Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Why do Americans use paper plates?

153 replies

fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 12:59

Any Americans here? or people who have been there enough to know why?

I love looking at the thanksgiving hashtag on instagram, the food they have is always immense and looks amazing to me. Especially their mac and cheese and pumpkin pie.

What I don't get is that nearly 90% of these videos they are all eating off paper plates? In the UK I eat off paper plates at a picnic or at a venue birthday like when you hire a hall out and have a party. None of my friends or family throughout my whole life have ever eaten off paper plates at home and if you go deeper into American food posts on instagram it's actually an everyday thing for them?? They eat off paper plates for every meal it blows my mind.

I grew up on a council estate and myself and my friends/family we are all working class so it's not like I have a warped sense of food and drink serving. i just never see it over here?

It's bugging me! Do they have amazing recycling facilities that allow them to use so much single use items? One family said they went through 40 paper plates EVERY DAY!!! Because of their 6 kids having one for every single snack they ate.

OP posts:
SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 15/12/2022 13:01

When I lived there we sometimes had paper plates when we had more guests than we had proper plates, or when we had friends round for pizza/more casual food where you might walk around holding said plate. 99.9% of the time we had proper plates.

rainyskylight · 15/12/2022 13:06

It’s to avoid washing up. Throwaway culture.

Fusciainertia · 15/12/2022 13:08

Can you really not work that out yourself?

I think you just want to express that the Americans are not environmentally friendly.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Home improvement
glasshole · 15/12/2022 13:10

It's literally to save them doing the dishes. It's so lazy and such a gross abuse of resources. Paper plates are horrifically bad for global warming if used everyday in place of actual reusable ceramic.

Here's a starker comparison from Rodale's Organic Life: “the production of a ceramic plate that you can use forever emits 2.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide, whereas using one paper plate every day for a year would result in 128 kilograms of emissions.

Original poster
fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:13

@Fusciainertia it's not what I'm trying to say, people in the UK are saints when it comes to single use things either i.e my sister buys around 60 bottles of water every month for her kids which is a joke.

I just don't understand why it's become so popular? It's every meal and I honestly don't know if their recycling is better than ours so it's more acceptable?!

OP posts:
Original poster
fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:14

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea yeah it's definitely beneficial for big family gatherings where there isn't enough plates to go around and there is a out 15 different dishes to eat, plus dessert.

OP posts:
Original poster
fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:15

@rainyskylight I couldn't do it. I can't even throw away take away containers. Let alone paper plates and cups for every meal. I hope they have the facilities there to recycle and make up for it.

OP posts:
CheapWine · 15/12/2022 13:15

Don’t ever go to one of their supermarkets and see how few items are packed in a plastic carrier bag for you. Like two things and then a new bag is started.

might have changed since I was last in a Walmart but I was stunned about ten years ago.

AreOttersJustWetCats · 15/12/2022 13:17

glasshole · 15/12/2022 13:10

It's literally to save them doing the dishes. It's so lazy and such a gross abuse of resources. Paper plates are horrifically bad for global warming if used everyday in place of actual reusable ceramic.

Here's a starker comparison from Rodale's Organic Life: “the production of a ceramic plate that you can use forever emits 2.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide, whereas using one paper plate every day for a year would result in 128 kilograms of emissions.

I had never realised (before reading this thread) that using paper plates was the norm in the US. It's mind-boggling and sickening how wasteful it is.

Original poster
fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:18

@glasshole nooo that's awful. I am shocked by the amount of waste. I'm sure it would be done here too but kids get told from day dot how to look after the planet so you grow up with British guilt about everything you have to throw out. Recycling is a source of stress for me haha

OP posts:
AreOttersJustWetCats · 15/12/2022 13:18

fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:15

@rainyskylight I couldn't do it. I can't even throw away take away containers. Let alone paper plates and cups for every meal. I hope they have the facilities there to recycle and make up for it.

Plates that have had food on will have absorbed grease etc., which renders the paper unrecyclable.

declutteringmymind · 15/12/2022 13:19

Unfortunately Americans are really behind with reducing waste. We went earlier this year and were agog at the disposable culture, especially around food.

It made me appreciate how ahead we are in the UK but also how futile our own efforts are when the whole of the USA is wasting as it is.

closingscore · 15/12/2022 13:21

I went on a USA holiday about 4 years ago and couldn't believe my eyes. Every hotel we stayed in used disposable everything 🤦‍♀️ it wasn't even paper plates, it was all plastic and polystyrene.

Squashpocket · 15/12/2022 13:21

Apart from the waste, isn't it just really unpleasant eating off a paper plate?

I'm imagining spending 3 hours cooking my Sunday roast and then serving the whole thing up, gravy and all, on a sad, soggy paper plate. I'm assuming if it's to avoid washing up they're also using disposable cutlery? Even worse 😢

Original poster
fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:23

@declutteringmymind

You've pointed out something I never thought about is how much effort we are putting in, the guilt we have about reusing and recycling, it means nothing when a country that size is doing the bare minimum. It's not like the earth is giving the UK brownie points and will leave us out of the future troubles. Makes the whole thing just so much more anxiety inducing Blush

OP posts:
PanicAtTheBigTesco · 15/12/2022 13:24

declutteringmymind · 15/12/2022 13:19

Unfortunately Americans are really behind with reducing waste. We went earlier this year and were agog at the disposable culture, especially around food.

It made me appreciate how ahead we are in the UK but also how futile our own efforts are when the whole of the USA is wasting as it is.

We went earlier this year and felt the same, I've continued to do my bit and be as eco friendly as possible but it was certainly disheartening.

dreamingbohemian · 15/12/2022 13:25

Oh FFS it's not the norm in the US! I don't know anyone who does this, I'm sure lots of people do but it's not the norm.

Can people please stop making huge assumptions about Americans based on Instagram and holidays.

The UK is far behind EU countries when it comes to packaging and recycling BTW. Two peppers in plastic packaging that can't be recycled? Not something you see in other countries.

Original poster
fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:26

@closingscore at a hotel?! I didn't realise that. They can definitely afford to clean their plates. Was that during holiday season like in summer? Where they had a huge turnover of guests and MAYBE couldn't keep up.

On a smaller scale my local costa and Starbucks will give you paper plates and cups for dine I when they run out of mugs. I hate that but Usually it's because the kids behind the counter can't time manage very well and can't get a rotation on the dishwasher going.

OP posts:
Original poster
fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:30

@dreamingbohemian that's true we have strict household recycling rules but commercial and corporate rules are a joke. I hate those plastic wrapped peppers and all the plastic wrapped cutlery in take away restaurants.

To be fair I can only go by what I see and I am genuinely seeing nearly every American family who food posts, their food is served on paper plates, that's why I'm asking what the deal is. These aren't influencer instagrams either just joe bloggs American showing what they made their kids for dinner or showing their morning routine for their 7 kids or something.

Says more about me that I'm a sad sack for watching this stuff but I really love American foods.

OP posts:
mast0650 · 15/12/2022 13:30

I lived in the US for 4-5 years as well as having plenty of American friends an colleagues. It's not something I've come across as part of normal everyday life. Admittedly I was there as a grad student so didn't have as much exposure to typical American as otherwise. but even so, I really don't think it can be that common!!

Liorae · 15/12/2022 13:31

AreOttersJustWetCats · 15/12/2022 13:17

I had never realised (before reading this thread) that using paper plates was the norm in the US. It's mind-boggling and sickening how wasteful it is.

Show quote history

You didn't realize it because it's not. In fact it's pretty unusual to use paper plates on a daily basis in the US. I've never met anyone who does in the 30+ years I have lived here.

AccidentallyRunToWindsor · 15/12/2022 13:33

I have seen this debate so many times in some Facebook groups I am in and usually there is a pile on of Americans saying this is ableist and not everyone has the ability to wash up real plates due to disabilities etc.

Other responses are they they are busy, work long hours and are poor so it's just easier.

Comments that people that fall into these categories exist in probably all other cultures is Usually shot down. They are 'different'

Original poster
fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:33

@CheapWine I bet, it actually was that bad here at one point. I remember when Morrisons still had those thin plastic bags, they used to use one for each meat product. That was at least 10 years ago. They must be so behind still. I was hoping it was the other way round and their recycling was so good because it's American and they have the best of everything that they had less worry with recycling and they were more advanced so they could do it.

OP posts:
declutteringmymind · 15/12/2022 13:34

I think covid has induced a lot of it - but my American relatives who we stayed with used a lot of polystyrene cups, napkins etc.

I absolutely agree we could do a lot more in the UK but it's not going to make half the impact as if the US just made some simple changes.

dreamingbohemian · 15/12/2022 13:36

fifteenohfour · 15/12/2022 13:30

@dreamingbohemian that's true we have strict household recycling rules but commercial and corporate rules are a joke. I hate those plastic wrapped peppers and all the plastic wrapped cutlery in take away restaurants.

To be fair I can only go by what I see and I am genuinely seeing nearly every American family who food posts, their food is served on paper plates, that's why I'm asking what the deal is. These aren't influencer instagrams either just joe bloggs American showing what they made their kids for dinner or showing their morning routine for their 7 kids or something.

Says more about me that I'm a sad sack for watching this stuff but I really love American foods.

Thank you for loving our foods :) I'm curious now which ones!

I can't explain what you're seeing other than maybe it's an Instagram trend or something. But it's really not the norm.