It’s almost a given that the napkins and paper towels found in grocery stores, restaurants and public restrooms are made from recycled content. But what kind of content makes up these cloths we use for up close and personal cleansing? How much of a benefit are recycled napkins providing to the planet? And why is it difficult to recycle napkins after they’re used?
In the manufacturing industry, recycled content refers to materials that never made it to the consumer, such as product scraps. Post-consumer recycled content is made from the stuff you and I recycle — such as newspapers, cardboard boxes and office paper.
Not all recycled napkins are created equal, but they all use 100 percent recycled paper. What varies with each brand is the post-consumer content. A higher post-consumer content gives manufacturers greater bragging rights by putting consumer’s recycled items right back in use, albeit with a new face.
Eco-friendly manufacturers will also typically avoid chlorine, dyes and fragrances, making their products skin-friendly and hypoallergenic. So while traditional napkin manufacturers may use recycled paper in their napkins to save costs, they also use bleach and other harmful chemicals to sterilize the product and remove any odors.