Paper Towel Recycling

[QwikKotaTx]

Call me nuts. At work after I dry my hands in the bathroom or break room I save all of the paper towels for use in the garage. These are just wet, not soiled etc. Smart or weird? They are not as nice as the blue roll of shop paper towels but the price is right!

 

[rshadd]

You're nuts.

 

[GPKughn]

Weird

 

[dawgee]

cheap

 

[gungatim]

I recycle mine too. they get turned into heat in my woodburner...

 

[ishiboo]

 

[MScott]

I hope you don't also recycle the toilet paper.

 

[abk241]

You're nuts.

.+1.

 

[landlord30]

I hope you don't also recycle the toilet paper.

There appears to be other drawers close by.

Too funny!

 

[404]

I only do that if I have blown my nose in them. That way if there is complete social breakdown and mass starvation I will have something to eat.

 

[HaroRider]

Are you that weird guy in the office? lol

 

[67carl]

I hope you don't also recycle the toilet paper.

Don't give him any ideas! Ok, I'll get him started:

 

[PCO6]

Not weird at all. My used but clean paper towels and blue shop towels go into a kitchen pail shown here next to one of my tool boxes. They get used for wiping stir sticks, grease fittings, mopping up, etc. Some go straight into the green bin for composting and some end up as kindling.

View media item 35001

 

[bartz32tt]

Serious question: how do you transport them home? Do you candidly sneak them in your lunch box or just say "Aw, f*ck it - I'm a cheapass and I don't care who knows it!" and carry a big pile in both fists to your car, leaving a trail of some ruffled paper towells that escaped along the way?

 

[johninct]

I do it too. I use them for cleaning grease fittings.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

Serious question: how do you transport them home? Do you candidly sneak them in your lunch box or just say "Aw, f*ck it - I'm a cheapass and I don't care who knows it!" and carry a big pile in both fists to your car, leaving a trail of some ruffled paper towells that escaped along the way?

Kroger bag, of course. Also recycled, lol. No booger towels. That would definitely be weird/gross/bizarre.

 

[38Chevy454]

Not nuts, I will just call you frugal. I use a lot of paper towels in the garage, although off the roll. A lot less trouble than using rags all the time, and for most things, the paper towels are plenty strong and easy to just throw away when dirty. Rags for jobs needing tougher, but they are washed instead of thrown away.

 

[Colin Len]

While it might be a bit crazy I think it's smart and I think in general we all need to try harder to conserve whatever resources possible. I personally have almost stopped using disposable towels entirely. In the house we have them for some things but use cloth towels and napkins 99% of the time. In the shop I try to use cloth towels for most things but use shop rags for certain things that would render a cloth towel to the garbage, I figure at that point it's better to waste a paper towel than a cloth one.

I commend you for your reduction in consumption of resources

 

[ratdoggy]

I thought I was cheap. look at my sig line

 

[drmarkr]

I think a lot of people like being wasteful.

Do you wait all day to flush your toilet so you only flush it once, just to save water?? If not, then you have zero right to be scolding anyone about how many paper towels they use....

These type of discussions are ridiculous, mainly because the "nazi's" of whatever we're discussing (paper towels, water, food, etc) are wasting/polluting just as much as the next guy, albeit in a different arena.

If you wanna trash your paper towels, burn your paper towels, reuse them in the shop, or wipe your nasty *** with them, then fuggin' go for it!!

 

[Karl_B]

The places I used to work never bought good enough paper towels that I could consider reusing them. Now that I own my shop, I find I grap paper towels for the nastiest jobs and for some of the really light ones. If I use them for something light, I'll usually toss it up on my tool box and use it for the next nasty job. If I can reuse each paper towel just once, that's half as many I have to buy. In your case, you didn't even have to buy them to start with, so go for it.

Just be aware that someday soon, businesses will start enforcing policies where you must provide your own paper towels or toilet paper or return the used ones to a designated area for supervised processing to avoid employees taking said goods for their own personal use and suing if they don't wipe as well as new ones.

That entire second paragraph was satirical, for those who can't tell.

 

[Phil_R]

If the OP has time to recycle the wet but clean paper towels, good for him. At the cost of buying new paper towels now a days, it is really not a bad idea if he has the time to do it.

 

[gungatim]

While it might be a bit crazy I think it's smart and I think in general we all need to try harder to conserve whatever resources possible. I personally have almost stopped using disposable towels entirely. In the house we have them for some things but use cloth towels and napkins 99% of the time. In the shop I try to use cloth towels for most things but use shop rags for certain things that would render a cloth towel to the garbage, I figure at that point it's better to waste a paper towel than a cloth one.

I commend you for your reduction in consumption of resources

I don't get where this mentality comes from. Is there a shortage of pulpwood I didn't know about? is there a problem growing trees or something? why do we constantly need to conserve every single thing down to paper towel. of course, everyone can toss out every perfectly good working CRT TV for the latest plasma hi def flat screen mega **** tube without anyone telling them to conserve and reuse...

 

[QwikKotaTx]

I'm doing it to save money, not the earth. My wife pushes recycling heavily on me so I know how overbearing it can be. I just do this since I have to use the towels anyway, and the trash can in the mens room is typically full. I see some people use 2 or 3 towels just to dry their hands, lol. These are pretty thick c-fold towels. Not those thin ones that you need multiple ones just to get dry.

 

[rburke65]

I do it to save money as there is no shortage of trees. Supposedly more trees in the States today than in 1900! if I'm drying my hands on it I'll save it for cleaning a grease fitting, cleaning the rim of a paint can, wiping up a small spill. I also use rags or old towels and wash them and use them again. Money in my pocket. If you adopt this mentality your ITA account/401K would be further ahead. Lots of waste out there. Worry about the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.

 

[Fixnfly]

I once worked with a guy who got fired for stealing toilet paper.
Lost a $50K job for a roll of t.p.

 

[mmack66]

My grandma used to dry paper towels and reuse them.

If they aren't dirty, why not?

 

[Mr. Fixer Upper]

I don't see anything wrong with the OP's choice. He's not hurting anyone. Sometimes I bring paper towels home from work and throw them in my recycling or in my compost pile. Sometimes I even ask the folks that do most of the coffee brewing to throw the coffee filters and grounds in a little bucket I bring to throw in the compost/garden.

 

[ebfabman]

Do you wait all day to flush your toilet so you only flush it once, just to save water?? If not, then you have zero right to be scolding anyone about how many paper towels they use....

These type of discussions are ridiculous, mainly because the "nazi's" of whatever we're discussing (paper towels, water, food, etc) are wasting/polluting just as much as the next guy, albeit in a different arena.

If you wanna trash your paper towels, burn your paper towels, reuse them in the shop, or wipe your nasty *** with them, then fuggin' go for it!!

Well, if you really want to know my sanitation habits, here you are. If I take a dump, I flush. If I am not expecting visitors or I know I will be home alone for a while, I'll piss several times before flushing. However, If I'm outside I just piss and don't worry about what happens.

Thank you for your interest. Now I think I'll go hang up those damp paper towels and let them dry for reuse.

 

[Playwme]

Do you wait all day to flush your toilet so you only flush it once, just to save water?? If not, then you have zero right to be scolding anyone about how many paper towels they use....

!

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

But yeah, taking used paper towels home is kinda strange. I try to avoid using them in the first place. Hands dry pretty quick with a shake, or if it's real urgent just wipe them on my shorts or shirt.

 

[Colin Len]

I don't get where this mentality comes from. Is there a shortage of pulpwood I didn't know about? is there a problem growing trees or something? why do we constantly need to conserve every single thing down to paper towel. of course, everyone can toss out every perfectly good working CRT TV for the latest plasma hi def flat screen mega **** tube without anyone telling them to conserve and reuse...

As a general rule I think it's just good to reuse whatever you can and try not to overuse. How can anyone think this is a bad thing? No one looks back on the native Americans and thinks they were stupid for "using the whole buffalo". Yet people who exhibit such behavior nowadays are regularly ridiculed as hippie-tree-huggers. What gives?

Shouldn't we, again as a general rule, encourage using less rather than using more? We can't save resources all the time but might as well do so where we can, no harm in that. True, there's not a paper shortage, but that's not the point. What about the pollution created in manufacturing paper towel, the plastic it comes wrapped in, the fuel burned in transporting it? Shouldn't we try to reduce that even if that reduction is minimal? And what about the added benefits of trees - namely their absorption of CO2 and production of O2 or the fact that they provide a habitat for creatures and help create a symbiotic ecosystem? I for one love nature and wish there was a whole hell lot more of it (maybe I'm just tired of living in this damn concrete jungle).

And you're totally right about the TV thing and IMO that actually bolsters the argument that you should conserve paper towels (or anything else). The idea that because you are wasteful in one area means you should also be wasteful in another is ridiculous. Personally, I prefer to conserve where I can and hopefully that makes up a little for some of the other times which I can't or don't want to. For example I use biodegradable engine oil for my daily driver which gets pretty good gas mileage, yet I regularly burn up tons of fuel, rubber, oil...etc when I take my other car to the race track. I don't really see the racing as a reason why I should also drive a car that gets 8 mpg. My mentality is that you can have your cake and eat it too

Sorry for the rant

**EDIT**
Just so its blatantly clear, I'm not looking to argue, just voicing my opinion. Also not trying to force my opinion on anyone else. We're all adults here and we all have opinions and I'm just trying to explain mine and show that for me it's all or none, like anything there's usually compromise involved.

 

[southalabama]

I had a great grandmother who hung paper towels to air dry. She was in her 90s and lived thru the depression. We just chalked it up to dementia.

You go for the extra salt and ketchup packets at mcdonalds too??

Just messing with ya. Bit weird. But you asked. Harmless and thrifty.

 

[MScott]

Actually, I have freaked out some people when they find out I recycle underwear as shop rags. (I do run them through a laundry first.) I figure they were designed to absorb s**t so they should work well for cleaning up oil spills etc.

 

[ebfabman]

As a general rule I think it's just good to reuse whatever you can and try not to overuse. How can anyone think this is a bad thing? No one looks back on the native Americans and thinks they were stupid for "using the whole buffalo". Yet people who exhibit such behavior nowadays are regularly ridiculed as hippie-tree-huggers. What gives?

Shouldn't we, again as a general rule, encourage using less rather than using more? We can't save resources all the time but might as well do so where we can, no harm in that. True, there's not a paper shortage, but that's not the point. What about the pollution created in manufacturing paper towel, the plastic it comes wrapped in, the fuel burned in transporting it? Shouldn't we try to reduce that even if that reduction is minimal? And what about the added benefits of trees - namely their absorption of CO2 and production of O2 or the fact that they provide a habitat for creatures and help create a symbiotic ecosystem? I for one love nature and wish there was a whole hell lot more of it (maybe I'm just tired of living in this damn concrete jungle).

And you're totally right about the TV thing and IMO that actually bolsters the argument that you should conserve paper towels (or anything else). The idea that because you are wasteful in one area means you should also be wasteful in another is ridiculous. Personally, I prefer to conserve where I can and hopefully that makes up a little for some of the other times which I can't or don't want to. For example I use biodegradable engine oil for my daily driver which gets pretty good gas mileage, yet I regularly burn up tons of fuel, rubber, oil...etc when I take my other car to the race track. I don't really see the racing as a reason why I should also drive a car that gets 8 mpg. My mentality is that you can have your cake and eat it too

Sorry for the rant

**EDIT**
Just so its blatantly clear, I'm not looking to argue, just voicing my opinion. Also not trying to force my opinion on anyone else. We're all adults here and we all have opinions and I'm just trying to explain mine and show that for me it's all or none, like anything there's usually compromise involved.

Well said Colin.

 

[rustyjames]

Agreed, not wrong with not being wasteful.

 

[Wanna Ride]

You asked, and you opened the door... you're nuts.

I have better things to focus on than recycling paper towels. I know people that stretch the liquid soap, by adding water to the pump bottle.

WTF.

 

[Playwme]

Actually, I have freaked out some people when they find out I recycle underwear as shop rags. (I do run them through a laundry first.) I figure they were designed to absorb s**t so they should work well for cleaning up oil spills etc.

If you're buying underwear that's designed to absorb s**t then I think you have bigger problems than the environment.

 

[MScott]

If you're buying underwear that's designed to absorb s**t then I think you have bigger problems than the environment.

Hey I'm old. Remember the Three Things To Remember When You’re Old

1. Never pass up a bathroom.
2. Never waste a hard-on.
3. Never trust a fart.

Just standard (absorbent) cotton shorts, not Depends (Yet!)

 

[Whitworth]

The only wet, used paper products I'd ever bother sorting and saving would be US currency.

Gary

 

[doctordirt]

In addition to recycling paper towels, I will also use my junk mail in the fax machine if the back side is blank paper. If it is important I will just copy the original on virgin paper if I need to redistribute to some one. Saves a lot of paper due to unwanted junk faxes.