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Paper towels seem like a brilliant invention. What’s more convenient than disposable towels that don’t need to be cleaned or reused? Just buy the new one and throw the old one away. What we may not think about when using paper towels is the extreme waste they create and what their environmental impact really is.
Paper towels were first invented as a way for medical facilities to prevent the spread of germs. At first, these disposable products were not as popular as they are today, but that has changed quickly. Paper towels were soon used in households across America, and waste began to accumulate.
Paper towel effects
Paper towels, like any paper product, are made of trees. This means that every time you use a disposable towel, you are using the inside of the tree to wipe the countertops and surfaces. In your life, you will probably use thousands of buns, which is the equivalent of a whole forest. Imagine the local forest you walked through completely cut down only for paper towels!
Not only trees are used for the production of paper towels
Paper towels use many more resources than just trees. First you need to grow trees to produce a product. They can be grown on a farm or, more likely, they are just cut. This requires heavy equipment that uses fuel and manpower to get the job done. These trees must then be transported to the plant for cleaning and processing. The process will use more resources such as oil and especially water.
Then the product will be transported to the packing room. From there, they will go to the warehouse for distribution, then to the grocery store, and then to your home. Imagine the amount of fuel used to transport these trees! This means that the fewer disposable towels and paper products you use, the less trees will be cut.
Paper towels in landfills
The landfills are filled with disposable paper products such as diapers, napkins, printer paper, notebooks, handkerchiefs and paper towels. It is not possible to recycle or reuse disposable paper products such as sanitary napkins and diapers (not to mention they are not hygienic!). What is happening with these paper products? After all, paper products are biodegradable. The biodegradation time of paper towels varies but is usually around one year. The thicker the towel, the longer it will take to break down into the environment. Perhaps the biggest problem is that paper is not the only ingredient in paper products, and that we use paper towels faster than they can biodegrade in the environment. We use up our resources faster than we can replace them, and waste accumulates even faster.
Chemicals in paper towels
Paper towels are not only trees. To increase the absorbency, they have been treated with dioxins and other ingredients (the process is not disclosed on the roll of paper towels). They are also bleached to give them a white color. The dangers of chlorine bleaching have been well documented. Babies and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to chlorine bleach. To reduce their exposure to these chemicals, limit the use of paper plates and towels. Instead, use regular plates, fabric napkins, and products that are washable and reusable.
Why do we need trees
Trees give us oxygen and filter our air. Since the industrial age, the world has produced emissions that pollute our atmosphere. Trees are our only hope to help clean the air, and we cut them down much faster than we can keep up with their replacement. . Trees also help filter soil and water, and provide much-needed shade for our homes. Wildlife also depends on trees. The misuse of trees will result in the extinction of some species, one way or another will affect the human species. As we face the undesirable prospect of climate change, it is important that we grow as many trees as possible to help reduce emissions and filter the air we breathe. The US is the largest user of disposable paper products, consuming 50% more than Europe and 500% more than Latin America. Despite awareness of the consumption of disposable paper products, consumption continues to rise, making it even more important to spread the word that they will be reusable.
Packaging waste
Like most products created today, disposable products are wrapped with an outer plastic shell, which increases their overall waste. The outer packaging is for storing the product only. Once opened, the product is discarded. It cannot be recycled. These thin plastics are photodegradable in the environment for thousands of years. Unlike biodegradable products, this means it will never really go away, it will just keep getting smaller and eventually making its way into our waterways and drinking water.
How to reduce consumption
To reduce the use of paper towels, try using a reusable towel instead. Twist the towel and rinse if necessary, machine wash if necessary. You will be surprised how fewer times you take out the rubbish simply by going to reuse. It feels great to have a lighter load of rubbish! If you live in a city that charges for a garbage bag, this is another potential savings for you. In the case of apartment complexes and apartments, this may mean stable fees and rents due to the stability of the rental costs of dumpsters and tippers. In other words, the savings can pass to you.
Reusable cost saving
Reusability is not only good for the environment, but also good for your wallet. Savings add up quickly. The average cost of a pack of paper towels is well over $ 1 per roll. A typical family probably uses a few rolls a week, maybe 3-5. It can really add up! That’s around $ 3-5 a week, plus lots of trees a week. It’s hard to justify cutting down a few trees a week just to clean the meters, right? By switching to reusable use, you will immediately realize the cost savings. Unlike the disposable variety, reusable can be used multiple times. Another advantage of being reusable is that you don’t have to carry towels around at the grocery store. They take up a lot of space in the grocery cart and store! Reusable, they take up a fraction of the space and can be stored directly under the kitchen sink.
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Source by Danielle Nihill