Earth Girls Are Easy: Paper Towel Challenge

Paper Towel Challenge

Sophie says:

In an effort to reduce my waste and save some trees,  I began a Paper Towel Challenge in January.  My long term goal is to be completely paper towel free, but right now I’m just going for less dependent. On average, my household was using one paper towel roll every two to three days.

That's how we rolled!

Now ten weeks into the challenge, one roll lasts us eleven days!  Did I mention that I’m doing this challenge with… myself? That is, up until now.

Nina says:

I really don’t want to do this. I love paper towels! When I told Kali this she asked, “But don’t you love trees more?” No. No, I don’t. I don’t like trees. I don’t like outside. I don’t like leaving the house. But, fine. I’ll try it. Because this isn’t about me. It’s about the planet I’m leaving my children, and my children’s children, etc., etc., so forth, and so on.

Do you want to know how I got roped into this?

One day, a few months ago, Sophie and I were chatting on the phone. She was going through her budget/grocery spreadsheet thing-a-majig, and lamenting on how much paper towel they were using.

I was on the sofa, just finishing up a peanut butter sandwich that had been resting on a piece of paper towel. As we talked, one my boobs began to leak. I folded the paper towel into a square and tucked it into my bra.

“Sophie! I just reused!”

I gave her the details.

“First of all, you nasty. Secondly, why are you using a paper towel for your sandwich? Why not a plate?”

“That’s what they’re for! I don’t want to ‘waste’ a plate.”

Hee-hee

Then she explained the challenge…

Sophie says…

For me, it was just about using less. The day the light bulb went off, I had just witnessed my husband use THREE paper towels to sop up less than a ¼ cup of spilled orange juice.

When my mom would come over she would always put the snack on a paper towel, using Nina’s line, she didn’t want to “waste a plate.” Um, how is it wasting if you wash it? It’s the traditional reusable item. Ya use it, and ya wash it and ya use it again!

I decided then and there that I was going to crack down on paper towel usage. My husband’s not slow, really he’s not, but I had to remind him over and over again that we were doing this challenge… together… as a family. That means you can’t use four paper towels to line a plate to cook bacon in the microwave. You don’t have to use half a roll to clean the baby’s potty (even if it is a poopy one). And last but not least, you can not use paper towels for this…

Look Ma, no trees!

… no matter how funny it is.

How I Cut Back on Paper Towel Usage:

1) I use rags made from old towels to clean up spills around the house.

2) I also use these rags for cleaning counters, sinks, tables, etc.

3) I use paper towels, sparingly.

Another way to help is to buy paper products (toilet paper included) with recycled content and post-consumer fibers. Also, look for paper products that are unbleached or chlorine-free since the bleaching process requires toxic chemicals that eventually end up in our air and water.

“If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of 120 ct. virgin-fiber paper towels with our 100% recycled ones, we could save 1,000,000 trees.” -Seventh Generation

So before you do this…

Hold it, hold it...

think about it. Maybe you can use something else to clean up that mess.  Think about how many rolls you go through a week and just try to decrease it a bit. So far 11 days has been my best. I’m still working on it though.  How many rolls do you use a week? Any ideas for alternatives to paper towels? And how ’bout we all chip in and buy Nina some breastpads??

Nina says…

That ain’t funny.

So, what tips do you have to use less paper towels? How many rolls do you go through a week? Care to take the challenge?