Paper Substitutes

There are numerous substitutes for paper products - many of which we used to use before disposables and their convenience and cleanliness.  For times when we must use disposable items, find ones with the highest percentage possible of post-consumer recycled content. If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels with paper towels made of 100 percent recycled paper, we could save 544,000 trees, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Office paper: While this cannot truly be replaced, its use can be reduced by the following actions:
- Print double-sided
- Use paper that has already been used on one side for drafts and non-important printing
- Keep documents electronically instead of printing them out

Paper cups and plates:
- Use durable plates, glasses and mugs, and wash them in the dishwasher

Paper Towels
- Use rags or sponges for spills
- Use hand towels and wash weekly/as needed

Napkins
- Use cloth napkins whenever possible. A large collection from scrap material is an easy way to make sure that you always have enough clean ones.

Remember that the 3 R's of the environmental movement start with REDUCE, and then REUSE, with RECYCLE as a last resort.