Paper towel

A roll of paper towels on a wooden stand, commonly used in kitchens

A paper towel is a tissue paper made from absorbent paper rather than cloth. Unlike cloth towels, paper towels are disposable and intended to be used only once. Paper towels can be individually packed (as stacks of folded towels) or held on a continuous roll.

Paper towels have almost the same purposes as conventional towels, such as drying hands, wiping windows, dusting and cleaning up spills. They are most commonly known for being used in kitchen work. Because paper towels are disposable, they are often chosen to avoid the spreading of germs.^[1] Paper towels have a heavier environmental impact than conventional cloth towels, because they are not intended to be used more than once.

Within the forest products industry, paper towels are a major part of the "tissue market", second only to toilet paper.^[2] Consumption of paper towels and other tissue products is highest in the U.S, America, with consumption 50% higher than in Europe, and nearly 500% higher than in Latin America.^[2]

Production

Paper towels are made from paper pulp.^[1] They are sometimes bleached during the production process to make the color whiter.^[3] It is not uncommon for rolls of paper towels to include intricate colored images on each square (such as flowers or teddy bears). Resin size is used to improve the wet strength.^[1] Patterns of shapes such as circles or diamonds are often imprinted into the paper towels to help it hold moisture.^[3] Manufacturers use the pattern of the material, microscopic spaces within the pattern, and a type of cellulose in the fibers in order to maximize absorption. Most rolls are manufactured with two layers of thin paper, but different types can have more layers. Paper towels are made from paper pulp, which is extracted from wood or fiber crops. It can be made from virgin as well as recycled paper pulp.

Paper towels first made by Arthur Scott out of a cartload full of rejected toilet paper.^{[citation needed]} He perforated them into small towel-size sheets and sold them as the first ever disposable paper towels. Scott was also the first to introduce the paper towel for kitchens, in 1931.

Tissue paper is lightweight, and made of multiple layers for better absorption. They are classified by their key properties such as strength, absorbency, weight, and thickness. To make them appear whiter, bleach is added during the production process. Paper towels are packed individually and sold as stacks, or are held on a continuous roll. There are patterns and shapes often imprinted into the paper towels to maximize absorption. Most paper towels are manufactured with two to three layers of thin paper, but some types can have fewer layers. To make them more appealing, paper towels sometimes have intricate colored images such as flowers or teddy bears imprinted on them. Colored paper towels were introduced 30 years ago^[when?] and come in two distinct classes; domestic and institutional.^{[citation needed]}

Market

Tissue products including paper towels are split into "At Home" and "Away from Home" markets, with about two-thirds of North American consumption at home.^[2] As a percent of total tissue products, the "Away from Home" segment uses a third more paper towels.^[2] The growth in "Away from home" use of paper towels has been reduced by switch from folded towels to roll towel dispensers, which help the amount of paper towels used by each patron.^[2]

See also

• Handle-o-Meter
• Paper towel dispenser

References