Stop The Paper Towels Competition: Best Design Wins $500

Inhabitat:

Years of TV ads have taught us that if we spill something, the first thing we should do is reach for that quicker picker upper -- the paper towel. But at what cost? Every day, over 3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced in the United States alone and in the production of one ton of paper towels, 17 whole trees are cut down and 20,000 gallons of water are consumed, contributing to deforestation, water pollution and global warming. It's time to break the paper towel chains of oppression and make the switch to reusable towels!

To help in this movement, Inhabitat is teaming up with PeopleTowels to launch a design competition to see your ideas and how you would design a new Inhabitat + PeopleTowels reusable cloth hand towel to help cut paper towel waste! The grand prize winner will receive $500, a chance to see their design being produced for buyers and 10% royalty on sales.

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Comments

[Bechange]

03:47 AM on 03/01/2011

The best thing to reach for any cleaning purpose reuseable diapers last forever and if u dont use fabric softener are the best absorbant thing out there

[James Overlie]

08:00 PM on 02/28/2011

Isn't washing towels just as bad for the environment? Hmmm...Maybe the hated Koch bros.make laundry detergent. Then what ya gonna do. BTW...did you see the story on San Francisco's toilet flushing problem? They must have some real mental giants out there!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/28/BAVP1HUSUD.DTL&tsp=1

[Max Shaw]

04:45 PM on 02/28/2011

500 bucks? Thats it?? I mean, we are trying to save trees here, but the money's already been printed. Church that number up with a few more zeros and you got yourself a deal.

[lilpeg]

08:52 AM on 02/27/2011

Hey - we use old cloth diapers from when my kids were babies (they are 17 and 19 now!!) When they get used up we shred them and put them in the compost. We throw them in the washing machine to clean them, etc. We use about 4 rolls of paper towels/year--the cheapest kind---and compost after using.

[jaredbrain]

11:25 PM on 02/26/2011

i dont think ill be providing the Koch brothers with anything.

[GreenKate]

09:44 PM on 02/26/2011

Well first of all if you are buying paper towels please don't buy the ones in the Huff Post picture above. Bounty is manufactured by Koch Industries.

The best things are those microfiber cloths that don't need chemicals to clean with. But I keep a roll of non Koch Brothers paper around just in case the dog yaks on the floor. Some things you don't want to run through your washer.

[Anne Mccormick]

01:46 PM on 02/28/2011

well, i do buy paper towels; the ones that are on sale the day i do my shopping. when i go on line to order my groceries for delivery i just check to see what sales are happening. if bounty is on sale for a good price, i buy. if not, i don't buy.

[FTracy3]

12:59 PM on 02/26/2011

While we're at it, I'm offering $500 for the best and most effective cancer, AIDS, or baldness cure, gasoline pill that mixes with water, or a device that automatically shuts the sound of between commercials while The View is on. Just send me the design info/formula, sign a few rights relinqueshment waivers, and I'll take it from there.

[OneTop]

10:15 PM on 02/25/2011

Wouldn't, say .... a cotton towel be the ticket ?

[humansareinsane]

07:02 PM on 02/26/2011

Bingo! We started using washable/reusable cotton towels years ago. Since then we only use about one roll of paper towels every 3 months.

[French Toast]

10:04 PM on 02/25/2011

If people wanted to reuse, they wouldn't be using paper towels to begin with.

[Genders]

09:47 PM on 02/25/2011

Double waste of time. All organics can be converter into carbon negative energy, bio flues and fertilizer, so paper is fine. Cloth towels work great too, and you can efficiently wash them many times. No new invention is needed.

[wdw808]

04:27 PM on 02/26/2011

agreed.......greenies gone wild

[Genders]

09:54 PM on 02/26/2011

I'm a greenie, but this is a corporate paper company looking for green wash....

[SpoonPlayer]

09:11 PM on 02/25/2011

Oh my god, I think I might actually win. Here is my idea: I envision a terrycloth square that could be hung on the handle of the oven door with a simple folding motion.

But wait - there's more! Cute pictures could be printed on the terrycloth square or it could be marketed in different colors to match your kitchen decor. Oh my dog, you could even print a calender on it! I'm sure its never been done.

But the real reason my invention should win is that it could be used in the bathroom, or really anywhere where wetness enters our lives. Larger versions could be fabricated to deal with different wetness scenarios.

Pleeease don't steal my invention before I have a chance to enter my design!

[EcoCatLady]

10:53 PM on 02/25/2011

ROTFLMAO!

[camanokat]

03:14 PM on 02/28/2011

You beat me to it.What a dumb idea for a contest.

[JimNast]

07:56 PM on 02/25/2011

Hemp microfiber, Dude!

[EcoCatLady]

06:24 PM on 02/25/2011

Um... cut up an old T-Shirt? Seriously, I don't get why this merits a contest.