To think using paper plates is the height of lazy.

[TheDarkHouse]

I keep seeing reels and videos of people, mostly (if not all) Americans serving up dinner on either polystyrene plates or paper plates.

AIBU to think that’s laziness/time saving/convenience too far? Most videos these people have decent kitchens so presumably can house a dishwasher. Not that hard, nor time consuming to stack plates.

Disposable tableware for day to day dining seems the height of laziness.

Not in the long run.

I belong to several recipe/budgeting/meal-planning FB groups and am astounded by the prevalence of paper plates among American contributors. It does seem to be an everyday thing for a lot of them. It's really weird, and so fucking wasteful.

Don't drive and haven't flown in years. All short journeys I take are by bicycle, and longer journeys by train. This year's holiday will be in Romania, using overnight trains with a stop off in Budapest on the way out and Vienna on the way back. Far more civilised than a red-eye flight.

OK, so those of us with mental health issues are lazy?
Those of us who have blind spots due to mental health issues are lazy?
Thank you so much for your judgement.
It's easier to use and throw away than to wash everything up.

I have no idea what socioeconomic class in America is ostensibly using paper plates all the time, but it isn't the educated middle class of my own social circle. Why all the American bashing on mumsnet?

Just to clarify, this thread has seen one Southerner and one Midwesterner who say that they don't know anyone who uses paper plates for daily use (as opposed to parties etc.). Are you saying that you do use them routinely? Is that common amongst your acquaintances? Which part of the country are you in?

I have been to the US and some people do use them everyday.

Earth Day is always on April 22nd.

According to wikipedia Nelson chose the date to maximize participation on college campuses for what he conceived as an "environmental teach-in". He determined the week of April 19–25 was the best bet as it did not fall during exams or spring breaks.[152] Moreover, it did not conflict with religious holidays such as Easter or Passover, and was late enough in spring to have decent weather. More students were likely to be in class, and there would be less competition with other mid-week events – so he chose Wednesday, April 22.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day

Or are you talking about something else?

Presumably Earth Overshoot Day which last year was August 2nd.

Yes, that sounds like what she meant.

YANBU. I find them absolutely disgusting. Who would willingly choose to eat their food off of a soggy cardboard plate 🤢

We have no dishwasher so I use them during the day for small meals and the kids meals , still use proper plates at dinner time but can’t be bothered to wash a million things by the evening .

Even without a dishwasher, a plate is literally the easiest item to wash up, takes 5 seconds. This thread has blown mind, utterly bizarre. Standards in this country are in the toilet.

I'm with@MaloneMeadow how can anyone bear to eat anything (apart from perhaps potato crisps) off a paper plate is beyond me. Laziness doesn't come into it grossness does!

Peak Mumsnet

Some people ( gasp) never have a dishwasher. It's not a hardship that justifies being environmentally irresponsible and lazy. No kids? What's so hard about wiping a couple of plates of an evening. Jeez.

We have no dishwasher. That's just bloody lazy and frankly makes my blood boil. This thread has opened my eyes and not in a good way.

I don’t get the people justifying it by saying they don’t have a dishwasher. As if, with the exception of people with disabilities, washing a plate is the hardest thing in the world to do. It’s not like not having a washing machine and having to handwash clothes.

USA hotels are appalling for this...bags and bags of waste produced daily and none of it recycled.

Unless for something like a party/bbq/big gathering it’s very lazy, but mostly just plain wasteful.
Occasional use = fine.
Every day use = destroying the planet.

that happened to me in america, the family we were staying with were using paper plates, in 1989.
obviously par for the course but eye opening for me

Nah, you deffo need a proper plate for Christmas dinner!!!

Wow. This thread has been educational.
Parties and ill health I get
Hotels and routinely buying them for daily use I'm amazed!

Well if this is rife in the US no wonder they're the fattest nation. The laziness is off the scale.