Younger consumers are opting instead for paper towels at the dinner table, The Washington Post reports.
The Post points to a survey conducted by Mintel (the same company that discovered millennials find cereal too much work to eat) from last month, which highlights that only 56% of shoppers said that they bought napkins in the past six months.
However, 86% surveyed said they had purchased paper towels.
Consumers view napkins as a less economical choice than paper towels, according to the survey. As consumer goods company Georgia Pacific marketing director Dan Nirenberg told the Post, "it's one less thing to buy."
The Washington Post notes several other reasons for the decline of the napkin.
For one, paper towels are more functional than napkins, thanks to their ability to clean up messes of all sizes. Additionally, the Post notes how fewer millennials are eating meals at home, which is also contributing to the decline of napkin purchases.