How many bags of trash do you take out in a week? One? Two? Probably many more. How much of that garbage is simple paper waste like paper towels and napkins?

Probably more than you'd like to admit.

As a culture based on convenience, grabbing a paper towel, using it a single time, and pitching it in the trash takes little thought. However that waste is representative of "virgin trees" and not a single bit of recycled paper, in the average paper towel.

Kerri, from AthenaCreates and creator of the "UnPaper Towel," explains:

The main problem is that the paper towels that most people use are made from virgin tree pulp. That means that trees are cut down and harvested for something that you are going to use one time. And then it gets thrown away...adding to the landfill problem. Oh, and to make it even worse for the environment, they bleach the pulp releasing toxic chemicals into our environment.

Kerri's towels are created from 100% unbleached cotton birdseye, an absorbent and strong fabric used in traditional cloth diapers. They are the size of paper towels, meaning they don't take up room in the laundry you're doing anyhow, and they dry quickly - whether in the dryer or on the line.

Since being featured on the children's division of Apartment Therapy, ohdeedoh, her sales have skyrocketed, underlining the popularity of the trend towards the reusable kitchen accessory.

I decided to take a quick Twitter poll to identify the popularity of this trend. On a slow Friday night, Erin, Danielle, and Pam replied immediately that, while they keep a roll on hand, most paper towel needs are met by cloth in their households. Sarah chimed in that "function over frivolity" is big in this economic environment. What is more frivolous than choosing to throw something out after one use?

Cloth towels are both easy to make and readily available for purchase.

Photo Credit: AthenaCreates

Note: Thank you to UpAllNightStudio for the tip on this story!