eat lunch at your desk? reuse your takeout bags and napkins

When I am too busy to go out to lunch, I often pick up something to-go and eat it at my desk.  And though I might be too busy to sit down to a proper lunch, I am never too busy to save and reuse the plastic carryout bags and napkins that they tuck inside. 

A pet peeve of mine is that some places (like some Togo’s) stuff WAY too many paper napkins into the bag.  I never use them all.  I usually use one and throw the rest into a drawer.  I’ve had to empty out an entire drawer several times now (I eat lunch at my desk a lot).  I then take the napkins home and use them for a wide variety of purposes.  They are great for mopping up small spills on the counter or floor or for cleaning glass surfaces (something that doesn’t work well with a sponge).  It’s so easy, and SO MUCH better than just tossing them into the garbage unused.  Doing this saves me from having to buy rolls of new paper towels all the time.

The plastic bags are arguably just as useful.  As long as they haven’t been soiled by the food that they once contained, they are also recyclable.  But I like reusing them when I can, then recycling them if possible.  I like having several around for the times when I need to carry anything that won’t fit into my bag.  They’re also uniquely suited to hauling things like wet laundry, anything dirty, etc.  And speaking of which, for you dog walkers out there…

Reusing things can be simple and requires only a little extra effort.  Getting a ‘system’ down and a little organization makes conserving these resources relatively easy and painless.  I try not to thoughtlessly throw anything away, but I am also NOT a packrat.  There’s a fine line.

– GP Dave