Use Just One Paper Towel

[RunningPirate]

Right, then...

Have any of you seen this TED video?

http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html

I tried it and, admittedly, did not think it would work, or – rather – it would be a clammy compromise.

Read my lips, folks: I. Was. Completely. Wrong. Mr. Smith’s “shake and fold” method worked shockingly well. So well, that I’m blathering about it to my friends. Additionally, I’ve written to Peet’s, Starbucks and REI, trying to see if they’d consider promoting this in their stores - REI has ~110 stores in the US; Peet’s has ~200; Starbucks, about 17 Thousand Million (I’m rounding) – that’d be a lot less waste if just 1% of the customers did this.

Now, I’m not a very eco person who washes and reuses aluminum foil and composts and whatnot. I separate the recyclables, try to group my trips when I drive and take CalTrain or BART or ride my bike when I can, and that's it. But this thing – shake and fold – just blew me away. Mainly because a) it works, and b) there’s no reason not to do it.

Thank you, Joe Smith.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Looks to me like he wasted a lot of towels making his point.

 

[RunningPirate]

Fair enough. But as a function of that video, I've used at least 15 to 20 less paper towels in the past few days, so maybe it was a wise investment Mrs. Smarty Ma'am

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I mean, he could have just replayed that portion of the video of his drying his hands over and over and over and over and over and over and over and... that would have saved a whole tree right there. Hee.

 

[RunningPirate]

Oh, indeed, but I think he was speaking at a conference that folks paid $2500 to go to, so I think he had to have some "filler"; otherwise, he would have done it once and been done in 90 seconds

 

[PatrickGSR94]

Just trying to demonstrate with the different types of paper towels one commonly sees in restrooms.

Neat concept, I must try this as I usually take 2 towels off the roll after washing my hands.

 

[NickW]

I've always shaken my hands, never tried the fold though. Gonna have to try that next time. We mostly have the air blower hand dryer things around here though so not sure when I will get to try the fold out. My grandpa used to be really strict with paper towels and tp. He used to tell us we could take two squares of tp and that was it so we'd better make sure we got everything. He really was a much nicer man than that sounds. He just grew up during a time when waste was not accepted because everyone was poor.

 

[RunningPirate]

I've always shaken my hands, never tried the fold though. Gonna have to try that next time. We mostly have the air blower hand dryer things around here though so not sure when I will get to try the fold out. My grandpa used to be really strict with paper towels and tp. He used to tell us we could take two squares of tp and that was it so we'd better make sure we got everything. He really was a much nicer man than that sounds. He just grew up during a time when waste was not accepted because everyone was poor.

OK, so fair enough: If you have a blow dryer handy (or as Billy Connelly calls it "The thing you wave your hands under before you dry them on your jeans"), then no need to go searching for a paper towel

As for the TP, I've heard of reduction strategies, but to be perfectly honest, I'm OK with using what it takes....gotta draw the line somewheres...

 

[Barefoot TJ]

 

[dutchie53]

Damn, that works.

 

[RunningPirate]

Damn, that works.

Right! That's why I'm telling folks...this is like the first practical eco/green thing that's easy and effective that I've come across (not to discount reuse/recycle, etc...but you get the point). So tell your friends....

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Okay, so I was in the washroom the other day and tried this. No, it didn't work. Even after shaking my hands off at the wrist (ouch), I felt compelled to grab another paper towel, but I didn't. I showed restraint and just wiped my hands on my pants. Now see there? I just wasted a paper towel. Still no help. I'll just wipe them on my pants from now on.

 

[RunningPirate]

Okay, so I was in the washroom the other day and tried this. No, it didn't work. Even after shaking my hands off at the wrist (ouch), I felt compelled to grab another paper towel, but I didn't. I showed restraint and just wiped my hands on my pants. Now see there? I just wasted a paper towel. Still no help. I'll just wipe them on my pants from now on.

Really? How many times did you shake? Did you shake vigorously enough (no sissy shakes - those don't work). Hmm...you should check with your doctor to see if you're hygroscopic

 

[Robbi]

I tried this as well - it seems to work!