Are Paper Towels Recyclable or Compostable? A Quick Guide

Every year we waste over 7 billion pounds of paper towels and other “tissue” materials, like toilet paper and Kleenex.

But what about composting or recycling them? Is this possible? Are there any eco-friendly alternatives to paper towels?

Let’s talk about it.

TL;DR

Unfortunately, paper towels (and toilet paper) can’t be recycled due to their short fibers, contamination with chemicals, and often being soiled with grease or food. While paper towel (and toilet paper) rolls are recyclable and compostable, the towels themselves are not ideal for composting due to potential contaminants like dyes and glues. The most sustainable approach is to reduce usage and choose alternatives like cloth towels, sponge cloths, microfiber cloths, or bamboo towels. To further reduce paper towel waste, try drying them for reuse, window cleaning, seed germination, and even absorbing excess moisture in refrigerators.

How Are Paper Towels Made?

Here’s how paper towels are made:

• Step One: Paper towels begin with wood, which contains cellulose fibers. These fibers are important for making the paper.
• Step Two: The wood is chopped up and mixed with chemicals and water. This turns the wood into a mushy mixture called pulp.
• Step Three: The pulp is cleaned to remove unwanted bits, like dirt or old wood pieces.
• Step Four: The clean pulp is spread out on big screens and flattened. It’s then dried to remove all the water.
• Step Five: Once dry, the flat sheets are rolled up into large rolls of paper.
• Step Six: The rolls are then put through machines that create patterns (like the little bumps you see on towels) and cut into the size of paper towels we use.
• Step Seven Finally, the paper towels are packed into rolls and prepared for shipping to stores.

And that’s how a tree becomes the paper towel!

Recycling & Disposal

If only recycling paper towels was as simple as the name sounds.

“It’s paper, right!? Of course, it’s recyclable!”

Not true, unfortunately.

Can Paper Towels Be Recycled?

While the cardboard rolls are recyclable, the towels themselves aren’t.

The reason? Here are a few.

• Paper towel fibers are very short and recycling requires breaking down fibers, and with paper towels, there’s not much left to break down.
• Paper towels are made with other chemicals like inks, resins, softeners, and sometimes bleach for coloring. These contaminate the recycling process
• Used paper towels are often soiled with grease, food, or other waste, which also contaminate the recycling process.

Let’s just say paper towels are the end of the road… the last stop…the final destination…you get it. This is as far as paper goes.

Now the rolls are a different story.

What about the Rolls?

Yes! Paper towel rolls are 100% recyclable.

They can be tossed in with your regular cardboard and paper recycling.

They are also compostable! All of our toilet paper rolls are torn up and tossed right in our compost pile.

Before recycling, just make sure they’re free from any residue or contaminants, as dirty recycling can ruin a whole recycling batch.

What About Paper Towels Made From Recycled Materials?

Even paper towels made from recycled materials are not recyclable.

So those eco-friendly paper towels that use old junk mail, newspapers, and other paper products to make paper towels… not recylable unfortunately.

This is for the same reason regular paper towels can’t be recycled- the fibers are just too short.

So whether you’re using Bounty, Seventh Generation, or EcoFirst, your paper towels are not recyclable.

Can They be Composted?

Sometimes, but with caution. However, we don’t recommend it.

Here are a few reasons we don’t recommend composting paper towels:

• If paper towels were used on anything that wasn’t water, food spills, or plant-based materials, it would contaminate your compost
• Paper towels can include toxic additives like dyes, inks, glues, and softeners which you don’t want in your compost
• Some paper towels can be composted if they meet certain conditions but it’s hard to know the exact materials used (and if they’re toxic or not) unless you were to contact the company.

“So if we can’t recycle them and shouldn’t compost them, what do we do?”

The answer is obvious- avoid them.

But we have solutions!

Sustainable Alternatives & Practices

There are many eco friendly alternatives to paper towels and even some creative practices to make the most out of the ones you have!

Alternatives To Paper Towels

The most sustainable way to deal with paper towels is to not use them or use less of them

There are many alternatives to paper towels that are sustainable, cost-effective, and great at cleaning up a mess.

Making the switch will reduce waste and save you a bunch of money in the long run.

I can only imagine the money we’ve saved by making the switch away from paper towels.

Here are some sustainable alternatives:

*You can find many of these eco friendly alternatives at Zero Waste Store (who also ships carbon neutral & plastic free!)

• Cloth Towels or Rags: Old t-shirts, towels, or sheets can be cut up and used as rags. These can be washed and reused multiple times.
• Sponge Cloths: These are hybrid between a sponge and a cloth. They’re absorbent and can be used for a variety of tasks, from cleaning up spills to wiping down counters.
• Microfiber Cloths: I love these for cleaning! I even use them to clean certain surfaces with just water. They’re the bomb 💣
• Unpaper Towels: These are cloths that are the same size as paper towels, often with snaps so they can be rolled onto a regular paper towel holder. They’re washable and reusable.
• Sponges: The classic cleaning tool, sponges can handle many of the tasks you’d usually grab a paper towel for.
• Swedish Dishcloths: Made of cellulose and cotton, these dishcloths are super absorbent and quick-drying.
• Bamboo Towels: Bamboo is a sustainable resource, and towels made from bamboo fibers are absorbent and reusable. A single roll can replace many rolls of paper towels.

Get Creative!

You may not be able to recycle your paper towels or compost them but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative!

Before my husband and I switched to more sustainable alternatives to paper towels, I tried to find ways to get every bit of use out of them.

Here are a few ways to re-use paper towels:

*Most of these apply to paper towels that were only used to dry up water. Very soiled paper towels aren’t practical to reuse.

• Dry & Reuse: As long as the paper towel was just used on water, drape it over something and allow it to dry for reuse.
• Cleaning Windows and Mirrors: Lightly used paper towels (that have only been used on water) can clean windows and mirrors without leaving lint
• Seed Germination: Seeds can germinate faster between moist paper towels before you plant them in soil.
• Oil Absorber in Cooking: Place fried foods on used but clean paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Absorbing Excess Refrigerator Moisture: Place a layer of paper towels in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator to absorb excess moisture. This can keep fruits and vegetables fresh for longer.
• Dusting: Use lightly used paper towels for dusting.
• I used to reuse paper towels to even clean off my paintbrushes!

As you can see, just because you can’t necessarily recycle your paper towels doesn’t mean you can’t give them another use before throwing them out!

Just get creative!

Until next time folks..

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