(Slightly scary) Mr. Clown smiles down benignly

“Never use two when one will do!” That was the oft-intoned phrase employed by my mother, meant to control our rampant use of paper towels. I thought that for my mother, the issue was cost. She must have hated seeing us roll off two or three just to dry our hands. But she informs me that she was also a follower of the “Save a Tree” movement going on in the 70s, and drove her newspapers to a local resident who recycled, long before there was any citywide service. Way to go, mom!

So the tables turned on a recent visit with the folks when I found myself talking about paper towel conservation. M & D had become fond of the super-deluxe (like a t-shirt, practically), quicker-picker-upper style of paper towel. In the spirit of “never use two…” I suggested they might try the ones made from recycled paper. I told them they would not necessarily like these recycled towels, but to hang in there — they’re improving.

Paper towels are one of my favorite kitchen tools, so I was motivated to find a recycled brand. I also recycle several newspapers, which seemed hypocritical if I wasn’t willing to buy products (like toilet paper, also) made from them. Recycled paper towels have been, until recently, disappointing — they shredded easily and fell apart when wet. But the products have measurably improved. Most importantly, the more we buy and use them, the better they will get.

Pictured above are a few brands available now. Marcal and Seventh Generation are available in nearly any grocery store, including the one my mom goes to in Oklahoma. Seventh Generation first distributed the brown, unbleached variety, which I love, but now my grocery store only sells the bleached ones. Trader Joe’s has a house brand. Most are 100% recycled paper, 80% of which is post-consumer.

Guilt-Free Foil

At last another of my favorite kitchen tools, foil, has shed its evil ways. My fingers used to tingle with remorse every time I tore off a sheet. Reynolds has finally rolled out an aluminum foil from recycled aluminum, and that is a really big deal. Regular and heavy-duty, even, and no discernible difference between the new and the old. And why should there be? Metal is metal — melt it down, use it again.

Producing foil from recovered aluminum requires 80% less energy. Cha-ching for the environment. Bauxite ore, the rock that contains aluminum, is surface-mined, which leaves behind scarring and a sludgy polluted mess. Smelting the ore is energy-thirsty on a colossal scale. So recycling aluminum and using recycled aluminum products — Reynolds has gone one step further by making the box out of recycled paper and the inks are water-based — make that circle we’ve been waiting for.

Right now recycled foil may cost a few cents more, particularly than the generic brands, but at $2.99 for 50 square feet (Target) I was quite happy. And if we all buy it…well, you know the (w)rap.

Kelly McCune © 2009

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