What's better for the environment? Paper plates for a party or washing dishes for 24?

I'm hosting a baby shower/dinner picnic for 24+. Between dinner plates, cake plates and glasses, is it ';greener'; to use recyclable paper plates/cups or use my dishwasher-- probably 2 loads-- to clean all the china and glass?What's better for the environment? Paper plates for a party or washing dishes for 24?
real dishes are for sure better...





this is a link about having a GREEN wedding.. it might give you some ideas too...http://www.gomestic.com/Entertaining/Pla鈥?/a>





for sure plates you wash..


resuable ones have to be made.. and then go into landfil.. thus a tree basically died for nothing...





use environmentally friendly dish detergent and there you go...What's better for the environment? Paper plates for a party or washing dishes for 24?
I'd go with having guests bringing their own plates :P





Too extreme? Then maybe washing the dishes myself, instead of using paper plates and plastic utensils..
I hate the idea of one-time use anything because it seems so wasteful so my vote is for providing regular plates and washing them.