How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls

  • April 2, 2009
  • 8,020 Views
Please install Flash

Stop throwing out the rolls when the paper towels are gone. There are dozens of good uses for them.

You Will Need

  • Empty paper rolls
  • Imagination
How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls: Make gift boxes

Step 1: Make gift boxes

Turn them into gift boxes. Paper rolls are great for holding small items, plus they’ll keep the recipient guessing as to what’s inside the tube-shaped box.

How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls: Make fire starters

Step 2: Make fire starters

Make fire starters by stuffing them with other leftover paper goods like used tissues and napkins.

Cut the cardboard into strips and use it as kindling.

How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls: Create curlers

Step 3: Create curlers

Create hair curlers. Just cut the rolls into two-inch sections.

How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls: Control electrical cords

Step 4: Control electrical cords

Neaten up those unsightly tangles of electrical cord by folding the cord and feeding it into an empty paper tube.

How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls: Tuck them inside boots

Step 5: Tuck them inside boots

Keep empty boots from flopping over and creating creases by tucking a few paper towel tubes inside them.

How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls: Protect documents

Step 6: Protect documents

Protect important documents by rolling them up and tucking them inside a paper roll before storing them someplace safe.

How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls: Improve hangers

Step 7: Improve hangers

Improve pants hangers by cutting a paper towel tube in half lengthwise and taping it on a hanger. Voila! No ugly hanger crease.

How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls: Build a log cabin

Step 8: Build a log cabin

Save paper towel rolls for a rainy day and then challenge your kids to build a beautiful log cabin out of them.

Notch the ends of the rolls and they can attach to each other like wooden logs.

How To Recycle Paper Towel Rolls: Make Christmas crackers

Step 9: Make Christmas crackers

Make Christmas crackers by tying small toys and/or candy with string. Leave string hanging out the end of the tube, cover it with holiday paper, and twist each end. Pull on the string and the surprise pops out!

More than half a million trees could be saved if everyone in the U.S. replaced just one roll of regular paper towels with a recycled brand.

Something wrong?

Report This How-To

Cancel

Comments (1)

Magaroonie

I keep telling my helper to buy recycled paper, but she says its BAD. (How strange)

over 2 years ago by Magaroonie

Reply

or to post a comment. Or, sign in using your Facebook to comment
and share your activity with your friends

Video is in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (14 videos)