Yes, this is a blog article about bamboo paper towels. Because they are amazing and because every little bit helps.
Simple. They come in a package like this with the claim:
"1 roll replaces 6 months of paper towels. These rolls works like traditional paper towels with tear off sheets, but these ones are washable and reusable up to 80+ times before discarding"
And is it true? At the start of this experiment the bamboo towels looked like this:
After close to ONE FULL YEAR of use, including approximately over 80 uses/washes, the towels looked like this:
After each washing (normal cycle, mostly thrown in with clothing), the towels became softer, more absorbent, felt thicker, and remained absolutely lovely to use. We kept a basket in the kitchen where the clean towels could be refilled after washing and we and/or the kids could easily grab for use. Not only did we not miss traditional paper towels, but I actually started to prefer using these towels over traditional cloth rags for things like hand/face wipes as well as cleaning up spills etc.
94,000+ trees are cut down every day for household paper
Is bamboo the answer?
The more reading you do, it becomes clear that bamboo products are not perfect. Bamboo seems to be more sustainably grown for the most part, but also, it is mostly grown on mono plantations, which are created in place of existing biodiverse ecosystems. It also requires harsh chemicals for processing into usable form, which can lead to toxic waste added into the environment. Despite this, just the fact that one roll of these towels can be used for a year, in place of multiple roles of throw away paper varieties seems to justify their use in my mind (not to mention many times over save the slightly increased cost of purchase).
As a consumer frustrated with consumption, David Attenborough's words resonate:
“It is tempting and understandable to ignore the evidence and carry on as usual or to be filled with doom and gloom. We need to move beyond guilt or blame and get on with the practical tasks at hand.”
David Attenborough
For those interested, this seems to be on small practical step in waste reduction.
**Note: There is no product affiliation or promotional gains from this post. This is purely motivated by the desire of the author to move towards a zero waste lifestyle and based on the author's experience with this product.