We’re spilling the beans on non-toxic and eco-friendly paper towels. Whether wiping up said beans, acting as makeshift plates, polishing mirrors, or keeping your cast iron cookware rust-free, it’s hard to imagine life without this kitchen staple.
Unfortunately, conventional paper towels aren’t so wonderful for the planet. Besides being single-use and made from trees, they’re often processed with bleach and other toxic chemicals. And since paper towels aren’t recyclable (even clean ones), paper towel waste can rack up faster than you can say “spill in the microwave”.
No need to throw the towel in, though. There are alternatives that can mop up the mess without making a mess of the planet. And that’s what we’ve rounded up here, paper towels that are made with responsible materials that also have a better end-of-life outcome.
Our new Brand Rating System will now extend our consideration set to a much wider range of eco-related criteria, including climate impact, chemical use, customer safety and product performance. To learn more about this new selection system, see here and look out for the rated brands on the list below who have given us just that much more confidence in them.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
The Best Eco-Friendly Paper Towels For Conscious Clean-Ups
We love using Who Gives A Crap’s biodegradable paper towels made from bamboo and a sugarcane byproduct, they bring sustainable single-use options and punchy humor to homes everywhere. Who Gives a Crap has been comprehensively rated by us on their sustainability credentials – find the full rating here.
Marley’s Monsters’ 100% cotton cloths are designed to be used again and again. They’re also made in the U.S, and shipped in plastic-free packaging.
Index: Sustainable Paper Towels
- Who Gives A Crap Jump to brand
- Reel Jump to brand
- Marley’s Monsters Jump to brand
- Papaya Reusables Jump to brand
- Public Goods Jump to brand
Who Gives A Crap
Compostable
All or some products are compostable, either in an industrial facility or at home
Ethical Sourcing
Raw materials have been sourced ethically with people and planet in mind.
Green Energy
Brand exclusively uses green energy to power their headquarters.
Plastic-free
All products are entirely plastic-free
Recycled materials
Some or all products are made with recycled materials
Thoughtful packaging
Product packaging has been designed and created with the end of life outcome in mind and can be easily recycled or composted.
B Corp
FSC
Who Gives A Crap has been rated by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.
Price Range: $12–$36
Who Gives A Crap’s 2-ply sustainable paper towel rolls are tree-free and biodegradable. Bagasse, a byproduct of sugarcane processing, is blended with bamboo to make strong and absorbent paper towels free from added dyes, inks, and scents. Each double-length roll is shipped carbon-neutral and wrapped individually in plastic-free packaging. This consists of colorful paper ideal for repurposing.
As a paper towel alternative, they also offer Dream Cloths (Swedish dishcloths) made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cellulose and repurposed cotton.
Who Gives A Crap’s subscription service ensures you never run out of eco-essentials. 50% of every sale goes to charity partners working to provide clean water and healthy sanitation in places that need them most. For all the dirty details on this mission-based B Corp, listen to our podcast episode with founder Simon Griffiths.
My Personal Review Of Who Gives A Crap’s Paper Towels & Dream Cloths:
“I’ve tested out both their traditional disposable paper towels and their reusable Dream Cloths, and I love how they perform for different uses. The disposables are still my go-to for grease (for example, wiping out my cast iron skillet), while the reusable Dream Cloths are perfect for doing dishes, mopping up spills, and just general home cleaning and dusting. They last ages and in fact, I’m still using the same cloth I started with after months and months of use.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Reel
Reel has not been rated.
Price Range: $40–$50
Reel is the reel sustainability deal. Biodegradable and compostable Reel’s recycled paper towels are made in the US from FSC-certified recycled material (with a minimum of 80% post-consumer fiber). But make no mistake, these are 100% recycled paper towels, and the recycled material is sourced from North America.
Available for one-off purchase or via a subscription, Reel paper towels come in recyclable, plastic-free packaging.
On a mission to protect forests, this Certified B Corp uses fast-growing bamboo and recycled paper for its tree-free toilet paper, eco-friendly tissues, and paper towels.
Their freight shipping is carbon-neutral, and they partner with SOIL, a non-profit that provides toilets and ecological waste management solutions to communities in need. The collected waste is treated, turned into compost, and sold to support projects in Haiti.
My Personal Review of Reel’s Toilet Paper:
“Having tested them, I love how Reel rolls just keep on…well, rolling! They’re very large and, combined with our somewhat conservative use of disposable towels in general, that means one of these large rolls can last me upwards of a month. Each sheet is a single layer, but surprisingly strong and very absorptive. If cleaning with them, one sheet gets us a lot of use before needing to switch to another.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Marley’s Monsters
Marley’s Monsters has not been rated.
Price Range: $20–$64
Bringing some fun to your zero waste kitchen, Marley’s Monsters’ eco-friendly replacements for paper towels come in a variety of colors, prints, and styles. Made from single-ply 100% cotton flannel rolled onto a recyclable Kraft cardboard tube, the paper towels naturally cling together. An organic cotton option is available in white or natural.
You can also purchase an Unpaper towel refill (sans the cardboard tube) and roll them onto your existing paper towel holder.
Marching to the beat of their motto, “Live Colorfully, Tread Lightly,” woman-owned Marley’s Monsters makes products that resist disposable culture, including cloth napkins, pan covers, snack bags, scrubbers, reusable toilet paper (yes, really!), menstrual pads, cosmetic pads, and washcloths.
Marley’s Monsters is a BRING sustainable business. Products are shipped plastic-free, using recyclable and compostable materials.
Papaya Reusables
Papaya Reusables has not been rated.
Price Range: $16–$54
On a mission to make zero waste cleaning all the rage, female-founded Papaya specializes in one product: their environmentally friendly paper towels. You’ll find plenty of hot tips on their website, so you know exactly how to use and care for them.
Papaya’s fun and funky take on the Swedish dishcloth absorbs up to 15 times its own weight in water. That means each one replaces about 17 paper towel rolls.
Available for one-off purchases or on subscription, they also come with a hanging hook to make the transition from disposable to sustainable easy-peasy papaya squeezy.
Public Goods
Public Goods has not been rated.
Price Range: $7–$16
Made from non-GMO certified bamboo and sugarcane, Public Goods’ Tree Free Paper Towels are stronger and more sustainable than their conventional counterparts.
With no inks, dyes, or fragrances and processed without chlorine bleach, what you see is what you get with these 100% biodegradable paper towels.
One of our favorite ethical alternatives to Amazon, Public Goods is a one-stop shop for home and personal care essentials. The minimalist packaging design, transparent product information, and carbon-neutral shipping provide an easy, fuss-free shopping experience.
By planting a tree with every order via Eden Reforestation Projects, recycling and repurposing personal hygiene products with Clean The World, and regularly donating products to St. Mary’s Food Bank in New Jersey, Public Goods is doing the public (and planet) a lot of public good.
I’m afraid to try paper towels made from recyclable materials. Are they safe? Are they contaminated by sewage or trash bags? I see more of this product being advertised. Please advise.
Oh gosh yes, they are safe. They’re not recycled from trash or sewage luckily – typically from paper. Here’s what WGAC say about theirs: “We use 100% recycled paper for our US made products. Think post-consumer waste paper, things like textbooks, workbooks, office paper.” Hope that helps!
What are your thoughts on Geometry paper towels?
We haven’t yet given them a try Karissa!