The Best Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Kitchen Roll
To support the running costs of Moral Fibres, this post contains affiliate links. This means Moral Fibres may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to readers, on items purchased through these links.
Looking for eco-friendly alternatives to kitchen roll? Read on – I’ve got heaps of ideas on how to ditch the single-use kitchen roll.
When it comes to the kitchen I’ve already covered eco-friendly alternatives to cling film. However, what about
Whilst kitchen roll may be a staple product that is undeniably very useful, it’s not the greenest option. It’s a single-use and disposable product. Many brands still package their kitchen roll in plastic. Plus, contrary to popular belief, dirty kitchen roll is not recyclable.
You may be wondering what to use instead. Worry not. I’ve got five eco-friendly alternatives that are kind to the planet, yet still pull their weight in the kitchen.
The Eco-Friendly Alternatives To Kitchen Roll To Try

If you’re looking to make the switch away from single-use products, then I’ve got some great zero-waste and eco-friendly alternatives to kitchen roll up my sleeve for you!
If you’re not ready, pop back later when you’re ready. There is zero pressure! When it comes to green living my all-time number one tip is to make one small green switch at a time. It’s much less overwhelming. And it’s so much easier to find a starting point to work from, rather than trying to green all the things at the same time:
- Opt For Reusable Cloths
- Make Your Own Reusable Kitchen Roll
- Buy Reusable Kitchen Roll
- Use A Plate
- Opt For Reusable Napkins
Opt For Reusable Cloths

One of my easiest eco-friendly alternatives to kitchen roll is to keep a drawer or basket filled with
My working mum’s budget doesn’t stretch to having a basket full of organic cloths. As such, I buy cheap as chips cotton cloths from the supermarket when I find them minimally packaged. Anything that’s not single-use is a big positive in my eyes, so I don’t feel guilty about it. If it’s what you can afford then don’t feel guilty either.
For an even more frugal and green
If you’ve got a sewing machine you might want to stitch the edges with a simple and quick running stitch to prevent fraying. If you’re not into sewing then I find old cotton t-shirts don’t tend to fray so much, so don’t need stitching.
To use, I just grab a cloth when I need to wipe a spill. I then pop the dirty cloth in the washing machine when I’m done. Job done.
Make Your Own Kitchen Roll

A random pile of
The good news is that there are heaps of reusable kitchen roll tutorials out there. This handy DIY, from A Beautiful Mess, is pretty comprehensive.
Buy Reusable Kitchen Roll

If you aren’t particularly crafty or are too time-poor (me, on both counts!), then thankfully you can buy a reusable kitchen roll on Etsy.
This reusable set, from
Use A Plate

When I was growing up in the 1980s my mum often served us food on a piece of kitchen roll. A sandwich, toasted cheese, or a bit of cake. If it was finger food, it was always served up on a piece of kitchen roll.
My mum worked full time and didn’t have time to be doing a constant stream of dishes that three kids create. We didn’t have a dishwasher back then. Kitchen roll plates it was.
So much so, that I honestly thought serving food was the MAIN use of kitchen roll! Therefore, it took me a long time to break this one. Now I always serve food on a plate. We have a dishwasher. It helps immensely.
Opt For Reusable Napkins

This one is another throwback from my childhood.
When it came to packed
I do this for my own kid’s packed lunches now. But with washable napkins instead of disposable kitchen roll. Pro tip: dark-coloured napkins are king at hiding food/grease stains!
Have you found any other eco-friendly alternatives to kitchen roll? As always do let me know in the comments below!
I’ve also got loads of other eco-friendly kitchen hacks. From plastic-free dishwasher detergent to making your own beeswax wraps, to my guide to natural cleaning products to DIY, and more, have an explore of my archives!
Found this post useful? Please consider buying me a virtual coffee to help support the site’s running costs.
My biggest issue is using kitchen roll for patting salad dry. That’s where most of our roll usage goes. What would be the best alternative to that please?
I use a clean dry tea towel for this purpose Claire, and just use it like you would with kitchen roll.
I use bamboo washable cloths for wiping surfaces, which was the main use of the kitchen towels before I switched. Plates for serving food and silicone reusable plate covers for left overs…
This post is lovely because sometimes I feel that when we use certain things without thinking, such as kitchen roll, it is a little bit hard to think about alternatives.
Have a nice day!
Thanks Carolina! It can be hard, can’t it? There are lots of things I struggle with!
You can buy rolls of reusable kitchen towel made from bamboo fabric. The sheets tear off like paper towels, but can then be washed and reused many times.
That looks interesting and will investigate. Not keen on poppers on reusable kitchen roll I must say.
I have cut up old, past their best t-shirts and put them under the sink as they aren’t aesthetically pleasing 😂 x
For some reason, using kitchen roll is one of the habits I find it most difficult to kick in the kitchen. I’m not sure why but it’s probably just the convenience! I’m trying to keep clean cloths in a basket ready for use. These are great suggestions, I’ll keep them in mind!
It’s been one of our hardest swaps too, Hannah, I think it’s definitely the convenience factor, and it took us a long time to break the habit. A basket, a drawer, a bag, anything that you have will do the job – good luck!
Wendy, am curious as to whether the Wilko cloths you’ve mentioned would be OK to use for washing up as well. Am determined to stop using j-cloths in the kitchen and bathroom so need something that will withstand being regularly put in the washing machine. Thanks!
I just use dishcloths from Wilko which are white, edged with red or blue stitching. Use once for washing up, clean off the worktop, then put in the wash. Ensure you put it onto something plastic to dry out, so you don’t have to replace a wicker washing basket…
I’m trying to replace my usual go to wet wipes in the house, for kids faces at meal times, and to replace my quick anti bac wipes in each of the bathrooms. I had started to use kitchen towel, but that’s just as bad general waste as wet wipes (and bigger!). I really don’t want a basket of flannels in the kitchen and I’d be loathe to use the washable bamboo ones on kids faces, can anyone recommend a kitchen towel brand that uses recycled paper and is biodegradable so I can compost after use?