No one knew that when this handy product was invented it would soon account for over 25% of the waste in landfills! Are you part of the problem?
Some believe incorrectly that recycling a paper towel is doing their part, but really, they can not be recycled and the continued demand for paper towels only makes things worse. There are many “feel good” products out there, but remember that is just extending the life of the problem and is not the solution. These “feel good” products are a step in the right direction but not the final step.
If every household in America bought just one roll of recycled paper towels instead of a roll of virgin paper towels, it would save 544,000 trees, but the energy needed to make that roll of “feel good” paper towels isn’t any less.
If you are buying recycled paper towels and calling it good enough, know that these and virgin paper products are still the 4th largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. And in a time when some Americans don’t even have access to fresh water, the paper industry is the biggest industrial water user of all time, using around 11% of all freshwater in industrialized nations! Think about who you would rather see having access to fresh water: your kids or an industry tycoon?
So the next time you go to rip a paper towel off that roll think about the consequences that our planet is paying for these so-called conveniences. It’s just as easy to grab a cloth towel the next time you need to clean up a big spill. And let’s be honest anyway, even Brawny doesn’t always take “just one” to tackle those big spills. Using a cloth towel you know will actually get it all in one swipe sounds far more convenient!
So reach for the true “feel good” option the next time you see that chlorinated, water-hogging, Co2 emitting paper towel. Choose cloth over paper and feel good about the choice you’ve just made!
The Earth will thank you, and so do we!