Can You Compost Paper Towels? 🧻

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In your grandmother’s era, she used a cloth to clean almost everything in her house. In the 1930s, paper towels were first advertised for use in kitchens. The product gradually became more popular until today, when the average American uses fifty-three pounds of paper towels per year. That is a lot of paper towels, and as people have become more environmentally conscious, they ask if paper towels can be composted.

Paper towels can be composted as they break down easily because of their structure. Paper towels used to clean oil or grease should not be composted. Paper towels soaked in cleaning products and those used to clean anything which may contain bacteria must not be composted.

Paper towels are used widely in the United States. They have become a useful product in homes, hospitals, workshops, and most environments. Composting paper towels seems logical, but it is important to know whether this is a good idea and if there are exceptions.

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Do Paper Towels Compost?

Paper towels can be composted. Compost is the process whereby material is broken down into particles called humus. To compost an item, it should decompose relatively quickly. This relies on a number of factors, including the structure of the material and what it is made of.

Paper towels are usually made from softwood, but hardwood can also be used if it is available. After the bark is removed, the wood is chipped to begin the mechanical breakdown. Chemicals are added, which dissolve the bonds that hold the wood fibers together.

The long smooth wood fibers are broken down further by mashing them until the wood particles with water make a pulp. Particles of contaminants are screened out, and the pulp is bleached to make it white.

A resin is added to form new bonds in the pulp. A drying cylinder known as a Yankee dryer is used to create thin layers of wood pulp which are scraped to achieve the required thickness. The paper passes through numerous rollers allowing it to dry and keeping it flat.

A water-based, non-toxic glue is used to stick two layers of paper together. The paper towel is embossed with various designs which serve an important function. They allow air pockets to be trapped in the toweling, improving the absorbency.

Paper toweling has been processed to such an extent that it is not a robust structure with resilient bonds. The two layers of paper towel easily separate once they are wet, and the bonds in it will quickly disintegrate, making it a good material to compost.

Paper towels take approximately two to four weeks to compost. They may take slightly longer when they are mixed with other materials. This explains why paper towels are good material for composting.

Paper Towels Are Good Brown Material In Compost

The ideal compost comprises both brown and green material. Each plays a critical function in the development of the humus.

Brown waste refers to woody material such as wood chips, paper, bark, and plant stalks. These materials are rich in carbon, providing essential energy for the composting process. Paper towels are made from wood, making them ideal as brown waste in a compost system.

Green material is leaves, grass clippings, and discarded food. It is usually wet and rich in nitrogen which is needed to reproduce the composting organisms.

Can You Compost White Paper Towels?

Some paper towel products are bleached to make them white and more appealing to the consumer. Many gardeners are afraid to include these paper towels in their compost bins.

Bleached paper towels contain safe levels of bleach. They may be used for cooking purposes, and manufacturers ensure that the bleach levels do not pose a safety hazard. As a result, they are unlikely to be detrimental to the organisms involved in composting.

It is safe to compost white paper towels in moderation. If your brown waste consists only of white paper towels, you may need to rethink your decision to include them in compost. In high quantities, the bleach in the paper towels may inhibit the decomposition.

Can You Compost Paper Towels Used To Clean Grease?

Paper towels used to clean grease, oil, butter, or fat from meat should not be put in the compost heap. The decomposition process where compost is produced is made possible by the action of aerobic bacteria. Oxygen is essential for aerobic bacteria to live and function.

Grease or oil reduces the amount of oxygen as they do not allow the transmission of oxygen molecules. This prevents the aerobic bacteria from fulfilling their role and may cause the death of these beneficial bacteria.

Fats and grease quickly become rancid in the heat. As composting bins generate heat, the fats and oils will become rancid. Once this occurs, harmful bacteria can infect the compost making it unsafe to use on plants and a source of illness.

Can You Compost Paper Towels Used With Detergents?

Paper towels used with detergents and other cleaning products should not be composted. Detergents and cleaning products can kill beneficial organisms in the compost heaps, such as earthworms, beetles, flies, ants, snails, and slugs. These insects are essential in the mechanical breakdown of material being composted.

Detergents can break down oils. Many insects have an oily layer or cuticle that protects them and prevents dehydration. If detergents break this down, the insect will die.

Cleaning products can destroy beneficial molds, yeast, bacteria, and protozoa that are part of the composting process. If these organisms die, the gardener will be left with a rotting pile of smelly waste products, as decomposition cannot occur.

Can You Compost Paper Towels Used To Clean Blood?

Paper towels used to clean up blood can be composted. Blood acts as a nitrogen-fixer, making the nitrogen more available to plants and composting organisms.

Some gardeners choose to add blood and bone meal to their compost. They purchase this at abattoirs and butchers. The addition of blood makes compost much richer.

If the person or animal that bled has a contagious disease that may be spread through contact with body fluids, paper towels used to clean blood should not be composted. The heat generated by composting should kill most pathogens, but it is better to be safe and dispose of those paper towels another way if there is a chance of disease transmission.

Check out: Can You Compost Chicken Bones?

Can You Compost Paper Towel Used To Clean Dog Urine?

Paper towels used to clean up dog urine can be composted. Urine is high in urea which is a form of nitrogen. Adding urine to a compost system adds nitrogen, speeding up the composting process.

If the dog is sick, it is probably safer not to compost paper towels used to mop up dog urine. On this note, it is useful to mention that paper towels used to clean up dog feces should not be composted.

Many people argue that horse or cow manure is used in compost, so why is it wrong to include dog feces? Horses and cows eat plant material, and dogs are omnivores, eating a high percentage of animal protein. Horse manure is largely recycled plant material and suitable for composting.

Dog feces has a much higher level of pathogens which would need special treatment before it could be included in compost. Human feces is sometimes used in composting facilities, but the processes required to sanitize it are stringent and not available for informal or home compost systems.

Paper towels used to clean dog feces may also transmit internal worms and other parasites to people and pets. Intestinal worms thrive in the warm moist conditions of a compost bin. This would make the compost a health hazard.

Can You Compost Scented Paper Towels?

Scented paper towels should generally not be composted. Many scents that we find pleasant are not good for organisms.

Lavender or rosemary are favorite perfumes on many scented paper towel products. Both these products are insect repellents are also antifungals and antiseptics. This could significantly affect the composting process.

Can Paper Towels Used To Clean Paint be Composted?

Paper towels used to clean paint should not be included in a composting system. Most paint has water-repellent qualities. Paint on the paper towel will decrease moisture in the compost heap, negatively affecting the process.

Paint does not easily decompose and will prevent the paper toweling from breaking down. This can lead to a soggy mass prone to being a reservoir for harmful bacteria.

Oil-based paints will decrease the oxygen in the compost. Aerobic bacteria will suffer, and the composting process will halt.

Should Paper Towels Be Treated Before Composting?

Paper towels do not need to be treated before composting. They should be torn into small pieces as this hastens the mechanical breakdown of the paper. Mechanical breakdown helps the bacteria, fungi, and other organisms to initiate the chemical processes to create compost.

Tearing the paper into pieces increases the surface area. This allows the composting organisms more access to the paper to chemically break it down. Smaller paper pieces allow the insects to break the paper down more easily.

Check out: Shredded Paper For Mulch

What Are The Best Paper Towels To Compost

If you know you will compost your paper towels, you may want to purchase certain brands or types. It is best to choose paper towels that are labeled eco-friendly or bio-degradable.

Many biodegradable paper towels are made using recycled material. They contain no bleach, ink, or harmful substances, which could destroy helpful bacteria in the composting process.

How To Compost Paper Towels

The first step in composting paper towels is to tear them into small pieces. This is easiest to manage if you tear the towel up as you finish using it. You do not end up with a huge pile of paper towels to tear up if you tear them after use.

Paper towels are considered brown waste in the compost heap. Brown and green waste should be layered alternately to allow the correct amount of energy and elements to aid decomposition.

The compost heap must be kept moist but not soggy. Paper towels absorb moisture keeping the compost heap damp which is critical for the process.

Turn your compost regularly to ensure aeration and enough oxygen for the microbes to function and survive. You can turn (or mix) your compost using a garden fork. Some home-composting bins are attached to a central axis to allow the entire bin to be turned to make mixing compost easier.

If you are a visual learner and would like to see how to include paper towels and brown waste in your compost, you can watch this helpful video.

Pros Of Composting Paper Towels

Composting paper towels allows you to recycle them and prevents them from adding to pollution by sitting in waste dumps or landfills.

Paper towels are useful sources of brown waste which is essential for energy for the composting process.
Composting paper towels reduces trash that must be managed.
Making compost from household waste is an economical way to improve the soil in your garden and feed your plants.

Establishing your compost bin allows you peace of mind knowing what is in the compost you use in the garden.
If you have extra compost, you can sell it and make additional income.

Cons Of Composting Paper Towels

The paper towels must be torn into small pieces, which is time-consuming.

The paper towels must be sorted into ones that can be composted, and ones that have been used with chemicals or oils must be discarded.
If there are too many paper towels, they can make the composting material too wet and can cause offensive odors.
Compost must be managed to ensure there is the correct humidity and temperature for healthy decomposition.

Conclusion

Paper towels can be composted, but there are some provisos based on their use. If paper towels have been used with grease, oils, detergents, cleaning products, or substances that contain pathogens, they should not be composted. These paper towels should be discarded in the trash as they could harm the micro-organisms that allow the composting process.

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