Paper towels are in many ways a wonderful convenience. I can admit that. But they’re also really wasteful. Use, throw away. Many recycling programs won’t even take them. The fibers in them are too short.

About the only good thing you can do with them is compost them if they don’t have any harsh cleaning chemicals on them.

Better yet is to get used to using cloth towels. It adds a bit to your laundry, but perhaps not as much as you might think.

I love my microfiber cleaning cloths. For general cleaning they do a great job and last a long time. But for most jobs any appropriately sized towel you already own will do the job. But microfiber holds a lot of liquid as a rule, and doesn’t leave as much lint behind all the time.

Making the switch may cost a little upfront, but think about what paper towels cost you over a year. You will save money overall.