Reasons for Easy Eco-friendly Switches to Cloth Towels & Napkins

Paper towels can be composted if it is unbleached and not used with chemicals, which could be a great way to clean spills. Unfortunately if composting isn’t an option many of these single use items will add to the daily trash heap. Using cloths made of recycled materials for most cleaning opportunities greatly reduces the impact on the planet as well as wallets of consumers.

Having less in the garbage can every week is the ultimate goal, with this consumers could save money and the world will have less trash. Paper napkins are not necessary, cloth napkins do the job better, cheaper and without waste. Many already have cloth napkins but only use them for special occasions. Cloth napkins could also be made from fabric scraps or are easy to find in thrift shops for the less crafty.

The most environmentally friendly way to tackle napkins for meals is heading to a thrift store or creating some from fabric you have that’s not being used. If you were hoping to gift someone new napkins organic, linen napkins are the next best choice. The plant linen is produced from only needs rainwater to grow and when produced organically does not harm the environment. It’s always important to ensure the fabrics we buy are fair trade throughout the manufacturing process to support small communities and bring awareness to underpaid, overworked textile workers. Cotton napkins are an okay choice however to make them more sustainable we would have to use them for at least a year. The longer anything is used the more environmentally friendly it becomes.

Using cloth rags instead of paper towels cleans the mess better and keeps trash low. Most paper towels are not made from recycled materials and trees are not a renewable resource. The easiest way to switch from paper towels to cloth is by using your old, stained fabric. I have all of my towels in an easily accessible box under the counter, some like to wrap them around a paper towel roll for a nice aesthetic. I have a mix of some white cotton cloths people gave me and old cut up shirts. I have used the same towels for three years now and will never have to buy another paper towel roll.

At this point in the climate crisis we all are trying to come up with ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Moving away from paper products is a very easy way to vote with money. We no longer want these companies to chop down our forests for the convenience of a paper napkin or towel. Trees bring balance, the older trees are the more carbon they remove. Stop paying for trees to be chopped down.

Another important part of switching to cloth napkins and towels is to use them until they are dirty. Unlike the swipe and garbage of paper products these cloths will take longer to get dirty and using them until they need to be washed is the most sustainable. To keep the footprint low and the fibers strong of your cloths it’s also important to line dry.

If everyone stopped using paper products our landfills would be 26% smaller. With so many options it’s easy to make this switch from any paper napkins or towels to a fabric one. Keep the garbage lighter and our trees taller without using paper towels and napkins.

We made an app, Boycott That! Available for iOS and Android devices!

Boycott That is the app to start becoming a healthier consumer. For the wannabe zero waster, Boycott That has achievable sustainable switches for everyday items. The app is also perfect for helping to avoid companies that partake in animal cruelty and violate basic human rights.