Although paper towels are made of paper, they are not recyclable. Eilidh Dempsey lists the reasons in an article on utopia.org: "During manufacturing, the wood/cardboard gets pummeled and battered so much that all the natural fibers are broken down almost completely. Recycling this paper product at a later stage becomes impossible.
Not to mention the paper also gets a chemical treatment. Softeners, resins and glues are added to the paper fibers for better absorption, strength and smoothness, all of which are highly toxic. On top of that, bleaching often occurs at this stage of manufacturing." Unbleached paper towels, while still not recyclable, are compostable, and the cardboards tubes around which they are wrapped are recyclable. Dempsey suggests that the best way to reduce paper towel waste is to use washable cloth towels. Newspaper is also effective at "removing stains and streaks from glass surfaces like windows and mirrors"* However, "if you can’t quite resist them, then try to use just one square at a time. If need be, fold the square a couple of times to make it thicker, for those bigger spills. You can also reuse paper towels, especially if they were just used for mopping up water or spilled soap."*
*Eilidh Dempsey, August 16, 2021, "Are paper towels recyclable? What you need to know." utopia.org
photo by Susan O'Donnell
Not to mention the paper also gets a chemical treatment. Softeners, resins and glues are added to the paper fibers for better absorption, strength and smoothness, all of which are highly toxic. On top of that, bleaching often occurs at this stage of manufacturing." Unbleached paper towels, while still not recyclable, are compostable, and the cardboards tubes around which they are wrapped are recyclable. Dempsey suggests that the best way to reduce paper towel waste is to use washable cloth towels. Newspaper is also effective at "removing stains and streaks from glass surfaces like windows and mirrors"* However, "if you can’t quite resist them, then try to use just one square at a time. If need be, fold the square a couple of times to make it thicker, for those bigger spills. You can also reuse paper towels, especially if they were just used for mopping up water or spilled soap."*
*Eilidh Dempsey, August 16, 2021, "Are paper towels recyclable? What you need to know." utopia.org
photo by Susan O'Donnell
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