Paper tablecloths from substitutes to disposables: how new disposable products superseded thriftiness in Finland, 1955–1975

This article analyses how short lifespan and disposable products were received in Finland during the shift from scarcity towards affluence, from the early 1950s to the mid-1970s. The topic is studied through the test case of paper and non-woven tablecloths and disposable sheets. The Finnish economy was catching up with that of Western Europe. Emerging from an era of austerity, a notoriously low-quality substitute for fabric was marketed as a carefree disposable from the late 1960s. The study applies a practice-theory perspective and draws on several sources, such as magazines and newspapers, schoolbooks, business archives, and statistics. In addition, it makes comparisons to Finland’s wealthier neighbour, Sweden. Cultural connotations and changing usage of the paper tablecloth transformed it into a new product. Disposables were connected to easing women’s burdens of cleaning and laundry, but the old everyday practices intertwined with the new product; some Finnish consumers still maintained practices of thriftiness and carefully washed and ironed the disposable tablecloths. On the other hand, the inevitable wearing out of a product liberated women from arduous duties, making the short lifespan and expendability of such products lucrative, even outside the context of single use.