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Home / Government / Departments / Environmental Resilience / Zero Waste Goshen / Zero Waste Shopping

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Zero Waste Shopping

Giveaways for October 2021

  • Paper Towels – 80% post consumer recycled OR Bamboo Paper Towels purchased at Maple City Market or your favorite local grocery store
  • Trash Bags – 89% post-consumer recycled purchased at Maple City Market or your favorite local grocery store
  • Reusable Cotton Produce Bag purchased at Maple City Market or your favorite local grocery store

The City of Goshen does not endorse any businesses or products. Products were selected based on factors such as local availability, zero waste (cradle to grave) including packaging, toxicity, reviews from customer experiences, & cost. The products tested and used in this project were limited and do not reflect all products on the market.

Kitchen Paper Products

Paper Towels, Napkins & Toilet Paper

The best use of paper towels and paper napkins is Not using them. None of these products are recyclable.

Most of us are using toilet paper and there are some uses for other paper kitchen products that are hard to give up, so it is important to make the most sustainable option you can.

If you still must use them, how do you choose the best eco-friendly paper products? Here are the things you may want to look for if you want the best eco-friendly paper products:

  1. Not bleached. Bleaching processes can be tough not only on your skin but also on the environment. Eco-friendly paper products do not have bleaching processes. Instead, they use an alternative method of whitening or don’t whiten at all.
  2. No artificial dyes or other chemicals used. Printed paper products may look fancy, but they can actually be harmful to the environment if they are chemical-based that are harmful to your skin and to the natural resources. Choosing plain products can lessen toxic waste in our environment as a whole.
  3. Sustainable sources. Eco-friendly should be made from sustainable resources, such as bamboo or recycled content. Paper can be recycled 5-7 times before it cannot be used. Many manufacturers are using virgin pulp to make one-time-use low grade disposable paper products. These products require the shortest fibers and could be the last item (6th or the 7th item) after the paper has already be remade into several different products.
  4. Eco-friendly content and packaging. If the eco-friendly product is made with recycled material, it should be at least 50% or more. Several recycled products are 80% Post-consumer recycled material matters. This is material that has been used by a consumer and then recycled back into the manufacturing process. The packaging should also be smart with minimal or NO plastic but still effectively keeping the towels clean.
  5. Responsible and reputable company. Shop for a eco-friendly product where the company provides transparency in the manufacturing processes and the sourcing of sustainable materials.
  6. Do the job intended. Eco-friendly products can be tougher due to lack of bleaching and better in cleaning up your mess and can be just as absorbent.