Admit it, you thought this was going to be a spot about how we should use a cloth towel instead of paper towels because it's better for the environment, right?
Of course you did.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We're bombarded by this mantra every day. Whether you choose to do your part or not, it's not like the Green movement is a fringe thing. It's an inescapable message that one would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to be aware of. The very ideal driving society today, the impetus behind hybrid cars and Sigg water bottles and turning off the water when you brush your teeth is to consume less, and pollute less.
So how is it possible that Kimberly-Clark, the parent company of Kleenex, could think that it was a good idea in this day and age to introduce this line of disposable hand towels... a product that is designed to be used exactly once and thrown into the trash? Am I the only person who thinks that this is incredibly wasteful?
It's not like they're exactly urging judicious use of these things, either. In 30 seconds both these bathrooms see more traffic than a Penn Station toilet. I'm surprised this thing isn't hanging on the wall.Not including the dog (who I'm not counting because that's just stupid), the cloth towel gets used 15 times in this 30 seconds.
The Kleenex hand towels? Twenty-two uses. Which must mean that consumers who would buy Kleenex hand towels are more sanitary and wash their hands about 45% more than those who don't.
Really.
You are going to use this product and throw it in the trash, which is then going to get put into a plastic bag, which is then going to spend all eternity at the bottom of a landfill. But isn't paper biodegradable, you say? Yes, it is. But not when it's encased in a plastic bag at the bottom of a landfill.
From the Kleenex website FAQs:
- Is Kleenex® Facial Tissue biodegradable?
- Kleenex® tissue is made with biodegradable cellulose fibers. Because the tissue is made with an additive to make it strong, it will not break down as rapidly as bathroom tissue. Therefore, we suggest you discard Kleenex® facial tissue in the trash.
The hand towels are featured on the landing page of the Kleenex website, and when you dive a little deeper you get a slew of factoids about how single use towels are more sanitary than your cloth hand towel (which apparently is never ever clean, no matter how many times you wash it). You can even see just how the dispenser will look in your bathroom. I thought the upside down hanging box was just to make a point in the commercial, but it appears that if you want that public restroom look in your own home, it is easily achievable.The copy in the commercial states that "...your hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them." This may be true.
You know what we do in our house when that towel gets dirty?
We put it in the washing machine and hang up a clean one.
Not exactly rocket science, and likely what most people do. Which makes Kleenex Hand Towels smack even more of a product created to fill a need which doesn't truly exist.
From ugly and wasteful, we move to "at least we're trying."
Great idea. I think that at least Frito Lay is really making an effort here, even if they are missing a little bit.
From the SunChips website:
- We dream of a world with less waste. That's why we've introduced a bag made from plants so it's fully compostable. Every 10 ½ oz. SunChips® package is designed to fully break down in just 14 weeks when placed in a hot, active compost bin or pile. If it takes a little longer, don't worry about it. Mother nature will get to it soon enough.
Didn't think so. Neither do I.
It's an awesome effort to develop biodegradable packaging. The problem here is that if you're a good citizen, you will follow years of indoctrination and put your chip bag in the trash, which is then going to get put into a plastic bag, which is then going to spend all eternity at the bottom of a landfill.
Which is not a hot, active compost bin.
That kind of defeats the purpose of the biodegradable bag, don't you think? And all those SunChip bags you'll see on the streets of Manhattan, and along the roadside? Well, they'll break down. Eventually. It'll take a lot longer than 14 weeks, but "Mother nature will get to it soon enough."
It's not perfect, but I do give Frito Lay an "A" for effort, in the hopes that this technology can be put to use in a way that will make a difference, and will make the world a little greener.
So I think that from now on, after I wash my hands, I'm going to dry them on a SunChips bag and toss it out the window.
Hey, at least I'm trying.
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