We don’t go nuts over Thanksgiving at my house. We get together and cook a meal, but nothing too fancy or formal. That said, everyone’s idea of Thanksgiving is different. Whether you’re hyper casual like at my house or extra formal, there’s still room to be green. I’ve got some ideas below that can help you out, no matter your Thanksgiving style.

Watch this space for more ideas as November continues…

• Throw a Green Thanksgiving Event

Eco-friendly Thanksgiving decor and crafts:

• Natural Thanksgiving Decor
• Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving Place Cards

Planning your Thanksgiving day menu:

• Save money on organic food for the holidays
• Homemade Organic Honey Oat Bread
• DIY Healthy Organic & Fair Trade Hot Chocolate
• Organic Cooking Know-How – 18 Green & Healthy Cookbook Ideas
• Need organic pumpkins? Learn where to find them.

General green Thanksgiving resources:

• Celebrate Green – a must have holiday book.
• Plan a Thanksgiving tree planting celebration.

As I recently, and sadly found out, if you’re already using bulk paper napkins you won’t save much money by switching to cloth napkins. So you may think why switch to cloth anyway? Need a few more reasons…

• Cloth napkins work better and feel better. They also look nicer.
• Cloth napkins are a perfectly easy non-disposable lifestyle trait to introduce to your kiddos. It’s so much better to raise kids early on without disposables.
• It takes 324 L. of water to produce 1 KG of paper according to Environment Canada.
• The paper industry is one of the largest water polluters in the world.
• Recycled paper reduces water pollution by 35%, reduces air pollution by 74%, and eliminates many toxic pollutants – NO paper of course eliminates all of that.
• According to Conservatree, North Americans use 50 lbs. per person (22.4 kg) of tissue papers per year, up from 37 lbs. per person (17 kg) twenty years ago. That’s combined toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins and such, but well, you get the picture.
• The US paper industry is heavily reliant on chlorine-intensive bleaching. Both chlorine and chlorine derivatives are harmful for the environment. Dioxins, which are considered one of the most potent chemical toxins, are a major issue. Studies show that dioxins are highly carcinogenic, lead to fertility problems, genetic damage, and are persistent and accumulate in the environment. For 20 years our government hasn’t been able to figure out how to regulate Dioxin (pdf) either.
• According to the American Forest and Paper Association, paper manufacturing is the 3rd largest user of non-renewable fossil fuels worldwide.
• Napkin packaging, usually plastic, made from non-renewable oil, is even more relevant when you consider that 30-40% of trash is discarded packaging according to Cornell Waste Management Institute.
• Half the world’s forests have already been cleared or burned, to make in large part paper products, and 80% of what’s left has been seriously degraded.
• Each human in the USA uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products per year (EPA, 2008). You can cut that amount a lot by using cloth not paper napkins.

[adorable cloth napkins image via here]

Currently I’m running an experiment here at Growing a Green Family. Can the average family of four save $50,000 in five years simply by living green?

So far we found that you can save $6,000+ if you switch from bottled water to tap and filtered tap water in reusable bottles. Next up let’s see how much one very simple change could save you. Switching from paper napkins to cloth napkins.

Ditch paper napkins and use cloth napkins instead

Technically my title is misleading. You won’t save much money in just five years. Cloth napkin savings tend to add up over many years. That said, in five years you will save a ton of trees and resources if you use cloth napkins.

I’ve run cloth napkin cost figures before and usually someone argues with me to the effect of, “But we only use one paper napkin a day I swear! MY KIDS are tidy” or, “You aren’t calculating the cheapest paper napkins!”

Ok… sorry. One, if you say you’ve got kids and you’re only using one napkin a day, well, what? Are your kids are using their shirts to wipe down? I’m gonna calculate one napkin per meal because frankly that’s what should be going on. If that’s not what’s going on, sorry but I need a base number here folks.

At three meals a day (1095 meals a year), a family of four would use 12 napkins per day; 4,380 per year; 21,900 per five year. That’s if you only use one napkin per person, per meal and NEVER not once have guests over. Marcal, green paper maker notes that the average person actually uses 6 napkins per day. Since everyone I’ve ever met has guests over at least twice a year and at times uses more than one paper napkin per meal, I’m adding one extra package of paper napkins to the total.

Also, this time around I’m going with the most popular paper napkins at Amazon to get a representative figure of what folks are buying – I figure that will give us a good base for comparison.

How much are paper napkins?

I looked around Amazon and found the most popular bulk case of paper napkins which are Bounty Quilted Napkins, White, 100-Count Napkins (Pack of 20) for $39.99. That’s 2,000 napkins at 0.02 per napkin. You’d need to buy almost 11 cases over 5 years plus 1 extra pack for extras and company.

However, I see people all the time buying non-bulk packages of paper napkins from the regular grocery store. The most popular non-bulk napkins at Amazon are kind of pricey at $5.99 for 50. Kleenex Premium Dinner Napkins, 50 napkins per package. You’d need 438 packs of napkins + two more for extras and company.

Also, if you really use non-recycled paper napkins all the time that’s simply horrid, so I’m also calculating for a case of typical recycled paper napkins. Seventh Generation 100% recycled Napkins, 1-Ply Sheets, 500-Count Packages (pack of 12) cost $80.66. That’s 6,000 napkins at 0.01 per napkin. That’s 3.5 packs over 5 years plus 1/2 extra pack (there’s more napkins in these packs) for extras and company.

Total cost of basic paper napkins over five years = $479.88

Total cost of NON-bulk paper napkins over five years = $2,635.60

Total cost of 100% recycled paper napkins over five years = $322.64

How many cloth napkins will you need?

I’ve used cloth napkins my whole life. My mom used them, then I did, and after 30 some odd years of use I know that typically, decent cloth napkins last about five or six years years. After five years they start to look a little shabby, but we’ll still use them for about another three years (we use newer ones if we’re trying to look nice). After about eight or so years of use cloth napkins are usually too shabby to use at meals but perfectly fine to clean with. My oldest cloth cleaning napkins are about ten years old.

As for how many you need. For a family of four I’d suggest half a weeks worth because at some point in the week I assume you wash laundry. We usually have about 25 on hand at my house. I’d suggest 25-35 total but for this experiment let’s just go with 40 that’s about half a weeks worth.

You can buy nice organic or recycled cotton or hemp napkins (which I suggest) or you can get cheaper thrift store cloth napkins, which I suggest still over paper napkins.

How much will cloth napkins cost?

New Solid Color Cotton Napkin Set of 6 Fair Trade- set of 6 will run you $18.00 or $108 for half a weeks worth that leaves plenty for company and for extras per day as needed.

Thrift store napkins will cost you about .30-.50 each. You could make some cloth napkins for about that much too. In total, cheap cloth napkins or homemade will cost you about $20 for half a weeks worth.

Total cost of eco-friendly cloth napkins over five years = $108.00

Total cost of NON-bulk paper napkins over five years = $20.00

However, you also have to factor in other issues…

For paper napkins you’ll need to figure gas to the store (which I’m not going to do though) and for cloth you’ll need to figure the cost of washing them. Personally I think it’s dumb to use the old argument, “But I have to wash cloth napkins – that costs water and energy!” If you’ve ever washed cloth napkins you’ll know that they use up almost no space in your washer. 40 napkins won’t even amount to a small load. I always throw them in with my other laundry, which frankly, I have to wash anyhow, so water, soap, and energy costs are a moot point.

If you want to argue this though we can. I checked around and there are different estimates on how much it costs to wash one load of laundry on cold using your dryer set on medium to dry. The costs ranged from about 12 cents to 34 cents depending on where I looked. We’ll use the top range; 34 cents.

According to the book The Complete Tightwad Gazette, it takes about 200 napkins in your typical sized washer to make a full load. That’s worth washing your own set of 36-40 napkins about 5 times, or about 24 full loads of napkins per year, which works out to around $8.00 a year. Even if you add in soap costs, it’s clear that washing cloth napkins can’t outweigh the costs of buying paper.

Then you have to factor in the savings from long-term use. The real way that cloth napkins add up to real savings is over many years; not just five. The typical life span of your cloth napkins (as noted above) is about 6-8 years but since I use them to clean with long after that I also save money by not buying paper towels. Since cloth napkins last longer than five years, you’ll have to consider the on-going cost of paper vs. your still going strong cloth napkins.

Money saved over five years if you switch from paper to cloth…

It really depends.

Five year’s worth of eco-friendly cloth napkins for a family of four = $20 to $108.00 + about $60 for five years worth of washing (and I rounded up big time for soap use and energy fluctuation)

• Total cost over five years = $80-$168

Five year’s worth of disposable paper napkins for a family of four = $322.64 to $2,635.60 depending on the type of napkins you buy. Bulk is WAY better. The best deal is actually bulked recycled (oddly).

Savings with cloth napkins over five years…

• If you go from non-bulk paper napkins to homemade/thrift cloth napkins = $2,556.00
• If you go from non-bulk paper napkins to eco-friendly new cloth napkins =$2,463.00
• If you go from bulk recycled paper napkins to homemade/thrift cloth napkins = $242.00
• If you go from bulk recycled paper napkins to eco-friendly new cloth napkins = $155.00

In other words, to know how much you could save you have to be honest about what sort of paper napkins you buy and how many you use. In homes where paper napkins are used it’s been my experience that more paper napkins per meal are used though. Especially when there are kids in the family. Also, while bulk napkins are obviously available, little expensive packs of napkins sell, so someone is buying them. If that’s you, you’re the family who will see the most savings with cloth napkins.

UM????: If you’re already buying recycled paper napkins in bulk using cloth won’t save you much money. If you’re using non-bulk, non-recycled paper napkins, using cloth will save you scads. No matter what, cloth napkins will lower your footprint. Since the savings on cloth napkins vs. paper aren’t as clear cut as disposable water bottles vs. reusable water bottles, I’m going to have to cut the difference. Mid level you’ll spend $124.00 on cloth napkins and $1,478 on paper. There’s not a huge savings here. Just $1,354 over five years. Too bad, but still I recommend using cloth.

END RESULT: We’re trying to save $50,000 and so far we’ve saved $7,534.00 That leaves $42,466.00 left to save. Can we do it? Geez, not if we have more lackadaisical savings like this. Blah.

What are your thoughts on cloth napkins vs. paper napkins?

[cloth napkin image via here]

Thanksgiving is a busy time of year. It’s a little nuts but you can still keep it green. Following are some ways you can celebrate without compromising your eco-ethics or too much more of your time.

Get sane: Traveling during the holidays is a nightmare. It’s more expensive, it’s stressful, and it keeps your emissions nice and high. Staying put at home is a great way to cut stress and save gas and resources. Ah sanity.

Get real: Real cloth napkins and cloth tablecloths, actual reusable dishes, and banning paper or plastic toss away cups is a great place to start. If you don’t have special holiday dishes and want some low cost options check out your local thrift store. Not only can you find great sets of dishes but you can donate them back after the holiday. NO dish storage!

Get organic: Organics don’t have to cost more. If you’re concerned about costs split them with all family members attending or buy the most important organics first, then others if you can afford it. For example, an organic turkey should be top priority. Organic onions and spices are cool, but you’re not getting as big a pesticide punch with them, so the turkey, apples for pies, and dairy are bigger deals.

Get flowers: Organic flowers for your table are a pesticide free, beautiful option. If you go local they don’t even cost much more than conventional flowers. Many co-ops offer a flower section where you can pick and choose your favorite stems – much cheaper than buying a ready-made bouquet.

Get vegetarian: Skipping the turkey, ham, bacon bits, and whatever other meats you like at Thanksgiving, is a great way to keep your holiday green. For veggie meal ideas visit a great vegetarian Thanksgiving menu planner.

Get the commercialism out: Vow to skip Black Friday. In fact there’s a real honest to goodness event called Buy Nothing Day that you can join up with if you want to skip the madness. Why shop til you drop the day after Thanksgiving? Why not have a more peaceful day? I’ve been doing Buy Nothing Day for years – hit them up on Facebook if you’d like to get involved.

Get natural: Plan decor that’s eco-savvy and natural or made with recycled goods. Decorating with fall leaves is a good start – later we’ll look at a few more green Thanksgiving crafts.

Get greener place cards: If fancy is your game plan this holiday then you need pretty place cards. Of course go for eco-friendly Thanksgiving place cards.

Get thankful: Try making a homemade gratitude journal with the kids with recycled goodies. If you want something extra special try the WishFrame. Family and friends can write what they’re thankful for on little slips of paper then tuck them away in the WishFrame.

What are you doing to celebrate a green Thanksgiving?