While reusable personal hand towels are new to the US, the Japanese have been using personal hand towels in public for decades. Japan is an island nation with limited space for waste disposal, so they are very eco-conscious and value conservation. Usually there are no disposable paper towels in public facilities in Japan. You either dry your hands with your own reusable hand towel or there’s always the “back of the pants” alternative.

In the US, disposable paper towels are widely available in public facilities. We can all picture those wastebaskets overflowing with paper towels.

The average person alone uses 2,400 – 3,000 paper towels at work a year. Like plastic grocery bags, disposable water bottles and paper cups, single-use paper towels leave a big carbon footprint on the planet.

Make a difference and green your lifestyle with the small act of “B.Y.O.Towel™" with reusable PeopleTowels to fight deforestation, conserve water, cut carbon emissions and reduce waste.

Simply tote your reusable PeopleTowel in your bag, purse, or backpack and take it out to dry your hands after washing in public facilities. Use a PeopleTowel for a day or two then throw it in the wash or hand wash it. It’s simple, easy and a small sustainable eco-habit with a tremendous positive environmental impact.

Please visit Our Inspiration to learn more about PeopleTowels' inspiration and the Japanese hand towel custom.