Dear Heloise: I read your column every week and have become concerned about how frequently your readers are offering hints that make life easier but aren’t good for the environment. For example, in a recent column, a reader suggested using a plastic tablecloth while cooking, painting and crafting to catch spills before they can damage a tabletop.

This is a good suggestion; however, they go on to say that you can just throw away the plastic. I would like to see Heloise step up and use her public platform to help make a point about how harmful plastic, especially one-time-use plastic, is to Earth. We can all help in this effort by being more conscious of what we’re using and tossing into landfills.

Just a couple of suggestions to help in the fight against this harmful practice: Say “no” to straws when dining at a restaurant. Bring your own to-go containers when dining out that are preferably metal or glass, since we can ingest plastic particles when eating food from plastic containers. You can also try switching over to glass containers at home to reduce the amount of harmful plastics that go into our bodies.

These are just a few ideas that can be used to reduce the harm to our environment and our bodies. — Cindy C., in Castleton, New York

Cindy, I love to see someone who is eager to save the environment. While this is certainly very commendable, getting rid of plastic everywhere is going to be a long and difficult task.

For example, many people use plastic shampoo bottles in their bathroom. So many people accidentally break glass jars and bottles, then have the problem of being barefoot with glass all around. There are also disposable syringes, draping, and other medical supplies that are made of plastic to prevent cross contamination in hospitals and doctor’s offices. These are just two examples where plastic actually has a benefit.

I sincerely hope science can come up with a better alternative, even if it costs a little more. No doubt someone will invent a better product than plastic in the future. However, I do want to point out that we should all do our parts to reuse and recycle items as much as possible. As the old adage goes: “Wear it out and use it up!”

LESS DISHES TO WASH

Dear Heloise: I’ve recently adopted a very environmentally conscious system for managing my drinking glasses. Instead of recklessly tossing a perfectly usable glass straight into the dishwasher after a single use, I thoughtfully leave it on the counter so that it can continue its productive use throughout the day. Coffee in the morning, milk at lunch, iced tea in the afternoon — same dependable glass, multiple missions.

By reusing the same glass several times before finally loading it into the dishwasher the next day, I’m dramatically reducing the number of dishes that need to be washed. Fewer dishwasher cycles, less water used, and less work overall! — Bill C., in Kenosha, Wisconsin

SHREDDED PAPER USES

Dear Heloise: The trash/recycling company that services our neighborhood doesn’t accept shredded paper. We’ve started using it to soak up grease from cooking and frying. We pour some shredded paper into the trash bag, followed by grease and possibly more shredded paper depending on the amount of grease.

Another use for it is to soak up latex paint prior to disposing of it in our household trash. — Anni, via email

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Heloise@Heloise.com