FAQ Paper Towels
Paper towels – What you need to know about hygiene and sustainability
Paper towels are an indispensable part of everyday life, whether in public facilities, restaurants, or at home. However, the topics of hygiene, sustainability, and proper disposal are often not communicated clearly. This article therefore takes a look at some important questions about paper towels.
Everything about paper towels
Welcome to our paper towel FAQ page! Here we answer the most frequently asked questions about paper towels—from materials and recycling to sizes and special features. Whether you run a business or simply want to learn more about eco-friendly alternatives, you’ll find all the key information at a glance.
Not all paper towels are compostable. Many contain chemical additives that make them unsuitable for industrial composting. If you're aiming for environmentally friendly disposal, it's advisable to use paper towels specifically labeled as compostable. However, after use, paper towels generally belong in the general waste anyway—so you should use recycled paper towels whenever possible.
Used paper towels generally belong in the general waste. This is because they often come into contact with moisture, soap, or other substances and can therefore no longer be properly disposed of as pure paper in paper recycling. Separating paper towels from recyclables is important to ensure that regular paper waste can be processed efficiently.
To reduce paper towel consumption, you can take a few simple steps. First, drying your hands carefully and without rushing helps minimize the number of towels needed. Second, using high-quality, especially absorbent towels means you can get by with fewer sheets.
Paper towels are more hygienic because they are used only once and therefore cannot spread germs. Cloth towels are more sustainable when washed regularly, but each towel should be used by only one person. For this reason, cloth towels are generally not an option for guests in the hospitality industry for hygiene reasons.
There are various dispensing systems for paper towels. These include roll holders, where guests tear off the sheets they need, and sensor-activated dispensers, which dispense towels automatically when they detect movement. Better-Pack paper towels are particularly well suited to classic folded towel dispensers, where guests pull out the sheets themselves and, thanks to the clever folding, the next sheet is already ready to be pulled out.
The difference between C-fold and Z-fold simply lies in the way the towels are folded. With a C-fold, the towels are folded so that their folded shape resembles a "C", while with a Z-fold, they form a "Z" pattern. Depending on the dispenser system (follow the manufacturer's instructions!), one fold may be more suitable than the other, but in principle there are no differences in quality.