Yes, you read that correctly. The Synowiec household, inspired by Andrea's sister and The Knot's Eco-Friendly Family message board, have decided to forgo paper towels to reduce waste and help preserve the environment.
We used to use paper towels
- to wipe down the kitchen and bathrooms
- to clean mirrors and windows
- to cover food in the microwave to prevent splatter
- as napkins
Now we'll use our many washcloths for the kitchen and bathrooms, newspapers for the windows and mirrors (supposed to be better for a streak-free shine anyway), silicone splatter guards in the microwave (on sale now at Sur La Table!), and cloth napkins for meal time!
There is the start up cost to consider of the splatter guards and napkins, but I think we'll break even in a few months...definitely by the end of the year. We still have a big stash of paper towels in the basement if we can't handle going cold turkey, but we've done fairly well over the last year with our other eco-friendly living goals (recycling, non-toxic cleaning agents, cloth diapers and wipes) so I have high hopes.
If this venture goes well, I have a lot more ideas for the future! Maybe starting a compost pile? Getting low-flow shower heads? Investing in more efficient appliances? Trying to actually keep indoor plants alive this year??
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