If I better understood economics, would I still do the dishes?

If I better understood economics, would I still do the dishes?  I added it up today and I spend about 30 - 45 minutes twice a week doing the dishes.  Which is fine, since they have to be done.  But I noticed that most of the things that get put in the dishwasher are cups, plates, and bowls.  All of which I could buy in throw away / recyclable form.  If I were to value my time at say $12 a hour then I am spending $60 in time washing dishes every month.  Some things can't be bought and thrown out (pots, pans, etc), but that is only about 20% of what I wash.  The other 80% is disposable.  So as long as I don't spend more than $48 a month on throw out items, that is what I should be doing.  Assuming I could spend about $12 to get all the cups, plates, and bowls I would need for the month, that leaves me with about $36 in extra time.  My big concern is that buying all the throw aways would definitely grow my environmental footprint.  But, I could donate the money to a foundation to plant trees (and get a tax deduction).  The point is I could do something of value to me, instead of scrubbing.  Just a thought.