Can You Compost Paper Towels?
Yes. Used paper towels, napkins and tissues compost quickly as a brown. Skip any soaked in cleaning products, heavy grease, or raw meat juices.
At a glance
| Home compost pile | Yes |
|---|---|
| Green or brown | Brown (carbon-rich) |
| Moisture | Dry |
| Prep | None needed |
| Worm bin | Yes |
| Bokashi | With care |
How to compost paper towels
Tear them up and add them with your kitchen scraps; they help absorb moisture and smells. Towels used on water, food spills or drying hands are fine. Keep towels used with bleach, disinfectants or other cleaners out.
Napkins, tissues and cardboard kitchen-roll tubes all compost the same way.
What goes wrong
Wadded towels can clump, so tear or loosen them. Towels used to wipe up meat juices or lots of grease attract animals; trash those. Towels with cleaning chemicals can harm the microbes doing the work.
Worm bins and bokashi
Worm bin: Plain used paper towels and napkins make fine worm bedding, torn up and damp.
Bokashi: A few paper towels are fine in bokashi and help soak up liquid.
This counts as a brown. Adding a lot of it? Check the balance with the compost mix calculator.
From hopcompost.com/can-you-compost/paper-towels/ · General guidance, not professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can you compost paper towels with cleaning products on them?
No. Disinfectants, bleach and other cleaners can harm compost microbes. Put those towels in the trash.
Can you compost tissues and napkins?
Yes. Plain tissues and paper napkins break down quickly, just like paper towels.
Are paper towels green or brown?
Brown. They're carbon-rich paper, though a towel soaked in food adds a little nitrogen. Use them alongside cardboard and leaves.