Paper towels seem to be a brilliant invention. What is more convenient than a disposable towel that you don't need to clean or reuse? Just buy a new one and throw away the old one. What we may not have thought of when using paper towels is the extreme waste they produce and their environmental impact.
Paper towels were originally invented as a way for medical facilities to prevent the spread of bacteria. At first, these one-off products were not as popular as they are today, but they changed very quickly. Paper towels were quickly used in households across the United States, and waste was piled up.
Paper towel effect
Like any paper product, paper towels are made of trees. This means that every time you use a disposable towel, you use the inside of the tree to wipe your counter and surface. In your lifetime, you may use thousands of volumes, which is equivalent to the entire forest. Imagine that the local forest you have finished is completely cut off the paper towel!
It's not just the trees used for paper towels
Paper towels use more resources than trees. First, trees must be planted to make products. These may be grown on the farm or, more likely, they will only decrease. This requires heavy machinery and manpower to use the fuel to get the job done. These trees must then be transported to the facility for cleaning and disposal. This process will use more resources, such as oil, especially water.
Next, the product will be shipped to the packaging facility. From there, they will go to the warehouse to distribute, then go 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 fewer trees you cut.
Paper towels in landfill
Landfills are filled with disposable paper products such as diapers, napkins, printing paper, notebooks, paper towels and paper towels. There is no way to recycle or reuse many disposable paper products, such as sanitary napkins and diapers [not to mention it is unsanitary!]. What happens to these paper products? Sometimes paper products are biodegradable. The time required for biodegradation of paper towels varies, but is usually about one year. The thicker the towel, the longer it takes to break into the environment. Perhaps the biggest problem is that paper is not the only thing in paper products, and the paper towels we use are faster than they can biodegrade into the environment. We use our resources faster, instead of replacing them, and waste more quickly.
Chemicals in paper towels
Paper towels are more than just trees. In order to increase absorption, they have been affected by dioxins and other ingredients [the process is not disclosed on paper towels]. They are also bleached to make them appear white. The hazards of chlorine bleach have been well documented. Infants and young children are particularly susceptible to chlorine bleach. To reduce their exposure to these chemicals, limit the use of paper trays and towels. Instead, use regular plates, napkins and products that can be washed and reused.
Why do we need trees?
The trees give us oxygen and filter our air. Since the industrial era, the world has been producing emissions that pollute our atmosphere. Trees are one of our only hopes of helping to clean the air, and we cut them much faster than we can keep up with them. Trees also help filter soil and water and provide much-needed shade for our homes. Wild animals also depend on the presence of trees. Excessive use of trees can lead to the extinction of some species and somehow flow into humans. When we face the unwelcome prospects of climate change, we must keep as many trees as possible to help reduce emissions and filter the air we breathe. The United States is the largest user of disposable paper products, 50% more than Europe and 500% more than Latin America. Although people are aware of the consumption of disposable paper products, the consumption is still increasing, which makes the re-use of the promotion more important.
Packaging waste
As with most other products created today, disposable products are wrapped in plastic casings, adding to their overall waste. In addition to containing the product, the outer packaging is useless. After opening the product, it was thrown away. It cannot be recycled. These thin plastics take thousands of years to degrade into the environment. Unlike biodegradable items, this means that it never really disappears, gets smaller and smaller, and eventually enters our waterways and drinking water.
How to reduce consumption
To reduce the use of paper towels, try using reusable towels. Wring out the towel and rinse as needed. If necessary, clean the cloth in the washing machine. You will be amazed at how many times you can only extract your rubbish by reusing it. Having a lighter garbage load is a great feeling! If you live in a town where garbage is charged per bag, this may be another potential savings for you. For apartment buildings and apartments, the cost of bins and dump trucks can be stable, which can mean stable costs and returns. In other words, savings can be passed on to you.
Reusable cost savings
Reusable is not only good for the environment, but also good for your wallet. The cost savings will increase soon. The average cost of a pack of paper towels exceeds $1 per roll. A typical family may use several rolls per week, or even 3-5 rolls. This can really add up! There are around 3-5 dollars a week and there are many trees every week. It's hard to prove that cutting a few trees a week is just to wipe your counter, isn't it? By being reusable, you will immediately realize the cost savings. In contrast to disposable varieties, reusable products can be used repeatedly. Another benefit of reusable is that you don't have to pull around the towel in the grocery store. They take up a lot of space in shopping carts and stores! A small portion of the reusable footprint can be stored under the kitchen sink.
Orignal From: Paper towels - environmental impact
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