In Which Bin Should You (Really) Throw Paper Towels?

Are you wondering which bin to throw the Sopalin in?

Good question, because it's not that simple!

Paper towels are used daily for cleaning, cleaning stains in the kitchen...

...or even replace the napkins at the table so you don't have to do laundry.

Not only is it far from economical, but it's also a lot of waste in the trash!

And many think that you can throw the used sheets in the bin for recyclable papers.

So in which bin do you really have to throw the towel? And is it recyclable?

Here is the answer to never be wrong again. Watch:

Contents

• But by the way, what is Sopalin made of?
• Sopalin should not be thrown away with recyclable paper
• You can put the used Sopalin in your compost
• Why is paper towel not recyclable?

But by the way, what is the Sopalin made of?

Paper towels are made of cellulose fibers.

What is cellulose fiber?

Well, it's recycled wood or recycled paper.

You could say that's just what you should put in the waste paper bin, right?

Well no!

Let's see together why.

The Sopalin should not be thrown away with recyclable paper

Yes, that's bad news for anyone who throws paper towels in the yellow bin.

It's a daily mistake!

There's no need to throw it in the recycling bin:

No one will recycle it!

Whether full of food, cleaning products or even new, the Sopalin is not recyclable.

The Sopalin must therefore be thrown in the green bin with the rest of the waste that is not recyclable.

The only part you can recycle is the cardboard roll of the Sopalin.

You can put the used Sopalin in your compost

On the other hand, the Sopalin is biodegradable and compostable.

That means you can put it in your compost.

But be careful not just anyhow!

You have to follow several rules to compost it correctly.

Even if the Sopalin is not recyclable, it nevertheless remains compostable.

So that you can put it in your compost, the Sopalin must not be impregnated with cleaning products.

Same for DIY products like paint, solvents and varnish.

If you cleaned up food with or food stains, you can put it in your compost.

Why is paper towel not recyclable?

Sopalin is not recyclable for several reasons.

First of all, because recycling this type of paper is not rewarding enough.

This means that there is too little material to recycle in a paper towel.

And the 2nd reason is that it is not possible to obtain paper pulp with Sopalin.

Indeed, the paper towel resists in water and it does not disintegrate unlike other paper or cardboard.

The best as you will have understood is to put it in the composter.

It's the easiest recycling in the world, as my grandmother would say.