Quest for Kitchen Item

We use a lot of paper plates around my house. It’s an environmental choice. Where I live in Texas there is plenty of landfill room, but not so much water. Also, I have teenagers that graze like an entire herd of buffalo that would run through all my real dishes in no time.

For years we’ve used those raffia or bamboo baskets that are designed for holding paper plates. They’re pretty sturdy, last for a long time, and can be washed with the rest of our dishes if they catch a spill. I always found them at the thrift store, taped together in a bundle, for only a couple of bucks. But this last year that source has dried up.

Not finding them at the thrift store for months, I finally started looking for them retail. They can be found new, but the only ones I’ve found are flimsy and too small to fit a regular sized paper plate. I’ve looked everywhere for good ones. Finally, this weekend I went to an event at a friend’s house, where she was using baskets just like the ones I used to find. When I asked where she got them she said “at the thrift store”.

So, where can I buy good, new, sturdy paper plate baskets? Since I’ve been burned trying to buy them at department stores I’ve been afraid to try amazon or ebay. If I knew who made the used ones I bought I might be able to find them aftermarket online. Any suggestions about where to buy them new, or who made them in the first place?

Wendy Clyde