Friday, March 11, 2011

The Paper Towel Challenge

For years, I have been living as green as I can by recycling, reusing, organic gardening, composting, etc. However, when it comes to cleaning around the house, I am constantly struggling between using a rag or using a paper towel. I try to use a rag for a day or two for general cleaning around the kitchen, and then I throw it in the wash. When there is something I need to wipe up off the floor or there is a big mess, I tend to reach for the paper towels. Many times I believe I fear the spread of germs or washing too many rags. With the state of our landfills, I think the use of paper towels is worse than washing a lot. Besides, I would need to wash a lot of rags before it really would make that much of a difference.

For the next few months, I will keep track of how many paper towels I use per week starting on Monday.  I will post it here. Perhaps that will inspire me, and maybe you, to use less of them.
©Michelle A. Potter

5 comments:

  1. I like what you are doing! Depending on what I am cleaning up I just throw the dirty paper towel into my compost bin. They compost quickly and add to the garden soil. Of course if you are cleaning up anything that you would not put into your bin then don't put the paper towel in.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @PassAlongPlants.blogspot.com
    Great idea! We do throw them in the compost bin, but there are those times when I or my husband forget. I am hoping we can someday simply stop using paper towels. Thanks for visiting!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Paper Hand Towels are a common method of drying your hands in public restrooms.
    But Paper Towels have far more uses than that!
    A wide veriaty of Paper Towels exist; from Toilet Roll to C Fold Hand Towels,
    Z Fold Hand Towels and Interfold Hand Towels, for all kinds of uses.
    As well as coming in a number of colours such as
    White Paper Towels, Green Paper Towels and Blue Paper Towels!
    There are also Hygiene Rolls and Centrefeed Rolls for something other than Paper Towels.

    ReplyDelete
  4. wait since when couldnt you recycle clean paper Towels ?

    ReplyDelete

'I see trees of green, red roses, too
I see 'em bloom for me and for you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world'
--What a Wonderful World

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