Welcome to WEEK FOUR of the Sustainable Swap Challenge!
Just joining us? Find the 3 previous swaps here earlier in the farm blog.
SWAP #1: Reusable Bags
SWAP #2 Reusable Produce Bags
SWAP #3: Reusable Water Bottle
Now on to this week's swap: cloth kitchen towels to replace paper towels! This is a swap I'm extra excited about because it makes a huge difference environmentally and also can save you a TON of money.
Just in the U.S., we use and toss about 254 million tons of single-use paper towels each year. That equals as many as 51,000 trees a day. (I cried a little inside when I read that stat on EarthHero.)
But also, get this: The average family uses two rolls of paper towels per week, and at $14 for an 8-pack you may be spending up to $182 PER year.
So, if you have rags to use already, this is a quick win, but if you don't have them yet, you could still likely make your money back on the investment in some cloth towels in a pretty short amount of time, especially if you purchase some from your local thrift store or make your own.
Here are some suggested products: (items marked with an asterisk* are conscious life & style affiliate links)
Fair Trade Bloom & Give Milan Kitchen Towels (Set of 2 for $24)* | Made Trade
Fair Trade Bloom & Give Lily Towels (Set of 2 for $28)* | Made Trade
Stonewashed Linen Kitchen Towel in Gray and in White + Blue Stripes (1 for $25)* | EarthHero - Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE for 10% off!
100% Organic Cotton Dish Cloths in Gray or in Multi-Colored (Set of 3 for $7.50) | Amazon
Simple USA-Made Organic Cotton Kitchen Towels (Set of 6 for $20) | Amazon
Tips
(1) Choose natural materials when possible! Washing synthetic towels releases microplastics which enter our waterways, so it's important to choose natural materials, like organic cotton or linen, over synthetic ones, such as polyester. If you already have rags made from synthetic fabrics on hand, I suggest using a microfiber-catching bag when you wash the rags in your washing machine, such as the guppyfriend bag* which will stop the majority of the microplastics from being released.
(2) Other uses for kitchen towels beyond replacing paper towels: You can wrap bread or treats from the bakery in a cloth towel, you can use it to cover bowls when you place them on the counter or in the fridge, and you can use them to wrap snacks on the go. Check out this article from Hawnuh on Closed Loop Cooking for more ideas to make the most of your dish towels!
(3) To stick to this habit, try not purchasing paper towels at all! This is something I'm going to try to challenge myself with. I'll let you all know how it goes! (I'm thinking that I'll keep 1 roll in an inconvenient "just-in-case" spot to grab only for those not-so-glamorous farm life events like the cat puking on the rug.
I’m actually going to try making some reusable paper towels. I saw some clever ideas on Pintrest where the reusable fabric paper towels snap together with plastic snaps,, then you just roll it up and rip off a towel as you need, then toss in the laundry.
Check back next week for SWAP #5
*Just giving credit to Elizabeth over at conscious life & style, the sustainable swap challenge is her concept, along with most of the wordage in this blog entry, I’m just adding my two cents and trying to further this challenge. consciouslifeandstyle.com