Is Disposable Kitchenware OK for Camping and Boating?

Disposable kitchenware (paper, styrofoam, and plastic plates, cups, bowls and utensils) can add a lot of convenience when camping or boating.  They are light weight and do not require washing, which are both very helpful advantages during an outing.  They save time and reduce the use of water and filling of holding tanks.  About the only downside to them is that they are not reusable, which means we are buying them just to use them once and throw them away.  Then throwing them away creates its own problems as they can quickly add up to a lots of trash to manage.  The bottom line is balancing cost and convenience versus time and resource management.  Hard core environmentalists sometimes campaign against using disposable products at all.   I too value the environment, but I also value my time and would rather spend it in enjoyable activities instead of washing dishes and wasting water.  Conserving water is almost always a priority when camping.  By the time you count the cost of soap and water, contribution to sewage, and its impact on the environment, disposable items might even actually come out on top!  Permanent, heavy items can be washed and reused, but they add weight to what YOU have to carry and can contribute to reduced vehicle mileage over time.  By the time you take the amount of soap and water it takes to clean them over and over again, the cost and environmental impact adds up even more.  In my opinion, disposable items are the better choice for camping and other outdoor activities.  The cost is minimal as is the environmental impact, and the convenience and savings in time is well worth it. 

Some plastic kitchenware may actually be reusable.  It still has the benefits of being light weight and fairly impervious to shock damage like china or porcelain dishes.  However, most light weight plastic stuff is designed to be disposable and may actually be cheaper to replace than it is to clean it, especially if you count the value of your time.

Paper plates, cups, and bowls can almost always be easily disposed of in your campfire, reducing the amount of trash you have to corral and haul home.  Avoid leaving too much food on them or you may generate unpleasant smoke and odors from the fire, depending on the content left.  You should also avoid burning them when the wind kicks up as being light weight burning fragments are easily caught by the breeze and launched off into possibly combustible material around or even some distance from your fire.

Some people prefer not to burn plastic or even styrofoam items as they can generate toxic fumes.  That being said, you will still see lots of people regularly tossing them into the fire.  As far as I have been able to determine, burning small amounts at a time should not be a problem unless perhaps you are standing directly in the path of the poisoned smoke and actively inhaling the fumes, which most of us will surely avoid anyway.  I avoid burning large quantities at one time -- better to get rid of them as you use them instead of hoarding a whole bag to burn all at once, which might increase the toxic fumes.

Disposable kitchenware is handy, is easy to store, easy to set up, and pretty easy to dispose of.  All of that adds up to time savings at mealtimes in camp.  Time saved doing repetitive, tedious tasks gives us more time to enjoy the activities we go on our outdoor outings for in the first place.  The modest cost of disposable items usually is a small price to pay for the added convenience and reduced cleanup time and effort.  Not having to wash them saves fresh water and reduces filling holding tanks, both of which extend resources for longer trips and are more environmentally friendly.

Paper plates come in a variety of thicknesses.   Heavy duty plates can handle just about anything your regular dinnerware can handle but thin plates might need a little help.  Thin plates might be better thought of as "plate liners" as all too often they are not adequate by themselves.  A few years ago I picked up some plastic paper plate holders that are perfect for holding the thinnest, cheapest paper plates, making them both cost effective and convenient.  They even have a tapered lip built into the bottom where you can slide the top of a soda or beer can and use the can as a handle on the plate, allowing you to hold your drink and plate easily in one hand.  Using thin plates without a holder is good way to end up with your lunch in your lap or on the ground.  Frisbees are often about the right size to support a paper plate and are fun to play with between meals.  Commercial paper plate holders are typically available in wicker and plastic.  You can usually find them at Walmart and on Amazon.com.  Sometimes you can even get them at Dollar Tree.  I found mine on a closeout at Big Lots several years ago and am oh so glad I stocked up on them at the time!

There may be special occasions when you want or even need to use more sturdy plates etc.   Cutting steak or other fairly heavy meats on paper plates can be difficult and even dangerous.  Any knife sharp enough to cut through the meat is surely sharp enough to cut through the paper plate and then into your flesh!  Sometimes you may have a special occasion to celebrate when you want things to be a little fancier.  Just be prepared to invest extra time in cleaning and washing the dishes and putting them away after you special meal.  You might find disposable items that are suitable for celebrations.  There are a variety of fancy plastic cups and glasses, even nice looking wine and champagne glasses.  Typical plastic cutlery is light weight and cheap looking but with a little looking around you can find heavy duty clear plastic or even shiny silver plastic cutlery that has a nice look and feel but can still be disposed of instead of needing to be washed.  If you still want to use disposable plates look for plastic plates or check out some of the fancier and heavier paper plates and bowls under the Chinette brand.  One of their ads claims their "heavy duty paper plates are strong enough for seconds and thirds. Bring on the sauces, the steak knives, the finger foods, and the apple pie!"  Yet, when you are done they can still go into the campfire.  You may have seen the Dixie ads where someone dumps a whole plate full of spaghetti or other messy food in another person's lap using a flimsy paper plate.  Dramatic and choreogrpahed as that might be, it is not unrealistic.  I have seen it happen too many times in camp and while it may be amusing to watch it is never fun or pretty for those involved.

Of course, ‘Pack it in, pack it out’ is one of the original tenets of back country travel and clearly one we should always honor as outdoor enthusiasts where ever we may go.  Whether you are in a developed campground, dispersed camping site, back packing, or out in your boat, you always need to control your trash to prevent damaging or contaminating the environment.  Leaving stuff lying around or letting it blow away makes a mess for the next visitor -- and that next visitor could be you!  Trash tends to beget trash.  If you fail to pickup something that blew away, it is more likely that subsequent visitors will be less careful also and the trash will build and build.  It only takes a few seconds, minutes at most, to clean up around your camp site.  Our Desert Rat off road motorcycle group always organized a quick policing of our camp site and the area around it.  We often did fire pit maintenance too, one time using a magnet to drag more than 10 lbs of rusty nails out of one fire pit!  Sure glad we didn't run any of our vehicles through there before the cleaning!

The Bottom Line:  Yes, disposable kitchenware is suitable for camping and boating, as long as you dispose of it properly.   It can save time and reduce water usage  It is also usually lighter to carry around than regular dinnerware.  Used appropriately is shouldn't have any more impact on the environment -- perhaps less -- than ordinary kitchenware.

Keep it clean and easy!