Paper Towel Challenge: How Did You Do?
May 30, 2008 by Peggy
The paper towel challenge has been a tad bit quiet, but maybe some of you are following along in silence. Or maybe you’re saving it for next month.
I feel that just keeping track of my use has helped me reduce my consumption of paper towels. I figured I was already being good by not using them to dry my hands, for napkins, or most cleaning jobs, but I found out I was reaching for them more than I thought. I used one roll from May 1-23, and have used a little of a second roll since then. I’m going to work on using even less in the coming months.
If you’re trying to lower your paper towel use, one inspirational tool you might try is a “These Come From Trees” sticker. The stickers are helping raise awareness in many places, particularly public restrooms.
One reader, Tammy, also suggested putting the paper towels in a less convenient spot, like under the sink.
Do you have any special tricks to help yourself remember to use fewer paper towels?
Here are the links to the paper towel challenge posts for this month:
Cold Turkey Paper Towels & and the What Questions
If you tried to reduce your paper towel use this month, please let us know how you did.
Image via stock.xchng.
I don’t really have a special trick. We used to buy paper towels for the worst yuck jobs, but when our inlaws moved in, the paper towels didn’t last a day. Normally a roll will last us for a week or longer. So, we stopped buying them at all.
No special trick here either — our paper towels are just upstairs in a closet so I hardly ever bother to go get them. Only when the dog, er, produces bodily fluids indoors, which is almost never. Perhaps the theme here is making them inaccessible? Then you have to be super motivated to go get them.
I know I have been quiet, sorry for that. We have barely gone thru the a whole roll. We were about half way thru the first roll at the beginning of the month and are about 1/4 of the way into the second. I think it might be the middle of the month by the time we are finished with this one.
Kisha, no sorries! : )
MamaBird, I still haven’t moved mine under the sink, but maybe I should.
Julie, nice to know you’re getting along without them.
I never use paper towels. For windows I use newspaper and rags for clean-up. If you don’t have paper towels in the house, you find other things to use.