As a side note, plastic bags actuallycan be recycled - there's even a dedicated collection program called REDcycle. They use a blend of bamboo and sugarcane (bagasse) to make a 2 ply paper towel. No worries! Rather than burning or burying the bagasse (which is often the case), its upcycled into paper towels. Another issue is that many paper towels are already made from recycled paper and often not a good enough quality to be recycled again. The bottom line is you can compost your paper towels, probably reducing your environmental footprint. While natural products like water and plant-based waste make your paper towels break down faster, anything with chemicals or oils makes them unsuitable for composting. No, paper towels cant be recycled, regardless of whether they are used or unused. However, always check the packaging or contact the manufacturer if in doubt. We prefer Who Gives a Crap paper products, including paper towels. Uliana Kapty (@Barukka) January 20, 2016. Seventh Generation is like a forefather (or fore-mother) of companies following sustainable business practices. If you must use paper towels, products made from 100% recycled post-consumer paper are perhaps a more environmentally conscious option. Or just use one square instead of two. Learn more about clean sweep. We encourage purchasing products directly from companies since many of the ones we highlight are small businesses. Even if youre a careful recycler, chances are youve committed one or more of the recycling crimes below - or have seen your co-workers do it. From lunchboxes to leftovers, when it comes to storing or transporting food, consider reusable wraps instead. We use old spit-up towels from when we had babies, hand towels from the bathroom that no longer match our ever-evolving decor choices, as well as towels that my wife knit as she practiced her way up to scarves. This should say compost. Read on to learn more about how its done and why it matters, plus tips on using sustainable products for your home cleaning needs. But paper towels can be bad for the environment. More about carbon sources below. There are "greener" options for paper towels, but even the brown, unbleached types are not suited for recycling. So, unfortunately, the answer is no. This means they contribute to deforestation, a major environmental issue. Paper towels definitely decompose. Bacteria found to eat PET plastics could help do the recycling. This is why a paper towel doesnt melt in your hands - but its also why the fibres are then much harder to recycle, so typically have to be put in the trash or organic waste, unless your council is an exception. However, I dont feel comfortable recommending that we all mindlessly use a bunch of them daily. But if recycling is out, there are still better options than the landfill. Once you've finished your roll of paper towels, place the clean tube in the bin with your other recyclable paper products. There are also concerns that germs, food and mold on these disposable products will contaminate clean paper in the recycling bins, which is the same reason we don't recycle (long-fibered) pizza boxes as paper waste. Unused paper towels cannot be recycled becausethe fibers are too short to be made into new paper. Composting paper towels isnt only possible, it is a good idea. No, paper towels should not be flushed. Although some companies are experimenting with different resin formulas that would improve the recyclability of paper towels and others are implementing recycling initiatives in controlled settings, these are not yet available to the general public. First, a guiding principle around here: let us not get wrapped around the proverbial axel. Scientists have turned to mould in search of biomaterials that could fuel our lithium-ion batteries, and this one has delivered. Add some water to the container, just enough to dampen the paper towels. Imagine, for a moment, a life without paper towels. Cotton, linen, or other plant-based materials are always the best choice for towels, but if you must use paper towels, there are ways to go greener. Brown waste is carbon-rich material that helps balance out the nitrogen from the green waste (grass clippings, etc.) Toilet paper is flushable because its made from pulp that has been specifically treated to break down in water. Remember, the key ingredients of compost are green materials (nitrogen-rich), brown materials (carbon-rich), moisture, and air. The added problem of nasal discharge would disqualify them even if they werent treated with wet-strength chemicals. But there are some caveats. You can even wrap them around a paper towel dispenser for easy access. Sadly, no, paper towels cannot be recycled. This is why even clean paper towels should be tossed in the compost or trash instead of the recycling bin. Environmentally Friendly Alternatives, How to Recycle Textiles: Give New Life to Old Clothes, How to Recycle Light Bulbs and Why You Should, The 8 Best Eco-Friendly Holiday Cards of 2022, Start Buying Your Lip Balm in Recycled Paper Tubes, Can Paper Plates Be Recycled? At Recycled and Renewed, we prefer two options for paper towels: recycled paper towels from Seventh Generation or the vegan (i.e., chemical free) bamboo/sugarcane options from the hilarious do-gooders from Who Gives a Crap. Or cut into smaller pieces and see if you can extend the life of the roll. Sure, a banana makes an excellent desk snack - it comes in biodegradable packaging, is low GI, contains heaps of potassium thats good for maintaining normal blood pressure, and so on. Paper towels are a handy, easy household product that works well for cleaning up small spills. Your compost heap will thrive if you feed it the right amount of paper towels. 47 Official Sustainable Fashion Statistics, Top 5 Eco-Friendly Sofas for a Sustainable Home, Any animal product (meat, dairy, eggs, etc. Recycle thetubes inside paper towel rolls with othercardboard. Or, if you hate life and prefer to take down the whole planet with you in a fiery spectacular end, buy your paper towels from the Koch brothers, like Brawny, Angel Soft, Sparkle, etc., and support evil corporations. Some waste-disposal companies will accept paper towels as part of your yard waste. Lastly they also sell 100% organic cotton options. So if youve been feeling guilty for throwing away your greasy used paper towels, dont, there isnt anything else you can do! Most paper towels are made from natural fibers and can 100% be composted when clean (providing theyve not been treated with disinfectants or fragrance). If you want them to decompose quicker, you should cut them into small pieces and add some water to them. Composting and Other Eco-Friendly Alternatives, The 5 Best Biodegradable Bandages of 2022, The 9 Best Alternatives to Paper Towels of 2022, What Can You Recycle? These days, paper towels are generally made from recycled paper, and the paper fibers get shorter with each reuse. This ones a huge no-no, because a plastic bag can actually get tangled and cause damage to machinery in the materials recovery facility. They found two squares have a carbon footprint of just over 15 grams of CO2. Paper towels are not designed to break down in water and can clog your pipes if flushed. We like these because they are made from 80% post-consumer materials, the gold standard of recycled material. Right?! You can unknowingly spread bacteria and cause more harm than good. The answer is an emphatic yes! Paper towels might have paper in their name, but dont be fooled theyre not recyclable. Before the towels get to a store shelf, they are processed in such a way that the makeup of the paper material they started out as changes entirely. Big bunches of paper towels will also decompose slowly. Paper, including paper towels, are super rich in carbon, weighing in at a 200 to 1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen. So if you use your paper towels to clean grease, cooking oil, or cleaning products, they cant be composed. Papermaking fibers can typically be recycled five to seven times before they become too short to be recycled again, and paper towels and napkins are the last stop in the recycling chain. Toxic additives such as glues, resins, and softeners are often introduced into the paper fibers to help with strength, texture, and absorption, not to mention inks and bleach for coloring. Also, paper towels are usually soiled with food, grease or other liquids, which can contaminate paper that is recyclable. Maybe clean a little less. The Issue with Tissue: How Americans are Flushing Forests Down the Toilet, Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. There are plenty of ways to screw this up, especially in the office, where people just seem to toss their trash around randomly with no regard to its composition. She holds a B.A. If you live outside of Stocktons city limits or in County pockets, please call the San Joaquin County Solid Waste Office at (209) 468-3066 for details about current County programs. Yes. The Positive Effects of Recycling and Some Negative Impacts To Be Aware of, Top Eco-Friendly Sneakers: The Best Shoes Made from Recycled Plastic on the Market Today, Copyright 2022 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, read our comparison of composting tumblers vs composting bins, Zero Waste Criticism: The Surprising Disadvantages of Reducing Waste, Recycling: A Small Toe On Your Full Carbon Footprint, What Is The Best Alternative to Disposable Razors, Are Plastic Water Bottles Bad for the Environment? That represents landfill space about the size of two large swimming pools in the Water Cube at the 2008 summer Olympic games. Like toilet paper and facial tissue, their fibers are too short to be recycled. There are plenty of plant-based options that can be cut up and tossed in your compost bin after their useful life. You could add some unbleached paper towels to your home compost pile, but for heavier loads, a municipal or commercial operation is a better bet. Most of these can be used for many years, through multiple cleanings and rinses, and they dry easily. This makes it harder to recycle the product at a later time. Most paper products that are white or decorative have been chemically bleached and dyed. I recommend using a kitchen scraps container or a countertop compost bin. Lena de Abreu (@LenaDeAbreu) April 19, 2016. Paper towels are by definition single use (though if you buy paper towels made of recycled material, you could argue it isnt really a single use product). They are waterproof, durable, and can be easily cleaned with soapy, warm water. The most obvious way to use less paper towels is to use cloth, or reusable towels. Recycling old paper into paper towels also uses the same resources but at a much lower level. All that spilled milk you are trying not to cry over, that is a no-no. The general rule of thumb is that if a paper towel is lightly soiled with organic materials, itll be fine to compost. Note, Seventh Generation uses a lower percent of post-consumer materials in the whitened version (50% vs. 80%). Im not a scientist, but I believe all material will decompose, it is just a question of how long. Q: Is it possible to recycle used paper towels? If there is an extra nasty spill, we tend to use paper towels though. . When you choose an environmentally sustainable paper towel, you can trust that you arent introducing any nasty chemicals into your house, and if composting, into your garden. Also, if you put a bunch of recyclables in a plastic bag and then toss that in the recycling, the people who are at the first stage of sorting at the facility will just grab the bag and toss it in the garbage destined for landfill - they dont have time to unpackage the stuff. Yes, but they take a while to break down, so you might want to crush them first. Looking for paper towels approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a simple and effective way to ensure the wood used was responsibly sourced from a sustainable forest. Nuff said, right? Paper and paperboard (like cardboard) were the largest single category of waste in the U.S. in 2018, according to the EPA. Also you cannot clean up greasy spills like oils and fats and put it in your compost either. In a worst-case scenario, such contamination can send a whole truck of recyclable garbage to landfill, especially if youve thrown something toxic like an AA battery in there (why?). Untorn paper towels, if they accumulate over time, can mat down your compost bin, like a wet blanket, and block out air from circulating. The bane of this process is contamination, when non-recyclable materials end up in the waste stream and have to be filtered out. You cannot clean up dairy products and put the paper towels in your compost bin. Paper towels can be used for a variety of uses, particularly when it comes to cleaning up. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. (To learn more about B Corps and some of the problems with the movement, you can read more here). However, the more time we spend sorting compostable paper towels from the rest, the less we end up sending to landfill. Its also unsurprising that three out of four Aussie businesses think the public will view them favourably if they engage in good waste management practices, such as recycling. What is Viscose Fabric and is it Eco-Friendly? There are some times when you CANNOT compost paper towels. This way, you dont have to deal with any plumbing issues. If youre only cleaning up with water or soap, let it dry and use it again. But once youre done with your banana, please watch where you put the peel. Amy Y. Conry Davis is a writer who specializes in green living, sustainability, and travel. The production of virgin paper towels requires water, energy, and chemicals. But 50% of the time, we use cloth towels, stretching out our supply and reducing our carbon footprint. Yes, but it will attract animals, so you might want to tear it up into small pieces and bury it beneath other compost material. However, when it comes to sustainability, the use of paper towels poses several questions, one of the most popular ones being about their composability. And to take things up a notch, you should even avoid adding paper towels to your compost heap when you are sick. Otherwise you get the dreaded stinky, slimy, disgusting compost. If you prefer white-ish paper towels, they also have a non-bleach whitened version. Turn the compost regularly, once every 2-3 days. Although some people think saving the earth and taking care of the needy are important goals, we all know that potty humor is what really matters. Recycled paper towels are much kinder to the planet than paper towels made from virgin wood pulp. Paper towel rolls are usually made from cardboard and are pretty eco-friendly. If you work in used paper towels it isnt only ok for your compost, it will help keep it balanced. You need carbon sources for your compost bin to balance all that green material thrown in. Below I have some suggestions for environmentally sustainable paper towels from two companies you can feel good about supporting. Are Polypropylene Rugs Safe for Your Family? One press button, get coffee at a time, were clogging up the worlds landfills with tiny containers. If you bury paper towels in a landfill, hermetically sealing them with no air, it will take longer. Required fields are marked *. Also, avoid large amounts of paper towels in your compost bin. Are Saltwater Pearls Eco-Friendly, Ethical or Sustainable? This is a big no-no! Try this simple hack I used at college: And thats it! But dont despair, there are some options to reduce the impact composting your paper towels, buying from companies using recycled materials, and the old standby, just using less! They come in endless supply and those convenient squares rip off easily for multiple jobs. The way they are manufactured results in them having weak and short fibers, therefore paper towels cant withstand recycling. Or, consider using some of the reusable alternatives I mentioned earlier in this article. Yes, theyre made out of paper. It is all about balance and too much or too little of one ingredient will cause your compost to look something like the video below (ewww!). In terms of environmental impact, evidently some scientists at MIT were really bored and they studied the exact emissions associated with two squares of paper towels. Now multiply that over the billions and billions of squares used each year, and you certainly have some real environmental impact, no question about it. However, if you have a lot of it, its best to add it in small amounts and bury it deep, so it doesnt attract animals. Contamination is a huge issue in our efforts to minimise waste - are you guilty of any of these recycling crimes? Paper towels are a part of this waste, so no question they have an impact on the environment. Are paper towels compostable? But really, dont overthink it. Or have you already converted to reusable alternatives? But are those better for the environment? And since paper towels are usually made from recycled paper, this isnt much of a loss anyway. We've got the answer for the air dryers this month, but the rags are another question altogetherwhy not ask it? Editor's note:This article was amended on 3 May to reflect that some councils in Australia do accept empty plastic bags in curbside recycling. Sometimes, certain non-toxic cleansers and plant-based sprays still allow for composting. WGAC slips in little jokes on their products, like an emergency toilet paper roll, little funny or positive sayings on the top of their tissue boxes, and another small hidden surprise at the end of every roll of toilet paper (you will have to buy some to find out, oh, and also go to the bathroom a bunch of times too). If you are in the market for a compost bin, you can read our comparison of composting tumblers vs composting bins and a review of the best choices to consider. In its report The Issue with Tissue: How Americans are Flushing Forests Down the Toilet, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) assigned grades to different manufacturers according to their recycled content, which can be a useful tool for choosing paper towels that aren't as harmful to the environment. Paper towels are not recyclable. Keep in mind: You can reduce paper towel waste by grabbing a cloth towel or rag the next time you need to clean up something around the house. Each sheet of paper towel weighs just two or three grams. We use them on the counters a few times then wash them. Hiding in the gym washrooms v ashamed for accidentally throwing a paper towel in the recycling bin, Rhegine (@ramenprincess69) July 10, 2014. They can also cause issues at sewage treatment plants, where they can end up blocking pumps and filters. Typically water breaks up the hydrogen bonds holding together cellulose fibres in the paper; the addition of certain chemicals can improve this, causing the paper to hold together better. If you have a healthy compost pile in your backyard, follow these simple steps to feed it paper towels: Not got a compost pile in your yard? Well, Im ready to throw in the towel. Can you recycle paper towels? Instead, in most councils everything that can be recycled goes into one handy bin, and gets shipped off to a materials recovery facility, where a range of technologies - from manual labour to magnets and even lasers - sort the materials into respective piles. Wait for 2-4 weeks for the paper towels to break down into compost. Are you a heavy user of paper towels? Which are the worst items you've seen people put in your office recycling bin? Have anything to add about recycling crimes in your office? So, are paper towels compostable? Their specific purpose, to clean or wipe up messes, means the products are always contaminated with residue, food waste, or cleaning chemicals. I work with people who put tissue and crisp bags in the recycling bin. Meanwhile, tissue boxes and the cardboard rolls that paper towel comes oncan be recycled. Then, once they're in our homes and get put to use in different ways, they get contaminated, soaked, and broken down further. Generally speaking, recycling in Australia is easy, because we dont have to separate at the source. Snotty tissue does NOT qualify as paper recycling. Also, in the cases that they are used to wipe away any sort of dirt, even the most competent recycling companies cant clean them effectively enough to make them safe to recycle. Depending on the size of the paper towels, they can take up to a month to decompose. By following the simple steps above, you can compost your paper towels and help reduce methane emissions from landfills. ), antibacterial chemicals added, or harsh bleaches. This makes the worms act faster. Let us know on Twitter! As long as they were only used for food, most of the time, they can be tossed into the compost bin. Twists sponges are made from all natural, 100% biodegradable cellulose and a scrubbing material made from 100-percent cactus (dont worry, you dont get stuck by spiny needles or anything). (9 Things to Be Aware Of), The Pros And Cons Of Composting Paper Towels. That means you have to balance all those heavy pails of vegetable scraps with 30 times more shredded paper, cardboard, sawdust, or something similar. No, they usually cant go into the paper recycling bin. We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. If you are curious about what is better for the environment recycling or composting, I discuss the various pros and cons of the two options here. But if they are dirty, they may be unsuitable for your compost heap depending on what you used them to clean up. If you end up making a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a very small commissionthat offsets the cost of hosting, building, and maintaining this site. The bacteria and microorganisms will feed on the carbon-rich paper towels and generate heat. Paper towels are made from wood pulp, a natural and biodegradable material. However, they are a huge part of landfill waste, since they cant be recycled. We use them in public bathrooms to reduce the chance of transferring germs, and at home for all kinds of cleaning activities, but it seems a big waste when we throw them away after just one use. An Easy 5 Minute Guide article. If you must, choose the unbleached brown towels that can be composted. Well, lets find out. Try to experiment with some old rags or natural sponges too. However, most municipal recycling facilities dont accept dirty paper towels because theyre challenging to recycle if contaminated with grease, oil, chemicals, etc. Paper towels are a great option. We should try to reduce our reliance on paper towels. Do you know that the optimal ratio of brown (carbon rich) to green (nitrogen rich) materials for your compost bin is 30 to 1? paper towels are usually made from recycled paper. First, if you prefer buying new towels, there are plenty of options out there. Now feel ridiculously guilty & like I've failed at life 101. There are two main reasons why these products are unfit for the recycle bin: the manufacturing process and contamination of the product itself. You wouldnt put coffee grounds in the recycling, would you? The sponges are dishwasher safe and we find that as long as you keep them squeezed and dry after use, they last for months. Bagasse is a byproduct of sugarcane processing and is considered to be waste. Its best to rip paper towels up into smaller pieces. Your email address will not be published. This is because paper towels are produced using a method that improves the wet strength of the paper. They also undergo a series of chemical treatments before they get transformed into squares of rolled paper. Yes, cooked pasta is fine to compost. Are Paper Towels Compostable? This process results in the release of greenhouse gasses and other pollutants into the environment. I tend to do it sparingly, a few square sheets of paper towels at a time, ripped up, versus after a huge clean-up that leaves a big, sopping wet ball of paper towels. There are plenty of options on the market for cloth towels and napkins in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Paper towel contaminates not ok to compost include: The answer to this should be a resounding yes! We offer simple, practical advice that anyone can follow. The list below offers several options to use in place of paper towels. The answer to this is a little complicated and is similar to the rules for paper plates. Paper towels are a modern convenience that most people cant live without. Jingshi Wuis a PhD candidate in the department of geological and environmental sciences. Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center Someone put a banana peel in the recycling @theawesomelasso is out for blood! Or, to read more about some of the failures of the recycling movement, see here. As an added benefit, they package most of their products in 100% or nearly 100% recycled material. We like Full Circle, they have numerous options for reusable alternatives to paper towels. @SBS_Science : A banana peel, in the paper recycling bin. We have had good luck with Twist Scrub Sponges. Moreover, paper towels used to clean dog poop should not be placed in compost heaps. Biodegradation, on the other hand, is simply the breakdown of material by bacteria or other living organisms. Box 239, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 255-5200 or (707) 256-3500, 2022 Citizen Communications, LLC | Privacy Policy, Devlin Road Recycling & Transfer Facility. Apologies for the artistic license. What happens if you flush paper towels? P.O. We use them to clean up messes, clean/dry fruit and vegetables from our garden kitchen, and even as napkins at parties and cookouts. You can use sponges and towels over and over to clean kitchen counters, spills, and clean your dishes. What is the Best Material for a Mattress Protector? But what sort of eco-warrior would compost a clean paper towel? Also, some facilities are very particular about what level of paper towel contamination theyll accept. Depending on how you use paper towels, chances are there is a replacement material that would work just as well, if not better.