Paper Plate Debate

This is on my mind today, because we had a group come in who was having lunch in one of our meeting rooms. I set up tables and chairs for them and put out plates from our cabinet for their food. I pulled these plates from the cabinet in our kitchen--the ceramicy sort of plates you probably have at your church--with the intentions of going down after the group had finished and giving them a run in the washing machine.

When I went down later to check in on the group, after their pizza arrived, I noticed that the plates I set out had been returned to the cabinet and a stack of paper plates was set out instead. Since I try really hard in daily life to avoid as many disposable items, seeing things like that happen grate on my like fingernails on chalkboards. I'm not sure if it was a co-worker or one of the participants who made the switch, but, either way, it really set off a lot of thoughts for me about paper products especially involving food.

It seems to me that paper products have probably surpassed permanent in everyone's typical meal. If you eat fast food, you're using paper. And, it seems, more and more that churches go to paper for every meal over those aforementioned plates most have in their cabinets. There are a few attitudes that seem prevalent in regards to paper vs permanent that I when I push for permanent: (1) washing dishes takes a lot of time and effort, and (2) using paper/Styrofoam plates the more noble gesture for a guest to offer the host (because it saves him/her the time and effort).

This is an issue that doesn't seem to be on very many people's radar, because it is such a common practice these days. It seems very cut and dry that just taking everything you use and throwing it away is far easier than scrubbing and drying dishes or even running the dishwasher, and it might be. But, it really isn't that much easier. In the end, there is more trash to take out, the trash has food all over it that will probably attract critters, and it costs more (and yeah, I realize that it's not much, but you could totally rent several movies for that). And, if you have a dishwasher, it's really barely more time than taking out the trash.

So, what gives? Is washing the dishes so bad, that we have to get plates that we'll use once and then send down the road to our landfill to spend decades rotting? The answer, of course, is no, but I'm being a little snarky here, I realize. It is just another one of those temptations that are really easy to give in to, because it saves a bit of work. "I know it's better to wash the dishes, than use disposables, but it has been a long day, and I'm just tired." And that just snowballs.

And, this is not asking to get rid of your car and flush your toilets with rain water. It's just putting dishes in a machine, pushing the button, and getting them out. And, even that work is something that can build community within our families, gatherings, and churches. If we would not be in such a hurry to finish and get on to the next thing; if we lingered together to clean up our messes, we might make some connections that weren't there. We might slow down enough to notice something or ponder something we would otherwise miss. And, we would take the gifts we are given and use them more respectfully. We have the time if we will make it.

So, I ask you to think about this at the next gathering where people feel that the time to clean plates and cups is just not a possibility. And, if you are every planning an event that I attend, know this: I will stay after and clean the plates if I need to, and it will not be a terrible inconvenience to me. I am willing, and I really want to--not because cleaning dishes is my favorite activity, but because this is really something we can make room for.