When it comes to cleaning up around the house, few tools are as convenient as the trusty paper towel roll. But, like most things we use once and then throw away, these aren’t the most eco-friendly.
Made from wood fibers that are broken down and dyed with bleach, paper towels require a lot of water and energy to make. And when you consider the fact that Americans go through an estimated 3.7 million tons of them a year, the numbers become even more daunting. Plus, they are not typically recyclable.
While we still have a long way to go to make the home cleaning space more sustainable, there are now a few paper towel alternatives that are super absorbent (more so than, say, a dish towel) and either reusable or made from recycled material. Try ’em out during your next tragic matcha spill, and pat yourself on the back for taking a small action to help out the planet. After all, small steps are what eventually ladder up to sweeping change.