The best brands of zero waste kitchen roll
Naked Paper is a super eco-brand, offering recycled paper kitchen roll, facial tissues, kitchen roll and bathroom tissue, all sold in zero waste packaging.
Never flush kitchen roll as it’s too thick (nor compost due to grease). Just bin to break down naturally.
If using with cleaners, choose biodegradable cleaning brands (unscented for pregnancy/breastfeeding/babies and affected medical conditions). Avoid essential oils near pets (citrus oils are unsafe even when rinse/dried on floors/counters).
Why switch to eco kitchen roll?
Each year, around trees are chopped down daily (mostly in Boreal forests that are home to moose, elk, wolves and grizzly bears), just to make kitchen roll and toilet paper that are then wrapped in plastic. Just imagine the effect if everyone switched to recycled paper, sugar cane or bamboo rolls instead?
Serious Tissues Kitchen Roll is made in the Midlands using recycled materials, including old cereal boxes and newspapers. Instead of sending these materials to landfill or allowing them to go unused, they are given a new purpose and turned into strong, practical kitchen rolls.
Each Serious Tissues Kitchen Roll delivery contains either:
- 6 jumbo kitchen rolls, or
- 12 jumbo kitchen rolls
Each roll contains 100 sheets and is made with a thick 3-ply construction. This gives the roll extra strength and durability, making it suitable for everyday household tasks.
Never flush kitchen roll as it’s too thick (nor compost due to grease). Just bin to break down naturally.
If using with cleaners, choose biodegradable cleaning brands (unscented for pregnancy/breastfeeding/babies and affected medical conditions). Avoid essential oils near pets (citrus oils are unsafe even when rinse/dried on floors/counters).
Who Gives a Crap? sells these fab kitchen rolls, made from post-consumer waste paper, and sold in colourful paper packaging. Known mostly for its recycled paper toilet roll, it’s now ventured into making a few other products, to help stop deforestation.
And this company donates 50% of profits to sanitation projects abroad, so that people have access to clean hygienic toilets.
Each double-length roll contains 135 strong sheets made from biodegradable, two-ply paper. The rolls contain no added scent, dyes, or inks, making them a simple choice for households that prefer fewer unnecessary ingredients.
Never flush kitchen roll as it’s too thick (nor compost due to grease). Just bin to break down naturally.
If using with cleaners, choose biodegradable cleaning brands (unscented for pregnancy/breastfeeding/babies and affected medical conditions). Avoid essential oils near pets (citrus oils are unsafe even when rinse/dried on floors/counters).
Cheeky Panda Bamboo Kitchen Roll is a zero waste alternative to brands that are made from trees, usually cut down in Boreal forests (home to moose and grizzly bears). This brand is guaranteed to only use 100% bamboo (not mixed with other woods, like some brands).
Bamboo is the world’s fastest-growing grass (up to 3 feet a day). So even when harvesting, it quickly grows back again. It’s not local but far better than making kitchen towels from trees. Sold in paper packaging, bamboo is also very soft and absorbent.
Never flush kitchen roll as it’s too thick (nor compost due to grease). Just bin to break down naturally.
If using with cleaners, choose biodegradable cleaning brands (unscented for pregnancy/breastfeeding/babies and affected medical conditions). Avoid essential oils near pets (citrus oils are unsafe even when rinse/dried on floors/counters).
Ideal to wipe up spills in the kitchen, they are ideal for coffee spills, sauce explosions, or when the blender lid was not on properly when you made your smoothie! These towels don’t disintegrate when they get wet.
Choose from packs of 4 or 10 rolls, each one has 200 sheets. You can then safely bin used towels, and everything else is easily recycled.
Biodegradable Dry Wipes: Everyday Alternative
For jobs where you need something a little stronger than kitchen roll, biodegradable dry wipes can be a useful alternative.
Like bamboo kitchen roll, these wipes are designed to be thrown away after use, while the packaging can be recycled. They are a versatile option for many everyday tasks around the home.
You can use biodegradable dry wipes as an alternative to cotton pads for removing make-up or nail polish. They are also useful for cleaning up small spills, wiping your face when travelling, or keeping in your bag for days out.
Simply add a little water and they can also be used for cleaning surfaces such as mirrors, windows or shelves.
Anti-Bacterial Surface Wipes
Many antibacterial wipes sold in supermarkets contain harsh chemicals and create unnecessary waste. These anti-bacterial surface wipes provide an alternative designed for effective cleaning while reducing reliance on stronger chemical ingredients.
These wipes contain less than 5% cationic surfactant, an antimicrobial ingredient that helps remove 99.99% of bacteria with each wipe. They are designed for situations where hygiene is especially important, such as cleaning areas that need a higher level of sanitation.
They can help tackle bacteria, viruses, fungi and algae, making them useful for cleaning high-touch surfaces around the home or workplace.
The majority of the packaging can be recycled at home. However, the inner wrapper contains partly recycled plastic, so it may need to be taken to supermarket plastic bag recycling points if your local kerbside collection does not accept this type of material.
These kitchen cloths are handmade from cotton in beautiful Worcestershire, by a small family business. Ideal to replace disposable kitchen rolls, just use them to mop up spills or cleaning, then launder and use again!
Choose unscented cleaners if pregnant/nursing or near babies and pets (citrus especially can be unsafe, even if rinsed and dried from surfaces).
Expect slight shrinkage on first wash.
The waffle design is wonderfully absorbent, these are also good for washing-up, dusting furniture or even cleaning mucky faces! And the double-ply thickness means they are better than thin cloths.
Choose from small or large cloths, in sets of 5 or 10 (in several colours). At end of use, the natural fibres just return back to the earth.
Sent in plastic-free packaging.
Why choose reusable cleaning cloths?
Disposable kitchen towel is usually from Boreal forests in northern Europe, chopped down that removes homes for elk, moose and grizzly bears (most brands are wasteful, expensive and sold in plastic packaging).
Conventional cleaning cloths are often made from polyester, which when laundered releases microplastics that release to the sea and break down to be accidentally invested by marine creatures.
Where to recycle old cleaning cloths
You don’t have to throw them out. You can just deposit them (even frayed or stained) in textile banks (materials are shredded to make insulation and other industrial goods).
Dream Cloth (a washable paper towel alternative)
Tired of buying rolls of paper towels that end up in the bin after one use?
Dream Cloth offers a fresh way to clean that keeps your home tidy and helps the planet. These reusable towels can handle big messes, simple spills, and everyday wipes.
Sold in packs of 3, Dream Cloths are one part sponge, one part cloth and three parts marvellous! Perfect to wipe up spills or wipe countertops and appliances, the cloth can hold 13 times its weight in water, and is also fast to dry, so you never get that icky sponge smell.
When you first receive your dream cloth, you’ll notice is a bit crispy. But that what helps to stop bacteria. A quick rinse under the tap, and it magically transforms to absorb like a sponge, or scrub like a cloth.
What are dream cloths made from?
They are made from a blend of repurposed cotton and cellulose (wood pulp). So no synthetics like microfiber or recycled plastic). So they can safely be laundered or go in the dishwasher, without releasing microplastics into the ocean. Dry flat.
Do not use fabric conditioner (nor tumble dry) as this reduces absorbency.
Designed to last around 50 washes (9 months), there are three Dream Cloths in each pack. So perhaps keep one for each wet room in the house?
Then just cut up and compost at end of use, or bin to naturally biodegrade.
And this company donates 50% of profits to sanitation projects abroad, so that people have access to clean hygienic toilets.
They’re not cheap (£8 for a pack of 3), but live up to all the promises. Would recommend them.
Good quality durable cloth, with sponge-like texture.
Really handsome cloths, and a good size for everyday cleaning.
I use them in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Best thing is they won’t contribute to landfill.
