What a great inventionright? So what can we do? Our throwaway culture is slowly destroying our planet. American Express They're easy to clean, come in assorted colourful designs, and will last up to 150 uses if well cared-for. Then, you have the deforestation issue: Imagine the number of trees that are chopped down to create the 3.7 million tons of paper towels Americans use each year. And today, there are so many eco friendly alternatives to paper towels that its a much easier and more affordable swap than youd think. Sea sponges are a natural alternative to plastic sponges and are a good substitute for paper towels.

Check out this detailed review on Who Gives a Crap toilet paper.). And that argument also doesnt take into consideration all of the other resources used to produce paper towels. We are not REPLACING the Paper towel - we are IMPROVING IT. 'TQI,#x`^,LKEtL'd 8~ZXL3(KL. Invented by Swedish engineer Curt Lindquist in 1949, these cloths feel like nothing short of a paper towel miracle. For vegans looking for a natural cleaning sponge, they need look no further than the loofah which surprise!

With so many problems, it is high time paper towels are replaced in every household with some more sustainable alternatives. As their name implies, this company started out selling planet-friendly toilet paper but their success in the tree-free realm has led them to expand into paper towel, too. Which means theres really no reason to be using disposable paper towels anymore. In addition to penning over 1,000 articles on mbg, her work has appeared on Bloomberg News, Marie Claire, Bustle, and Forbes. 100% compostable and biodegradable and very durable, Why wrap food and dishes in paper towel when you can use beeswax wraps instead? Even though these Seventh Generation paper towels are white, they arent made with chlorine bleach and dont contain any other dyes, so they are still totally compostable post-use. These environmentally friendly paper towels are also super strong and absorbant. Are Paper Towels Bad for the Environment? Required fields are marked *. $12 BILLION!!!! Here are some eco-friendly options to check out. Now, you may have heard some people drop the argument that reusable towels arent that much better than paper towels since you have to continually wash them, which uses water and energy. Emma Loewe is the Senior Sustainability Editor at mindbodygreen and the author of Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us. $208/year (do the math yourself). Made from 100% cotton flannel, they naturally cling together making them easy to wrap around a standard paper towel roll for ease of use. He could probably consider getting one of these dishcloths as a start. Paper towel waste is a huge problem: globally, paper towels contribute to nearly $12 billion worth of non-recyclable waste each year. Sponges are another green alternative to paper towels. To top it all off, despite what people think, paper towels are not recyclable and many are not even compostable, thanks to those bleaches and dyes. Did you know that 544,000 trees would be salvaged per year if each US family used 1 fewer rolls of disposable paper towels. Of course, there are many factors that go into this idea, such as resources, transportation, carbon emissions, end of life disposal, unintended byproducts, and toxicity. **Swiffer Sweeper is a registered trademark of The Procter & Gamble Company. Loofah vegetables are surprisingly long-lasting and since they are entirely organic, they can be tossed in the compost at the end of their life. To top it all off, despite what people think, paper towels are not recyclable and many are not even compostable, thanks to those bleaches and dyes. This dual action sponge looks pretty amazing, with spongy cellulose on one side to soak up spills, wash dishes and wipe counters, and coarse, natural loofah on the other side for those hard to clean surfaces. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may. She is also the co-author of The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care, which she wrote alongside Lindsay Kellner. And its not done yet, a simple cleaning in the dishwasher or washing machine in colder cycles brings it back to "like new". Who Gives A Crap donates 50% of its profits to charity partners working in water, hygiene, and sanitation. No chlorine bleach or ozone-depleting chemicals used. Meets or Exceeds EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for post-consumer / recycled content. Luckily there are a whole host of eco friendly paper towel alternatives on the market! Your email address will not be published. Our throwaway culture is slowly destroying our planet. Paper towels are often used for wrapping half-finished foods or covering plates or bowls.

is a, Loofah vegetables are surprisingly long-lasting and since they are entirely organic, they can be tossed in the compost at the end of their life. Another cellulose sponge to try is the Kolo Nature Unsponge: The unsponge is made from 100% natural, biodegradable materials. A package of beeswax wraps from the Zero Waste Outlet includes three wraps of different sizes, so you can be sure you always have the right one for the job. Convenient though they are, single-use items contribute to deforestation, climate change and waste, choking our oceans and causing our landfills to overflow. Ultra absorbent and sturdy enough for any mess, they contain no inks, dyes, fragrances or chlorine, making them 100% biodegradable. To further reduce waste, the paper towels have a half-sheet perforation, and, they are totally biodegradable. Similarly made from 70% cellulose and 30% cotton, they are 100% compostable at the end of their lifecycle. Are bamboo paper towels eco friendly? By contrast, flour sack cloths are typically made from smooth cotton or linen, making them a lint free paper towel alternative and a better choice for drying dishes. Like Three Bluebirds, these also come in a range of trendy designs that will be sure to brighten up your kitchen! Wowables use natural pigmentation dyes and the process to color the fabric is a proprietary process that allows maximum color saturation, all certified to meet international Oeko-Tex Standard 100, no harmful ingredients added. 100% compostable and biodegradable and very durable, coconut kitchen scrubbers get the job done without shedding microplastics or creating a lot of waste. Vidya is an environmental lawyer from India, with special interests in biodiversity, climate change and sustainability issues. Their practical and colourfully-designed beeswax wraps do double-duty: keeping food fresher longer, and keeping single-use plastic wrap and paper towels out of the kitchen! Or maybe youre one of those people whos always used a paper towel and has no interest in ever switching to anything other than a paper towel. helping you make better choices for the planet. In The USA alone, "Big Paper Towel" is an over $6 Billion/Year industry. machine washable infinitely reusable (so it saves you $$$ over time), made of 100% organic cotton (which is better for the environment than traditional cotton), if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'mamaeco_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_5',170,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mamaeco_com-large-leaderboard-2-0')};if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'mamaeco_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_6',170,'0','1'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mamaeco_com-large-leaderboard-2-0_1')};if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'mamaeco_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_7',170,'0','2'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mamaeco_com-large-leaderboard-2-0_2')};.large-leaderboard-2-multi-170{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:300px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}, [first of all, these are gorgeous!! Who Gives A Crap Forest Friendly Paper Towels ($16/ 6 rolls), Why they're better: Made from bamboo, plastic-free packaging. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLAIMER FOR MORE INFO. Each tree has huge value, let's appreciate the reusable. Thanks for explaining how a Swedish dishcloth can easily wipe surfaces and counters without the fear of bacteria. Not suitable for vegans as they are animals, you can otherwise use sea sponges with a clean conscience as they are not an endangered species, and are either sustainably wild-harvested or farmed. No need to use paper towels for that when youve got cellulose sponges, sea sponges, loofahs or coconut scrubbers! You probably still want to something disposable, so opt for unbleached, recycled paper towels or tree-free paper towels to help stem some of the problems associated with standard paper towels. Thats a lotta freakin money that we could be spending onfiguring out climate change, or I dont know removing plastic water bottles from the ocean. Click here for more details or to purchase some loofah sponges. Looking for something for drying hands or dishes? All Rights Reserved. Its simple: simply rinse and hang to dry! While a step in the right direction, recycled, compostable and tree-free paper towels are still single-use products, so lets look at a zero waste paper towels option: Swedish dishcloths are one of the best eco friendly replacements for paper towels. Click here for more details or to purchase a 2-pack of this eco sponge. But with the 12 count Wowables roll, on average, a family will save up to $200 on standard paper towel usage and over a lifetime you can save up to $14,000 - NOW THAT'S HUGE! Discover These tree-free paper towels are made from 100% bamboo. They are made from bamboo and sugarcane, two fast-growing, sustainable and non-GMO grasses. Your email address will not be published. Not only are these household items the eco product youve been waiting for, they come in a huge range of the most amazing designs! Why can't we use a sheet, rinse it out and place it in the sink instead? Lets recap our review of eco friendly paper towel alternatives: Step 1: Cut back. Looking for something to wipe up watery spills or dry surfaces? Cloud Paper Bamboo Paper Towels ($33.99/12 rolls). WATCH: Ourabsorbency test versus disposable paper towels here. These include at least 80% post-consumer recycled content and are biodegradable, thanks to the absence of bleaches. (Want to know more? After use, simply rinse them out and allow them to dry completely. 365 by Whole Foods Market offers paper towels made from 100% recycled material. You bet! Aren't you tired of the use and abuse of regular paper towels in your household? Disposable Paper Towels have become such a landfill nightmare. Many of the times needing many sheets to accomplish the goal. One of their best recycled paper towels is their unbleached, 100% recycled paper towels. You bet! Stay Green and Stock your business, restaurant, food truck, office, kitchen, or home with environmentally-friendly products like these Victoria Bay Paper Towels. Mastercard THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED LINKS. But heres the thing: paper towels have a ton of environmental drawbacks that far outweigh the ease and benefits of using them.

With Wowables, you don't throw a sheet away each and every time you use it, like you do a regular disposable paper towel sheet. With Wowables usage, you are making the important decision to stop all the waste, get a better product and save yourself lots of money in the process. Photo by: Volodymyr Hryshchenko (Unsplash), Sea sponges are another natural and eco-friendly option. First up on our list of eco friendly paper towels are recycled and compostable paper towels. Also known as nonpaper or paperless towels, unpaper towels are eco friendly reusable paper towels that can be used just like normal paper towel but surprise they can be washed and reused. Their Green Seal certified biodegradable paper towels actually exceed EPA Guidelines for post-consumer recycled content. The Zero Waste Outlet has some very affordable organic cotton dishtowels that come in a variety of colours, all dyed with natural dyes. How to clean Swedish dishcloths? Although foil, wax paper and parchment paper can be good alternatives to paper towel when it comes to wrapping and storing food, they dont have the same longevity as beeswax wraps. Photo: Three Bluebirds, If youre hunting for eco paper towel alternatives, look no further than, Regular ol' dishcloths can be another sustainable alternative to paper towels for some kitchen cleaning tasks. You get where Im goin with thisno need to elaborate. They are made from bamboo fibersa popular paper alternative that is quick to regrow and doesn't contribute to the deforestation of ancient forests. Google Pay One of the more economical options is Public Goods two-pack of tree free paper towel. This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features. It takes seventeen trees and 20,000 gallons of water are polluted to manufacturer only 1 Ton of disposable paper towels. Paper towels cant be recycled, but it is possible to find paper towels made from recycled paper pulp. Proudly created with, detailed review on Who Gives a Crap toilet paper, Cellulose sponges are easy to clean and maintain. Photo by: Clarabsp (Pixabay), Are bamboo paper towels eco friendly? Paper towel waste is a huge problem: globally, paper towels contribute to nearly, $12 billion worth of non-recyclable waste, Unbleached, recycled paper towels are an eco-friendlier version to start with. These hard-working scrubbers removes tough food residue like any other scrub pad does, but these will not pollute the environment. e6)EIgf"{lf||U7$8GzR'F5'_)F]TH_rGetd|lF hV23dp",5g;p~Y7U?K

2023 by Train of Thoughts. This is a major step up from the traditional paper towel made from virgin paper pulp as recycled paper towels dont contribute to deforestation. How is paper towel made? It can be as simple as using one sheet or even half a sheet instead of two, and looking for suitable alternatives to everyday kitchen jobs for which we normally turn to paper towels. ), Bambooee Reusable Bamboo Towel ($9.99/roll), Why they're better: Made from recycled material. A standard fabric dishcloth or flour sack towel might be a better choice. But, like most things we use once and then throw away, these aren't the most eco-friendly. Unbleached, Compostable and Recycled Paper Towels. Heres a fun fact for you: Guess how much money the world spends on paper towels each year? They are typically made from cellulose derived from more sustainable sources, like bamboo, sugarcane or cotton hence the label tree-free. She is a fellow at the Guarini Center, NYU after graduating as a Vanderbilt scholar with a masters in environmental law at the NYU law school. If youre a die-hard paper towel lover, then you can at least switch to an eco friendly paper towel thats made of all natural fibers with none of that synthetic crap or toxic chemicals in it. In this blog well introduce you to some of the best sustainable paper towels and other eco friendly alternatives that you wont believe have been missing from your life. These popular 2-Ply paper towels contain 100% Recycled fiber. One way to reduce the impact of your home cleaning is to use dishcloths or reusable paper towels on spills. Using a kitchen towel! Apple Pay In addition to paper towel, they have an abundance of other tree-free paper products, from toilet paper to facial tissue. We would need to plant 51,000 trees per day to offset the amount of kitchen paper towel used every day. Washing dishes or scrubbing pots? Here are a few sustainable paper towel options that are free of toxic chemicals and are sustainably made (in case you want that emergency roll of paper towels on hand). Have you ever took the time to think about how many regular paper towels you use and how much money you spend on them per year? But thats the rule of thumb when it comes to judging whats more sustainable. Some are also made from agricultural waste products like the left-over chaff from rice, wheat and rye that would otherwise be discarded or burned, giving them extra zero waste cred. Now, I get that some situations may call for paper towels, like cleaning up oil and grease in the kitchen, or cleaning up after your pet when they release themselves on your living room floor. Click here for more details or to purchase 100% organic cotton dishtowels. Photo by: Manfred Richter (Pixabay), For vegans looking for a natural cleaning sponge, they need look no further than the loofah which surprise! They are then produced in Germany using a blend of FSC-certified wood pulp and GOTS-certified organic cotton, and then printed in the US. Diners Club Money aside though, $12 billion worth of paper towels also equates to a lotta resources going into something we only use for a few seconds before putting it right into the trash. (Source: The Atlantic). These ancient, multicellular creatures are in fact sea animals, and theyve been around for millions of years. Coir is the fibre found on the outside of coconuts, and its a great natural material for household cleaning chores. And did we mention it's biodegradable? Here are six more eco-friendly options to add to your cart: Why they're better: Compostable, made from recycled material. She's spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE. Step 2: Make the switch. Free Carbon-Neutral Shipping on Orders Over $89 (Continental US), You are there! Paper towels that have been whitened with chemicals are not compostable, and they're deemed unrecyclable once you use them to soak up food items like grease. But this comparison analysis argues otherwise. All rights reserved. Why, you ask? Regenerative Agriculture in the United States, Your Guide to Ecopreneurship: How to Build a Sustainable Business, The Mising Tribe of Assams Unique Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, The 7 BEST Eco Friendly Paper Towel Alternatives. A single sponge can replace as many as 3000 individual paper towels (30 rolls), making them a great investment! Emma received her B.A. #1. It's one of those "finally made it to market" products. Since they are made from all-natural materials, these dish cloths are biodegradable and compostable, too. Seventh Generation's paper towels are unbleached, made of 100 percent recycled paper, and don't use any added dyes or inks, so you can throw them right into your compost bin after use. They look less dingy over time since the color hides any stains or wear and tear. Everspring 100% Recycled Paper Towels ($16.99/8 rolls). For you DIY types, you might want to consider some knitted dishcloths. Instead of reaching for the one-time use paper towels to do the job, you can opt for beeswax wraps. Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Paper Towels - Unbleached ($4.99/6 rolls), Why they're better: Reusable, made from bamboo, A cross between a dishcloth and a single-use paper towel, Bambooee reusable towels are super strong and machine washable (up to 100 times). Emma Loewe is the Senior Sustainability Editor at mindbodygreen and the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us. PayPal Their practical and colourfully-designed beeswax wraps do double-duty: keeping food fresher longer, and keeping single-use plastic wrap and paper towels, It's time to go green and switch to sustainable paper towel alternatives! Here are some things to think about that you may not have thought of: Plus: paper towels cant be recycled, so unless youre putting them in a compost (which most people arent), theyre headed straight to the landfill. Some of those machines, like the trucks that transport the paper, also emit carbon into the atmosphere. Its the same logic that applies to keeping your clothes clean over time, e.g. In her free time, you can find her playing at the beach or convincing her friends to go vegan. exceed EPA Guidelines for post-consumer recycled content. The entire production lifecycle of commercial paper towel rolls is unsustainable, from the large volumes of water and energy consumed, the millions of metric tonnes of carbon dioxide and methane released each year, not to mention toxic chemicals found in dyes and bleaches, like dioxins and furans, which are harmful to human health and the environment. A women-and-youth-run Canadian company, Nature Bee is on a mission to create a better food wrap for people and the planet. (Learn more about the material's pros and cons here.

Photo by: Stocksnap (Pixabay), Marcal is another brand with some of the best eco friendly paper towels on the market. Most of us dont really stop to think about how to make paper towels, but the fact is, commercial paper towel is made from trees. Copyright 2022 Lola Products. Papaya paper towel is another type of Swedish dishcloth. READ:This100% Independent reviewfrom "The Homemade Experiment" here. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. Then look no further than UNpaper Towels or a Swedish dish cloth. Visa. Extremely versatile, there are lots of advantages to using flour sack cloths around the home; check out this list of, For more heavy duty cleaning jobs, eco-friendly sponges beat out paper towels and plastic sponges. It also supports small business! Their knitted texture also helps in cleaning dirty messes, making them a more effective alternative to paper towels. Inherently hypoallergenic and antibacterial, they are ideal for a variety of personal hygiene and household cleaning tasks. If you want to save even more $$$, check out our. A B-Corp and Green America-certified company, Bees Wrap aims to not only sell a useful, eco-friendly product, but also use their company as a vehicle for change. Extremely versatile, there are lots of advantages to using flour sack cloths around the home; check out this list of 50 ways to use flour sack towels for some ideas! Here is a look at some exciting earth friendly paper towel options and some innovative eco friendly alternatives to paper towels that contribute to sustainable living. Meta Pay Its important to do your research, though, as not all sponges are made of sustainable materials. Whats better than drying hands with paper towel? Cleaning your home can seem like a never-ending task, especially if youre the only one LOLA ROLA STICKY MOP REFILL, 1 COUNT, 903-1, Lola Rola Sticky Mop Refill, 6 count - SPECIAL VALUE, The Revolution Microfiber Spin Mop System, Wowables Reusable & Biodegradable Paper Towels | 30 Sheets of Reusable and Washable Paper Towels | Replaces up to 13,260 Disposable Paper Towel Sheets | Dishwasher and Machine Washable. We think we're in love. Amazing! Cloth dishtowels have been commonly used as sustainable alternatives to paper towels in many households. you can whip up a bunch of knitted cloths to keep in your kitchen. *The average family of 4 uses 104 rolls of regular paper towels/year, at approx. Reel offers a subscription service for their tree-free paper towels, conveniently shipping a box of 12 rolls to your door on a schedule of your choosing. Cloud Paper offers a subscription service so you'll always have a stash of bamboo paper towels (nestled in recyclable, plastic-free packaging) waiting for you at home. And last but not least, dont cover your bowl or wrap up that half-eaten apple with paper towel, try a beeswax wrap instead! /Rttm%fH~ 0Dw).TQPfK7_jN"jqp- \0%am=Un0}#4kaF iP"O': :kw8+l=;vP=9iM#01iAh mn4nJ^qClxFP1k(x`FCpXxZ2uf7uM!H;R[O:ab/)LUV rCl`[ What is a cellulose sponge? (l[)>iiYPy2 This is a very green option as paper made from bamboo accounts for 65% lower carbon emissions compared to paper made from trees. Photo by: indytute (Unsplash), Beeswax wraps are also easy to care for: just wipe them off using, A women-and-youth-run Canadian company, Nature Bee is on a mission to create a better food wrap for people and the planet. In addition to all the stats above, the average person uses 2,400 - 3,000 regular paper towels at work per year, that the equivalent of 50 plus rolls. Their Green Seal certified biodegradable paper towels actually. Im going to do my part; will you? Made from a blend of plant-based cellulose and sustainable cotton, they also happen to be one of the most absorbent paper towel alternatives on the market, making them a real star in the kitchen. Make it your GREEN alternative to traditional paper towels today. After a lot of trial and error, Nature Bee has perfected their beeswax wraps which are made from 100% cotton fabric, locally-sourced beeswax, certified food-safe pine tree resin and sustainably harvested organic jojoba oil. This keeps them fresher longer, with none of that mildew smell that can plague regular fabric cloths. In addition to being 100% bamboo, these extra absorbent two-ply paper towel rolls are totally plastic-free and contain no inks or dyes; the box they come in is also recyclable!