How To Create A Paperless Kitchen – Sustainable Living Tips

A Paperless Kitchen Isn’t A New Invention

No paper towels. No paper plates. How would one ever survive? A few years ago I toyed with the idea of getting rid of paper towels from all future shopping lists. When Josh agreed to it, I was ecstatic! We have had a paperless kitchen for nearly 3 years now, and there’s nothing weird or abnormal about it. The house isn’t any less or more messy because of it. All it took was replacing paper towels with reusable paper towels.

We can borrow this lifestyle adjustment from kitchens of the past. There once existed a time before trees were so easily cut down to create little towels that could only be used one time. Many are paper towels are thrown away without ever being used! Before paper towels existed, all kitchens were paperless!

Quick Facts:

• Paper towels are made from tress in forests.
• We are losing forestland at a rate of 375 km2 each day. This is more than the total area of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware combined! (source)
• “According to U.S. EPA figures, 3,490 thousands of tons of Tissue Paper and Towelswere generated in 2009 of which a negligible amount was recycled.” (source)
• “Decomposing paper towels produce methane gas. Methane gas is a leading cause of global warming.” (source)
• “If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100 percent recycled ones, we could save 544,000 trees.” (source)
• “Every day, over 3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced in the US alone.” (source)
• “To make one ton of paper towels, 17 trees are cut down and 20,000 gallons of water are consumed.” (source)
• View 13 more Crazy Facts About Paper Products
• Other people are making the switch, too! Read why Lacey at Home & Harrow is switching to reusable paper towels.

My Cloth Towel Collection

My collection consists of three different types of towels:

• Flour Sack Towels – Buy them HERE >>
• Flat Fold Cloth Diapers by Gerber – Buy them HERE >>
• Ikea TEKLA Cotton Kitchen Towels – Buy them HERE >>

Tips for A Successful Paperless Kitchen

• Store your towels in a container or a drawer together in one spot.
• Make your towel storage part of the decor! Use woven baskets, wicker baskets, metal baskets, or even fruit baskets. Make it match the style of your kitchen.
• To start, purchase a minimum of 4 hand towels per person in your home.
• Wash towels every with your regular laundry!
• Designate specific designs are types of towels to specific duties. Example: I only use my flat folds to soak up grease from fried food. I use the flat folds in other ways, too, but I don’t use my flour sack towels or Ikea towels for this specific task.

I don’t recommend the typical dish towels that are sold in stores. The fabric that they are made from usually isn’t natural. This means that it won’t be as absorbent or helpful with messes. Towels made from synthetic fibers usually can’t withstand being washed a lot without becoming even less absorbent.