Fix Our Earth: Eco-Friendly Paper Towel Alternatives

BY: STEPHANIE LICCIARDI, GROUP FOR THE EAST END ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATE
FIX OUR EARTH

You can find paper towels in almost every home in the United States. When something is created with the purpose of being thrown out after one use, it should cause you to pause. Before you reach for the “quicker picker upper”, I encourage you to think about all the resources that went into producing that one roll of paper towels. Cutting down forests and releasing toxins into the planet from the paper towel bleaching process in order to create something made to be thrown away in seconds is a distressingly harmful cycle. If you’re wondering, “How do I stop using disposable paper towels?” check out the following alternatives that will help you to rid your home of disposable paper towels once and for all.

1. Old T-shirts and Linens
The best place to start is to use what you already have. Old towels, sheets, pillow cases, T-shirts, and other linens make great rags that you can use around the house. People have been repurposing old textiles into rags for ages.They’re easy to launder and completely reusable.  If you know how to sew, you can create more professional-looking rags with finished edges using this instructional video. 

2. Marley’s Monsters Unpaper Towels
Marley’s Monsters sells reusable cloths that naturally cling together so you can wrap them around a paper towel tube. They come in a variety of colors and pack sizes. The towels are machine-washable and they can also be thrown in the dryer. I own these cloth napkins from Marley’s Monsters and I love them! While Unpaper Towels have a higher upfront cost than disposable paper towels, they will save you money in the long run while also supporting an awesome small business. 

3. Swedish Dishcloths/Swedish Sponges
Swedish dishcloths are a paper towel alternative that can also replace your sponge. A single dishcloth may be washed up to 200 times and is calculated to replace 17 rolls of disposable paper towels. That’s a huge amount of waste diverted from landfills with a single product! If you are interested in this option, I recommend purchasing them from either Three Bluebirds or Ten & Co. A bunch of East End home stores sell Swedish Dish cloths as well, so keep your eye out. Click here to learn more about Swedish dishcloths.

4. Sustainable Paper Towels
While I highly recommend that you replace your paper towels with reusable rags, there are some tasks that are easier with a paper towel. When you are shopping for eco-friendly paper towels, look for the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification. According to the FSC website, this certification ensures that the forest source is being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local people and workers. Also, look out for paper towels that are labelled PCF (Processed Chlorine-Free) and ones that are majority post-consumer recycled content. Paper products that are made of 100% recycled content reduce the strain on the forests that support our paper needs. 

The NRDC chart below breaks down the information you need to know about each paper towel brand. If you switch to one of the first 8 brands, our planet will thank you! Personally, I use these tree-free paper towels from a brand called Who Gives A Crap. I also purchase their tissues and toilet paper. Who Gives A Crap ships plastic free and has plastic free packaging.

I hope you discovered some paper towel alternatives that work for your lifestyle. Since I started using reusable cloths and rags, it takes me months to get through a single roll of paper towels. If you switch over to a paper towel alternative or already use them around your home, let us know and tag the Group!