Paper towel
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A paper towel is an absorbent, disposable towel made from paper.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Commonwealth English, paper towels for kitchen use are also known as kitchen rolls, kitchen paper, or kitchen towels.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For home use, paper towels are usually sold in a roll of perforated sheets, but some are sold in stacks of pre-cut and pre-folded layers for use in paper-towel dispensers. Unlike cloth towels, paper towels are disposable and intended to be used only once. Paper towels absorb water because they are loosely woven, which enables water to travel between the fibers, even against gravity (capillary effect). They have similar purposes to conventional towels, such as drying hands, wiping windows and other surfaces, dusting, and cleaning up spills. Paper towel dispensers are commonly used in toilet facilities shared by many people (such as at schools or shopping malls), as they are often considered more hygienic than hot-air hand dryers<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or shared cloth towels.
History
In 1907, the Philadelphia-based Scott Paper Company developed the first restroom tissues.<ref name="Subramanian2019">Template:Cite web</ref> They started the paper towel industry when they began selling Sani-Towels and used advertising to convince the public that paper towels were essential for personal hygiene.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In 1919, William E. Corbin, Henry Chase, and Harold Titus began experimenting with paper towels in the Research and Development building of the Brown Company in Berlin, New Hampshire.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By 1922, Corbin perfected their product and began mass-producing it at the Cascade Mill on the Berlin/Gorham line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This product was called Nibroc Paper Towels (Corbin spelled backwards<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>). In 1931, the Scott Paper Company introduced their paper towel rolls for kitchens.
Paper towels are commonly used for drying hands in public bathrooms. In the 21st century, however, electric jet-air dryers have threatened their dominance. While there is no clear scientific consensus over which method is more hygienic, the paper towel industry and hand dryer manufacturers such as Dyson have each attempted to discredit each other by funding studies which spur sensationalist headlines and running advertisements. The public relations battle has also been fueled by animosity between both sides.<ref name="Subramanian2019" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Production
Template:Main Paper towels are made from either virgin or recycled paper pulp,<ref name="quick">Template:Cite web</ref> which is extracted from wood or fiber crops. They are sometimes bleached during the production process to lighten coloration,<ref name="Sasser">Sasser, Sue Lynn. Paper Towels Template:Webarchive from the Texas A&M website. Retrieved on June 29, 2007</ref> and may also be decorated with colored images on each square (such as flowers or marketable characters). Resin size is used to improve the wet strength.<ref name="Sasser" /> Paper towels are packed individually and sold as stacks, or are held on a continuous roll, and come in two distinct classes: domestic and institutional.<ref name="ppiOct2008"/> Many companies produce paper towels. Some common brand names are Bounty, Seventh Generation, Scott, Viva, and Kirkland brand among many others.
Market
Tissue products in North America, including paper towels, are divided into consumer and commercial markets, with household consumer usage accounting for approximately two thirds of total North American consumption.<ref name="ppiOct2008">Template:Cite web</ref> Commercial usage, or otherwise any use outside of the household, accounts for the remaining third of North American consumption.<ref name="ppiOct2008"/> The growth in commercial use of paper towels can be attributed to the migration from folded towels (in public bathrooms, for example) to roll towel dispensers, which reduces the amount of paper towels used by each patron.<ref name="ppiOct2008"/>
Within the forest products industry, paper towels are a major part of the "tissue market", second only to toilet paper.<ref name="ppiOct2008" />
Globally, Americans are the highest per capita users of paper towels in the home,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> at approximately Template:Convert yearly consumption per capita (combined consumption approximately [[Orders of magnitude (mass)#106 to 1011 kg|Template:Convert]] per year). This is 50% higher than in Europe and nearly 500% higher than in Latin America.<ref name="ppiOct2008" /> By contrast, people in the Middle East tend to prefer reusable cloth towels, and people in Europe tend to prefer reusable cleaning sponges.<ref name=":0" />
Paper towels are popular primarily among people who have disposable income, so their use is higher in wealthy countries and low in developing countries.<ref name=":0" />
Growing hygiene consciousness during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a boost in paper towel market growth.Template:Citation needed
Environmental issues
Template:See Template:See also Paper towels are a global product with rising production and consumption.<ref name=pulppapermill>Template:Cite web</ref> Being second in tissue consumption only to toilet paper (36% vs. 45% in the U.S.), the proliferation of paper towels, which are mostly non-recyclable, has globally adverse effects on the environment.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> However, paper towels made from recycled paper do exist, and are sold at many outlets. Some are manufactured from bamboo, which grows faster than trees.
Electric hand dryers are an alternative to using paper towels for hand drying.<ref name="innovateus">Template:Cite web</ref> Electric hand dryers may also spread bacteria to hands and clothing.<ref>TÜV Produkt und Umwelt GmbH Report No. 425-452006 A report concerning a study conducted with regard to the different methods used for drying hands; September 2005</ref><ref name="Huang2012">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Ngeow YF, Ong HW, Tan P. Dispersal of bacteria by an electric air hand dryer. Malays J Pathol. 1989 Aug;11:53-6.</ref>