7 Reasons to Stop Using Paper Towels

If you love your single-use paper products, don't read this

I can hear your protest as I type this:

“But paper towels are so convenient!”

“And you just throw them in the trash when you’re done!”

“I buy the recycled kind.”

Paper towels are evil. Here are 7 reasons to never use them again.

1. They contain formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that you don’t want anywhere near your food.

   

   Screenshot of information about formaldehyde toxicity from the CDC. To learn more read the 8-page PDF: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp111-c1.pdf

2. They also contain chlorine, used as a bleaching agent. Using chlorine as a bleaching agent releases dioxins and furans. These chemicals are devastating to human health, and to the environment.

3. They’re a main source of deforestation. It takes on the order of 17 trees and 20,000 gallons (nearly 76,000 liters) of water to make one ton of paper towels. According to this source, to offset the environmental damage, we would have to plant 51,000 trees every day.

4. Soiled paper towels are smelling up the landfills. Every time you drive by a huge landfill, inhale deeply. Then pull over to vomit. And never use a paper towel again.

5. They’re wrapped in plastic. Even the so-called “green” paper towels. And, as you already know, single-use plastic is bad, bad, bad.

   

6. The cost of paper towels add up. If you can barely afford groceries these days, you don’t want to be spending more money on paper towels. While a roll may seem cheap, don’t be fooled. The average American uses about 80 rolls of paper towels a year. That’s $160 a year. If you’re 50 years old, that adds up to $8,000 you didn’t need to spend.

7. They’re completely unnecessary. It’s so easy to use dishcloths or kitchen rags instead of paper towels. When they’re dirty, throw them in with the rest of your laundry. Wash on cold with DIY laundry soap. Hang to dry.

The cult of convenience is a marketing tool.

You’re too smart to fall for it.

Thrift some dish rags. Ask your friends for hand-me-downs.

Or, if you’re crafty, upcycle some used clothing into new-to-you UNPAPER towels. You’ll be generating so much less trash, contributing to your family’s health, and get bonus point bragging rights on Instagram and Pinterest.

Related articles:
Babies Eat 15 Times More Microplastic Than Adults
I’m Learning and Improving and Will Continue to Learn and Improve (I Hope)
DIY Kitchen Cleaner Takes Only Minutes to Make!

About the author:
Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D., is an award-winning science writer. Her writing has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine.

Talk to me, Substack! Are you a fluff-loving family or a paper product consumer extraordinaire? Are you happy doing things the conventional “convenient” way or actively trying to reduce the personal pollution you generate? If you’ve recently made changes in your life, what was your main motivation?