Towards a more sustainable lifestyle: Tips to reduce your use of paper towels at home
Today, more and more people are embracing more sustainable lifestyles, yet a habit that is often overlooked in many households is the use of paper towels - especially in the kitchen for cleaning up chores. Convenient and practical, rolls of paper towels are always within reach for our cleaning needs. However, they can be expensive and environmentally unfriendly.
Despite being recyclable, these paper towels are often disposed of as mixed waste, ending up in landfills where, decomposing slowly, they release methane into the air.
The most effective way to replace these products is to switch to using reusable towels. While these require more frequent washing, they offer significant cost savings and contribute to environmental sustainability. Certain habits are challenging to change, so the transition to using reusable towels is often delayed by many.
So, how can we effectively replace paper towels in our homes? Here are 7 useful tips for you:
7 tips to reduce the use of paper towels at home
To ease your transition from paper towels to reusable ones, you can follow these 7 tips:
- Reduce the size: Often, we discard paper towels without fully using them. A great way to reduce the quantity we use is to seperate them into individual sheets to minimize waste.
- Water and soap for cleaning: In the kitchen, make it a habit, after meals, to wipe all surfaces down with a sponge or cloth dampened with water and soap. This eliminates any food residues and cleans away all stains. Finish by drying with a clean cloth kept nearby.
- Sponges and cloths for cleaning: When something spills, paper towels are the first thing that comes to mind for a quick cleanup. However, a sponge, cloth, or floor mop can perform the same task in the same time without generating waste. Admittedly, you'll need to wash these afterwards, but the impact will be significantly lower than buying more paper towels.
- At the table: Paper napkins have become the preferred choice for mealtimes, but cloth napkins are more durable, aesthetically pleasing, and eco-friendly. You can wash and reuse them almost indefinitely.
- In the bathroom: While using a paper towel to dry your hands might seem more hygienic, it can be wasteful. Place a bunch of small, material towels near the sink for this purpose; these will do the job and can be washed and reused.
- Dirty cloth bucket: In addition to having a stock of cloths and towels to hand, get into the habit of keeping a bucket next to your sinks for dirty towels. This will make gathering them up easier and help you to know when it's time to do the laundry.
- Stock of towels with specific uses: If you prefer to avoid mixing uses, buy a sufficient quantity of towels for each cleaning "type". This ensures a continuous rotation happens when the dirty ones are being washed. Keep them near the areas where you need them, perhaps dividing them into labeled containers.
A DIY reusable cloth dispenser
If you really can't give up the convenience of a paper towel dispenser, you can easily create one for your reusable cloths by using a few simple tools and materials.
All you'll need is some cotton fabric for the outer covering, sponge for the inner part, sturdy snap buttons or spring clips, and your sewing implements. With these, you can make a roll of fabric sheets that acts just like "the real thing".
Creating this non-paper roll is quite simple and will allow you to recycle any scraps of material you have laying around.
How much paper towel do you use in your homes?
