Are paper towels compostable? The short answer is yes, but, with one condition: The paper towel must be free of dairy products, fats, grease, lard, oils, meat or meat by-products, pet waste, chemicals, and anything that is contaminated (epa.gov.) Since PAPER TOWELS CANNOT BE RECYCLED, composting is the next best option. But, if the paper towel is contaminated, then it should be thrown in the trash.
ECO-FRIENDLY VALUES
Are you the eco-friendly type? You want to do right by our environment but you’re just not sure how?
I think you’ll agree that at this point in our history, most people are in this category. We haven’t even been raised to recycle properly, but when it comes to COMPOSTING, most of us are truly in the dark.
While this article covers composting paper towels, I would like to start by saying that it’s better and much more eco-friendly to replace paper towels with cloth alternatives, such as dish towels, wash cloths, and cloth napkins.
As a matter of fact, I believe in swapping paper for cloth so much that I wrote an entire article about it. It’s called, “The Best Replacements for Paper Towels and Napkins.”
However, since there are plenty of people who still use paper towels (including my husband,) I thought it would be a good idea to learn about how to dispose of them without putting them in the trash which equals landfill.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH COMPOSTING
I’ve had a compost bin that I bought at Costco for quite a few years now. But since I didn’t know how to start composting, it sat on the side of my house empty, gathering spider webs, for more years than I care to admit.
But last year I decided to take the plunge! I found the pamphlet, read it carefully, and placed my compost bin under a tree in the shade, as per the instructions.
I’ve been gathering scraps from the kitchen for more than six months now, and I’m sorry to admit that my compost bin has not yet produced any nice compost.
I cracked the bottom of the compost bin open recently, and alas, I saw a full-sized paper towel along with some twigs! It didn’t look as if it had been through any transformation whatsoever!
Then I thought more about it. The compost bin isn’t filling up. Even after six months, it’s still only half full. That tells me that there IS some decomposition going on, even if I don’t see the results yet.
Actually, I learned that compost can take quite a while to process. My compost bin instructions said to put twigs at the bottom. I believe that is to allow air to flow up from the bottom.
You see, in order to make good compost, you need brown material, green material, air and water.
Additionally, it seems like I’m filling up my kitchen food scrap pail faster than ever. So, if I wasn’t putting those food scraps into my compost bin, I would be putting them into the trash instead!
From there, it would go to my local landfill where it would be dumped on a hill with everybody else’s trash.
Finally, it will virtually never decompose because there is no air available to help break it down. Check out this Youtube video below to learn more about how a landfill works.
After that, it will be rolled until it is flattened with a huge landfill compactor. Next, layer after layer of trash is piled high until they cover it forever and pretend that it’s just a grassy hill!
On the other hand, in my compost bin, it WILL eventually decompose and become a soil additive.
So, my conclusion is that I’m much happier bringing my food scraps to my compost bin than putting them in my trash can.
Luckily, there ARE OTHER TYPES OF COMPOST BINS, and I’m going to try the type of bin that spins next.
You know, you can also check your local garbage company to see if you can throw your food scraps into your green waste bin, which you would generally use for lawn and garden clippings.
For now, I want to tell you a little bit about why paper towels cannot be recycled.
WHY PAPER TOWELS CAN’T BE RECYCLED
As I was researching for this article, I learned that paper towels are among the last products to be produced from recycled paper.
In other words, paper towels are already very low on the paper recycling chain.
The paper fibers are very short by the time it becomes a paper towel. For this reason, paper towels can’t be recycled any further.
Apparently, paper, like computer paper, begins with longer fibers, and so that type of paper CAN be recycled.
But as the paper continues to be recycled, the fibers get shorter and shorter. By the time it becomes a paper towel, it cannot be recycled again, but it CAN BE COMPOSTED.
For example, some of the types of paper that have shorter fibers (and cannot be recycled) are paper towels, napkins, tissue paper, wrapping paper, and even newsprint (surprise)!
HOW TO COMPOST PAPER TOWELS
As I stated earlier, I discovered a fully, unchanged paper towel at the bottom of my compost bin.
I learned that paper towels will decompose better if they are torn up into smaller pieces.
Additionally, be sure that your mix of scraps is equal: “browns” to “greens” and that your compost bin has air and water.
Now, my compost bin doesn’t require me to add water. There is water in my coffee grounds, wet fruit, and veggies.
My best advice is to follow the directions that come with your compost bin.
QUICK COMPOSTING GUIDELINES
You see, in order for decomposition to happen, you need three types of materials: Greens, browns, & water:
- Browns – dead leaves, branches, and twigs, paper, etc.
- Greens – grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds, etc.
- Water –
- NOTE: Air – depending on the type of compost bin.
Also, be sure to chop or shred the larger ingredients so that they will decompose faster.
*For more information on composting at home, click this link: EPA.GOV
How To Layer Browns & Greens
When adding equal amounts of browns (dry) and greens (wet,) it is better to layer the browns on the bottom and the greens on the top so that the wet ingredients can seep into the dry ingredients.
For instance, think of a layer of browns (dry) like shredded paper, dried leaves, nutshells, cardboard, hay/straw, or cotton rags.
Envision how absorbent that would be. Now think about adding the greens (wet) ingredients on top, like fruits & veggies, eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds.
Can you see the wet ingredients soaking into the dry ingredients? That’s the best way to do it.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR PAPER TOWELS TO DECOMPOSE?
According to the website Conserve Energy Future, since paper towels are made from trees, they will decompose. It may take two weeks to a month to decompose in your compost pile.
OTHER RESOURCES FOR COMPOSTING AT HOME
FindaComposter.com: Plug in your zip code to find a composting center near you.
*EPA.GOV – Composting at Home: Gives general guidelines for composting at home.
compostguide.com – This website is all about composting and answers many specific questions that you might have.
NRDC – works to safeguard the earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. This article covers all types of home composting in-depth.
NPR : How To Start Composting : Life Kit – This article also has a link to their related NPR audio podcast.
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS ARTICLE.
HAPPY COMPOSTING!
