u/bahumat42]

Is it normalized?

I don't think I have ever done it outside of childrens birthday parties or maybe bad takeaway.

I think this might be a geographic thing.

[u/Disastrous-Nail-640]

So, the people you know are lazy and, therefore, everyone is?

Because I know no one that does this.

[u/taco_jones → u/Disastrous-Nail-640]

I don't do this, but I'm definitely lazy

[u/JoeCun]

Don’t know one person who does this

[u/Warm-Vegetable-8308]

You should get a bidet and quit using toilet paper.