Paper towel is purely a waste product. It cannot be recycled, meaning that it always ends up in the landfill. Each year millions of trees and cotton plants are cut down to produce paper. The paper industry as a whole has a significant adverse effect on the environment. In fact, paper alone makes up 27% of municipal solid waste in the United States.
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Some of this can be recycled, but the recycling process uses energy and resources and is far from perfect. The first step towards zero waste is to reduce what you use, and since paper makes up 27% of total municipal solid waste in the U.S., it’s a great place to start. If you’re able to divert your food scraps and yard trimmings from the landfill by composting, and eliminate your use of paper products, those categories account for about 55% of municipal solid waste generation in the U.S.!
So how can you reduce (or eliminate) single use paper products? Let’s explore alternative options to common paper products people use every day.
What Are The Statistics?
Before we dive in, I wanted to share some of the statistics around paper and paper towel use. The most unbelievable fact I found was that since 2008 the demand for paper towel has actually increased (4). Also, countries with a lower population, like North America, use the most paper towels.
A few additional facts to illustrate why cutting down on paper waste is key:
- Since 2008, there has been growth and opportunity in the paper towel industry.
- 13 billion pounds of paper towel is thrown into landfill each year—this equates to 45 pounds of paper towel a year per person
- If we all reduced our paper towel use by one towel per day we could save 500 million pounds of paper towels each year.
- Every few minutes around 200 tonnes of paper is produced.
- Half of all waste produced by businesses is paper.
- Paper accounts for 1/4 of landfill waste and 1/3 of local waste.
- The demand for paper is predicted to double in 15 years time.
- If it takes you 7 minutes to read this article, 1,050 acres of trees will have been cut down in that time (150 acres per minute)
The Environmental Impacts
The most grave environmental problem we are facing at the moment is deforestation. From all the trees that are cut down, 42% are used to make paper. A tree takes hundreds of years to grow, but only seconds to cut down.
A few environmental impact statistics pulled from The World Counts:
- To make one piece of paper, 10 liters of water is required
- 93% of paper comes from trees
- Each tree can provide oxygen for three people
- 100 trees are cut down every minute around the world
- Paper accounts for 1/4 of landfill waste and 1/3 of local waste
- The paper industry causes air pollution while at the same time taking away trees that produce oxygen
How To Reduce Single Use Paper Products at Home
Okay, I know you don’t need convincing to reduce your paper waste since you are reading this blog, but it’s always nice to keep some stats handy to remember why you’re committed to reducing your personal consumption. Let’s dig into the hows of reducing single use paper products around your home.
In the Kitchen
- Cleaning in general – Instead of reaching for paper towels, use an old rag to clean up or use a mop for larger spills on the floor that you can keep close by. If you have a really gross cleanup to do or need to use up your paper towels, you can compost them.
- Never use paper plates—use washable dining sets – You’ll be eliminating paper waste, and not to mention dining in a classy way every time. When you have a lot of guest over or are throwing a party, one creative solution I’ve seen is to have a cleaning station with a drying rack where guests can wash their own plates. It doesn’t take long, and most people are happy to do so!
- At the dinner table instead of napkins, use cloth napkins (like these) that you can throw in the wash. You might think this is a lot of washing, but it’s simply a matter of tossing them in with your regular laundry load—sometimes I put my organic cloth napkins in a garment bag for washing since they tend to get lost in the laundry. That being said, I don’t typically need to use a napkin for every meal I eat (sorry Mom).
Bathroom
The bathroom can be tricky. The first obvious place to reduce paper usage in the bathroom is to dry your hands using a towel or a hand dryer. Below are a few tips for alternatives to paper in the bathroom:
- An alternative to toilet paper – You should buy toilet paper made with recycled paper, or even better, an alternative such as bamboo. My favorite is Who Gives a Crap. They’ll ship your TP right to your house in bulk (no more having to run out to the store) and donate part of their revenue to a great cause. Installing a bidet
on your toilet is easy to do and can eliminate or greatly reduce your need for toilet paper. Otherwise, simply be conscious of how much toilet paper you use, try to only use two or three squares.
- Instead of using paper tissues use a handkerchief – First of all, they look awesome (these ones, for example). Second of all, buying tissues is a waste. If you’re in a pinch or just need to blow your nose really quick, you could reach for some toilet paper and just place it in the toilet when you’re done. No need to buy paper tissues.
on your toilet is easy to do and can eliminate or greatly reduce your need for toilet paper. Otherwise, simply be conscious of how much toilet paper you use, try to only use two or three squares. How To Reduce Paper & Paper Towels in the Workplace
Sometimes it’s necessary for offices to keep records on paper due to business requirements, however there are certainly ways you can help reduce the amount of paper waste in the office.
- Printing is the biggest problem in the workplace. You as an individual need to be pro zero waste. Try to make all your work electronic and talk to your colleagues about this issue. It’s much more productive to share documents through Google Drive where everyone can collaborate and documents are automatically saved and stored to Drive. If you have to print, reduce the font and print double sided.
- Always email coworkers rather than writing them messages on paper.
- When you have to use paper, be sure to recycle it when you’re finished with a project.
- In the bathroom, try to keep the rules above and always opt for the hand dryer over the paper towels if possible. You could even bring your own cloth napkin for drying your hands.
- In the office kitchen, use tea towels (such as these ones) rather than paper towels and always mop up if there is a spill. Advocate for your office to have ceramic mugs, silverware, and dishes for people to use as opposed to stocking up on paper plates and plastic utensils.
Benefits of Reducing Paper & Paper Towel
Reducing your paper and paper towel use has many benefits. You’ll find that you will save money by buying things that you can re-use like mops, cloth napkins, and handkerchiefs. No more having to remember to pick up more paper towels and napkins at the store. Of course, you’ll also be, in your own small way, reducing the amount of trees, oil and water that is used in the papermaking process. Not to mention decreasing your personal contribution to air and water pollution. Many chemicals, including bleach, is used to make paper and a lot of these chemical end up in the air or in the water system.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on other creative ways you’ve been able to reduce your use of paper—let me know in the comments.
If you’re following our steps to going zero waste, head over to Step 3: Make a Zero Waste System That Works for You on the Go.
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