Could you live without most modern paper products?
“What Could I Live Without?” is an exercise to challenge our thinking about habits and products that we take for granted in our modern world.
My intent is not to demonize the use of any product or service, but to look for alternatives and options to enhance a sense of self-reliance.
Paper products are likely the most overused commodity of today. From disposable diapers to paper towels to baby wipes, we all use paper products without much thought every day.
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the use of paper products, due to the fact that they clutter up land fills. However, as someone who has sought alternatives to paper products over the years, I have to question the efficiency of using electricity, water and soap to wash these alternatives. Whether you choose to pollute valuable ground water by washing or fill up another landfill, you’re contributing to your carbon footprint.
Limiting my need for and dependence upon paper products is my primary concern. Let’s examine a few common products and discuss alternatives.
Paper towels: I must say that I’ve never been much of a paper towel user. Growing up with a kitchen towel always handy, I still don’t use them to dry my hands. As I often see advertised, I do not use paper towels to clean up messes, a dish washing rag does the job around here.
Rags are frequently used in our home for chores, then thrown in the wash. That being said, it doesn’t take long to create another load of laundry for Mom to wash. Here again, sometimes I question if it’s worth the time, soap and labor to completely avoid paper towels.
The real question is could you give them up, if needed? What option can you best sustain?
Exercising our other options frequently can loosen our dependency on the modern day convenience items.
Disposable diapers: I love cloth diapers, but I didn’t always. Actually, my introduction to the world of cloth diapers came with a bit of duress, for which I am thankful for now. As the babies came over the years and my experience grew, I began to sew my own cloth diapers to make up for deficits in design that I couldn’t tolerate. This step alone contributed to my overall success with cloth diapers and I stuck with them for many years.
I’ve had two toddlers at a time in cloth diapers. I’ll admit that it takes a commitment to stick with it, but I saved so much money that it was worth it. Saving disposable diapers for when we went to church (nursery workers don’t like cloth and I don’t blame them!) worked well.
I kept a lidded 5-gallon bucket, with a little bleach and detergent in the water, in the kitchen to toss dirty diapers in. There was never an odor once the soiled diapers hit the water, and I washed them once a day before bedtime.
Feminine products: We’ve come a long way, baby! With products like Luna pads and the Diva cup, every female should educate herself about what options are available these days!
Paper napkins: I’ve done all that can be done here, let me tell you. At the end of the day, I’m sticking with paper napkins. With 9 kids and 27 meals served (at least!) at day, it just doesn’t pay off.
For smaller families, cloth napkins are a beautiful touch at the table. They are economical, elegant and sustainable….unless you’re me. 
*****
Have you ever given much thought to your use of paper products? Are you opening to loosening their grip on your daily habits??
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About kmorris
Hi Kelly, great post. I liked reading your thoughts on paper products. You right that it’s easier for smaller families to use some of the items like cloth napkins. I’ve also found that we don’t generate so much that it has increased our wash – we just throw them in with some of the clothes. There are five in our home, but if we used a fresh one each meal, it would add up. Instead, I bought a plastic accordion file, labeled each section with someone’s name, and we drop their napkin in there until the next meal (because I don’t like to leave them out). This works fairly well because we don’t typically get them too soiled at breakfast or lunch and after dinner, with throw them in the laundry basket. I’d love to hear how other readers do this! My next goal is to eliminate paper towels, but THAT would really bump up the wash! I like white rags/towels, because I can bleach them if necessary, but they look awful so quickly despite bleach. Any suggestions?
Hey Amy!
I must admit that my rags and towels look pretty “ratty” as well, I think it just goes with the territory. Around here, everyone knows that whenever it’s Mother’s day or mom’s birthday to buy me new kitchen towels. I’m hard on them and I use them continually.
Have you tried OxyClean instead? That might help.
I’ve stocked up on cloth napkins and thrift stores very cheaply. When soiled they go into a basket in the laundry room right off the ktichen. They sit till laundry day. I have plenty. We love using them and I haven’t bought paper napkins in years. Thanks for all your share. I love learning how others are doing things.
Kathy,
I’m glad to hear that you found a way that works for you!
I’m busy sewing napkins! And I have a stash of cloth diapers — to use instead of paper toweling. I never had kids, but I would be happy to sew some if someone in the family wanted them. I don’t know about the fem. stuff. Lots of issues over the years and thankfully that’s nearly resolved — of course that comes with advanced age.
Clee,
Thanks for your comment and offer to sew for others! It’s great to hear from you!
The only paper we use is toilet paper (for toilet needs and blowing the nose) and feminine hygiene. I’ve replaced everything else. I don’t look at the landfill issue as paper composts. I also don’t look at the water issue unless we are in a drought. When in a drought I use an old wringer washer on the back porch and save the water to water the garden. As for washing all those cloth napkins…I only put napkins on the table if we are having a particularly messy meal. I do this because I found myself washing a lot of clean napkins that no one ever touched. If someone needs a napkin, they are free to get up and get one.
Carol,
As usual, you have good suggestions! Good stuff, thanks for commenting.
The paper product we use the most is toilet paper. I cloth diaper my 10 month old and did my 2 1/2 year old till he potty trained. He still uses cloth at night and nap times. We use disposables on vacations or when i get lazy or behind on laundry. I also have some cloth for myself but have so pads that I got free from rite aid, I use those most of the time. We dont normally use many paper towels or napkins. In the summer months, I take the kids shirts off to eat then wipe them down with the wash cloth when they are done.
Hey ‘Jdara,
Great to hear from you, sounds like you’ve got a pretty cool system.
We have used cloth napkins for years. We reuse the same one until it is dirty. When I was a child, we did the same thing…everyone used a different color one until it was dirty, then got another. ( We use our towels the same way.) We do use paper towels for the worst messes and to drain fried foods. Bathroom tissue is a neccesity to us. I no longer need feminine products, due to surgery at an early age, but I would purchase products for that if needed, for sure. I used cloth diapers for all four of our children. Of course, in an emergency, we would all have to make some changes in our lives, but some modern conveniences are worth it to us.
Mary,
Great thoughts! Thanks for commenting!
Great post, it is interesting to think about what we use, and what we can do without, or what we can switch to a reusable product. I only use paper towels for draining fried foods, which is not too often, and big cleaning jobs, most of the time I do not have any here at the house at all, and I rely on my rags. I only use paper napkins at parties but I don’t have a large family, we just use kitchen towels if we need one at dinner. As far as the rest, I don’t know what I would do without TP and personal products- that would be difficult to switch. Interesting to think about. Thanks~April
April,
As distressing as it is to think about, most people in the world don’t have access to TP. It’s leaves or nothing….yeah, I know.
I think sticking with what’s culturally acceptable has it’s merit as well. When in Rome…..
Thanks for commenting!
I use cloth diapers but not wipes, I have one of those fancy, new HE washers that just doesn’t get them clean, I have to use a toilet sprayer to get the cloth clean enough for the washer.
Lela,
Cloth diapers take more work, that’s for sure. It’s worth it though! Thanks for commenting!
I am confused. How do you change the luna pads or empty the diva cup when you are out and about? I can understand if you were at home and could pitch it straight to the laundry, but I couldn’t imagine carrying a used one in my purse. Is it just for home use?
Kara,
My assumption would be that cloth diapers and sanitary napkins would both work best at home.
While they can be used while out, I would think that you would need a “plan” to make it work for you on those days….:)
Just carry a waterproof bag with you to put used pads in. Either a “wetbag” or a grocery sack will do.
Hi,
I have given up everything but toliet paper! Just wanted to stop by and say hi and invite you to stop by my new blog, Simple Pleasures.
Thanks,
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for the post. This is my first visit to your blog and I have enjoyed reading.
I echo Kara’s questions. I’m unsure about the luna pads and diva cups. We did eliminate paper plates from our cupboards. Not for an enviornmental stand but when I look at our budget we spent a great deal on them and they aren’t necessary. My husband pointed out a few weeks ago that we go through a good number of papertowel rolls so I am presently trying to reduce that use and eliminate if possible.
Conversely, I don’t think we need tissues (toilet paper does the same thing) but my husband thinks we do. How ironic!
Blessings
Hey Danielle,
See my response to Kara’s question. I’ve heard a lot of college-aged and 20-something aged women who love the Diva cup and I would assume they are on the run all day. The pads could be more challenging, but possible, depending upon your situation.
I hate tissues. Only use TP as well. The only time I buy them is when a number of kids are sick and have red, sore noses.
I’ve gone over this issue many times over the years, for financial and green reasons. I’ve used a stash of store bought rags in the kitchen for years. They’re not as pretty, but they work for washing and drying and I just get a large amount and throw out the ones that get too frayed. As for greasy food, this might sound unsanitary, but I use grocery paper bags to blot out the grease and I put baked cookies out on them. We’ve never gotten sick from doing this.
I have nine kids too and have used cloth napkins forever. They’re the easiest sewing project ever and you can use any small piece of material you have left over from other projects or cheap at a garage sale, etc. I don’t set them out for everyone at every meal. We have a napkin holder in the middle of the table and we take them as we need them. They really don’t add much to a load at all, the folding a little more, but not much.
I love my tissues, though, I’ve never gotten away from those, tried, but you have to decide what your priorities are, same goes with toilet paper. I suppose we could if we had to, but we don’t have to.
This is such a great thing, and I have started just never completed this project!! Thanks for the reminder!!! We can all do better!!!
Moira
We have been working on replacing our paper goods too. The cloth napkins I will be doing when we run out of paper napkins. We truly only eat one meal at home during the weekday and three meals on the weekends. Using cloth napkins would be a good thing. I am still trying to decide on toliet paper. I just don’t know if we could give that up. If need be, you bet, but it will be a hard sale with the kids! I use kitchen rags all the time. I never use a paper towel. The feminine products I don’t know what to do about. The girls that use them at my house are dedicated tampon users. I don’t know if I could get them to try the Diva Cup. I plan on trying it! Thanks for the great post!
Kelly, encouraging post. I’ve very rarely bought paper towels, but I do buy napkins. Since we’ve had a baby, now toddler, who gets into cloth napkins, my husband doesn’t like to use them, because he’s afraid they
get dirty.=( But I did have a question for you, you said you sewed your own cloth diapers. I was wondering if you could give me any hints about that. I use cloth, but I’m not the most excited about what I’ve got; it has saved me a ton of money though. I’ve been enjoying your blog. Crystal
Hmmm… Well, I’ve used cloth diapers with all of my children and like you I had several kids in cloth at one time. Actually, 3 kids at once. So for me cloth was the way to go. I was a stay at home mom and we only had Pampers Ration for day trips, DR. appts, etc.
As for kitchen paper: Use cloth napkins. Use recycled cotton T-shirts for nasty spills, DON’T use paper towels or paper napkins or paper plates (except at family gatherings IF SOMEONE ELSE OFFERS TO BUY…)
Now for the bathroom: We are empty-nesters on a limited income… So you can guess what I’m about to say.
Like you, I keep a small bucket near the toilet with bleach water. The hardest part was remembering NOT to flush the cloth!
I buy used flannel (ie: shirts, PJ’s , bed sheets , pillow slips and receiving blankets at yard sales, thrifts, etc) I remove the buttons and any other items that can be re-used and cut them into 5″to 6 ” inch squares… I’m guessing. (it’s not a science; it’s toilet cloths…LOL)
Depending on the color of the flannel–(usually the receiving blankets) I cut and sew the edges and put into a basket in the living room for HANKIES. With the grands the flannel is so soft on their little noses.
I wash these every other day or so– in HOT water, and hang them out in the sun to dry. It’s not so bad really.
Now don’t think I don’t buy paper– because of course, we do have company on occasion and well, we don’t expect everyone to do this.
I haven’t done a cost comparison of washing verses not having to wash. Like I said, I use a clothes line. I might also mention– our trips to town are becoming fewer and fewer. We only go when necessary. So now, we don’t even have to make an emergency trip to the store for T.P.
Interesting topic. Loved reading everyone’s reactions.
You asked:
Are you opening to loosening their grip on your daily habits??
I think we have! =D
Pat,
All I can say is that you ROCK! I’ve never heard anyone admit to using “toilet cloths”, I really admire your ingenuity and guts to be different. I may just give that further consideration.
With lots of “littles” at home, I wouldn’t dare try it with them. Lord knows whatever we might save in terms of toilet paper would surely be consumed by the plumber bills.
Love you blog too! Thanks for sharing.
This is one area where I think we’re doing pretty well. We use only cloth napkins (there are only seven of us and I throw them in with various loads of laundry), very few paper towels (and those mainly for draining bacon or cleaning up a cat or dog mess), cloth diaper at home and use mama cloth and the Diva cup. My 10 YO does use disposable hygiene items as she goes to school and hasn’t started with a Diva cup yet. I have used a small “wet bag” (the type that might hold one or two cloth diapers) in my purse when using cloth pads when not at home, but often do use paper products and/or the Diva cup when out. As for what to do with the Diva cup when out, wash hands before going into stall, then you can remove, empty and wipe out with TP, then reinsert ( I believe the directions even say this is okay occasionally, as long as it’s not done every time since you do need to wash it most times). The good side to it is that it doesn’t need to be done as often as with other products so, unless you’re out all day, might not be an issue or only have to be done once.
The area where we have not even attempted to switch is TP. In theory, I like the family cloth idea, but in reality with several young children, it’s a bit overwhelming to contemplate. We do use cloth wipes for the baby as I can just throw them in to wash with the cloth diapers and they do a much better job of cleaning him.
Great comment and points, Cathy. Thanks for the info on Diva cup!
For those with questions about using the Diva Cup on the go, this is from the Diva website under FAQ: http://www.divacup.com/en/home/faqs/
Thanks, Cathy!
Re: Diva Cup–This is easy to wear out and about because except for my heaviest flow day, I keep it in for 8-12 hours and wear it with a backup liner. I often completely forget it’s that time of the month! If desperate, just empty it out and re-insert without rinsing in a public restroom. It takes some getting used to, but it’s great!
Re: Cloth Napkins–we use our napkins up to a week at a time in our house. We use dark colors such as Navy blue, and whenever the napkin starts looking messy, I just refold it so the other side is pointing outwards. We use placemats, too, and I have the kids take them outside and shake the crumbs out whenever necessary. I wash everything weekly with a load of towels.
Re: Paper towels–I use these, but only for two tasks: Grease wipe up and cleaning windows (I’ve tried newspaper and other cloths, and still prefer paper towels!)
Michelle,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, so helpful!
I try my best not to use many paper products. We use paper towels only for cleaning the outsides of the toilet and other “icky” situations. I love using cloth feminine pads, and our baby is due in October and his/her cloth diaper stash is ready to go!
April,
Good for you! That’s great!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for including alternatives to disposable menstrual products in your post! I noticed some of your readers voiced concerns on how to use and transport cloth pads or the DivaCup when out of the house.
The great thing about the DivaCup and other menstrual cups is that you are literally wearing the only thing that you need for your period. You don’t hae to carry any extras with you. The cup can be worn for up to 12 hours depending on how heavy your flow is. When it’s full or 12 hours have passed, you simply empty it into the toilet, rinse or wipe it out and re-insert. That’s it!
For Lunapads or other cloth pads, you just need to carry a small wet bag with you in your purse when your out of the house. Something like this: http://lunapads.com/extras/moon-pad-bags.html
All you do is throw your used Pads or Liner Inserts into the bag until you get home. You might think “Who would want to carry around a smelly used pad in the bag all day?” but one of the best things about cloth pads is that, unlike plastic disposables, they don’t stink!
Morgan,
That is very helpful information, thank you!
Great article! Something else to consider with whatever paper products you do use is that if they don’t have meat, milk, blood, or chemicals on them, they can go into the compost and quickly turn into dirt for your garden! That’s what we do with paper towels that we use for spilled vegetable oil, etc., that would mess up a cloth towel.
I love the Diva Cup, even though it doesn’t last anything like 12 hours for me on the first couple days and I work outside the home; it is MUCH EASIER than carting around disposable products. Here is my very detailed article on menstrual cups.
We use handkerchiefs instead of tissues and love them so much that I actually have to remember to dust our one tissue box before guests come over!
About a year ago I cut up some worn-out cotton knit clothes and started using cloth just for pee. It’s much less of a sanitary or odor issue than if we were using it for poop. I just wash it with my regular laundry. It feels so different in my hand that I’ve never dropped one into the toilet by mistake. I feel much “fresher” using them, and I avoid having intimate moments interrupted by his finding a shred of toilet paper on me! :-p I also like getting to choose which color to use and getting to keep using some favorite fabrics after the garments wore out.
Becca,
Great ideas and links, thanks for commenting!
We cloth diapered our twins, but used disposable diapers at night and when we went out. For years we have used cloth napkins, but keep paper ones around for parties or others. Same with the paper towels, we keep them on hand but we primarily use cloth rags (worn out towels cut into squares the size of paper towels). We rarely use paper plates, except for picnics or parties. As far as feminine hygiene items go, I have been using cloth pads that I made (keep a covered plastic tub filled with soapy water for the soiled ones to soak). I use disposable items when I go out or go on vacation. My active teenage daughter uses disposable hygiene items exclusively. And lastly, there’s toilet paper. I am the only one that has ventured into this. Again, a covered container with soapy water for them to soak. I have not noticed an increase in the laundry. I just throw the cloth items in with other loads.
Always like to read posts like this one!
A. Astates,
I am so proud of you! You’ve got it all covered!
We used cloth diapers when i had babies, made our own baby wipes from washcloths, We girls use cloth pads (using a small drawstring bag like Morgan mentioned when I go out ), cloth napkins I bleach when needed, and cloth toilet paper (i cut up old flannel clothing to make this) i keep a small separate lidded wastebasket in the bathroom for this. We old fashioned hankies for sneezing . I try to make everything we use reusable!!
Tami,
That’s awesome.
We have greatly simplified life at our home. We are currently living in a “home with a hitch” (my quainter way of saying a camper!) and space is limited for all the extras. We too use old burp cloths for most things. We have paper towels only for emergency back up (like when the dog lost her stomach this morning) or when quest come over. I am sold to luna pads and diva cup. I tell everyone about them. Also check out the P-style!! Great for around the barn or hiking or whatever keeps you away from a sanitary restroom! Old flannel sheets make great cotton balls. However, I have not ventured away form TP……..not ready for that. And I love real tissues when the snots flying during cold season! Give a little, take a little.
This has been a very interesting topic indeed. I don’t normally read through the comments like I did for this one. I am amazed how many people use Luna pads or equivalent. I had never considered it before, but now you all have me thinking on it.
I use cloth diapers for my youngest. It is quite easy to use them once you get into the routine. I still use disposables off and on, but I figure every little bit helps.
I like to use cloth napkins as well. I usually throw them all in a load with dish towels. We use the paper napkins when the cloth are all dirty and in the wash.
Paper towels are generally use for greasy messes and cleaning. I don’t like to use them, but the family does. I prefer to use a cloth to wash things.
I generally don’t use paper plates and cups.
I think the only thing I am not quite ready to give up would be the paper TP. However, I do think it sounds pretty easy to switch over too.
Thanks for the interesting conversation…
I just realized how many errors are in my writing. How embarrassing!
I once read an environmental life cycle assessment comparing old cloth diapers/nappies and disposable ones. The interesting result was that the total impact on the environment was more or less equal for each. It’s published on google scholar if anyones interested, I suppose you just have to decide where you want to cause the problem, in waste disposal of dispoable nappies or in the energy usage required for washing cloth nappies. Here in the U.K. many people are using bamboo cloth nappies, that are cheaper in the long run, much more sustainable than cotton and a much better design than what we call terry towelling cloth nappies (essentially just a square). Paper towels are a no go in our house, the bleach and other products required to produce white paper towels is seriously damaging for waterways and then you have the landfill issue, which I suppose is more of an issue in a small country like the U.K. We just use dishclothes for wiping spills and we’ve never had napkins except for special occassions, small toddlers just wear bibs and I often have an apron on from cooking, which gets washed once a week. The sanitary products is a big issue here too, I do a lot of surveys in estuaries and coastal waters and the number of plastic sanitary products that appear in the water is staggering, and being plastic and petroleum based they just don’t break down. I use something called the mooncup, which looks the same as what you mentioned in the article. I think the only thing we use in terms of paper products is toilet paper, and then we use a product made from recycled paper.
Hi everyone.
I agree with everything already said! The two things I’m working on at the moment are paper towels (kitchen roll) and toilet rolls. I bought some cheap tea towels from a pound shop, cut them up and roughly hemmed them. These I keep in a pretty container and use for most things e.g. wiping spills, wiping the butter knife. When there are enough of them I put them in to wash at at a hot temperature or, if I have the time and inclination, I boil wash them the old fashioned way in a big old saucepan! (The smell takes me back to my childhood when I do this.)
As for toilet paper, I am going to make cloths from old baby sheets, which are very soft, and keep a lidded bucket of soapy water in the bathroom to put them in until wash day. Teenage daughter would never wish to do this herself but, as she’s hopefully off to uni in a month, that won’t be a problem! However, I will only use them for urine, but at least that cuts down on toilet paper usage.
I made the switch to hankies a few months ago and much prefer them to tissues, even the softer, balsam tissues. Fortunately I don’t seem to get too many colds so it’s not yucky.
Have you come across Ember’s blog – http://kindredofthequietway.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/waer.html This particular post is about water usage but shows how she copes with the toilet paper issue.
Am now off to check more of your blog!
I use old t-shirts made into rags (double layer square sewn together), diaper cloth material dish towels (made the same way) and napkins made from diaper material. While I may have an extra load of towels a week, I drastically cut my paper towel consumption down to a roll every two months or so. I take t-shirts when they have lost their prime and recycle them into either junk rags or sew them into a dish towel/rag. I love them!! I will never go back to using paper towels or napkins the way I use to (only 3 people in my home). But I WILL NOT GIVE UP TP!!!!
What did people use before TP was invented?