Recycle Old Towels to Avoid Waste – How to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Do you have almost a hundred old towels lying around that you are too lazy to throw out? If you bobbed your head enthusiastically to this, you should know that you are not alone. However, before you throw out your old towels, you should know that there are ways you can recycle old towels.

How to Recycle Old Towels

Below are some ways to repurpose old towels. Don’t worry; you don’t need to be creative or artsy to turn towels into bibs and bags. Regardless of your age and craft level, all you need to do is follow some steps, and voila! Enjoy your new creation.

1. Use It as a Washcloth

Instead of investing in multiple washcloths, why don’t you just recycle old towels that you have lying about? Not only will this help you save money, but it is also eco-friendly. This is a great tactic to repurpose towels with stains, faded areas, or slight tears.

Materials

• Bath towel
• Measuring grid that is transparent
• White-colored chalk
• A pair of scissors
• Sewing machine
• Awl
• Medium cotton yarn
• Crocket hook of size G

Directions

• Place an old towel on a flat surface.
• Measure an 8 x 8-inch square on the towel using the measuring grid. Use white chalk to draw the square on the top.
• Grab your scissors and cut out the square.
• Put your sewing machine on thick fabric settings and choose the zigzag stitch option.
• Stitch along each side of the square in a straight line. This will help give the piece of towel a finished look. Then, get rid of the extra thread.
• Poke holes on all four sides of the square using an awl. Make sure that they are evenly spaced (a distance of 1/8^th inch between each hole).
• With the help of a slip knot, tie the cotton yard to the crocket hook.
• Now, the crocket hook needs to be passed through the awl-punched holes.
• Yarn over the hole and pull the yarn through. Around the towel washcloth, use a single crochet stitch. Keeping your eye on the first stitch, slip stitch, and complete the round.
• Then, chain one and single crochet a second round. Keeping your eye on the first stitch, close the round. Pick up the scissors and cut the yarn. Make sure you weave in the ruffled ends.
• And voila, the washcloth is ready! To clean, simply throw it in the washing machine.

2. Use It as a Beach Bag

If you don’t like measuring and pinning, this one’s for you. Making a beach bag is the best way to recycle old towels. Moreover, it is easier than you can imagine! Take out any old towel that is not in use, and we guarantee you a cute beach bag that will have all your friends drooling over it.

Materials

• Any towel that is not in use
• Any scrap fabric to make the bag’s handles
• A pair of scissors
• Sewing machine

Directions

• Take an old towel and cut it up into quarters. Get rid of the trims from the edges.
• Set the sewing machine to the zigzag stitch and sew the sides of the towel to ensure that the towel does not unravel.
• Using the scrap fabric, cut two handles. Place them along the fabric’s edge in the shape of bag straps. Using a zigzag stitch, sew the ends of the handles down. On the other end of the towel, sew the other strap the same way.
• With the handles facing downwards, fold the towel in half. Sew the edges.
• The bag is now ready! All you have to do is turn it right side out. You can throw in your favorite perfumes, lipsticks, and drinks and get ready for the journey.

Are you surprised at all the ways you can recycle old towels? We don’t want to brag, but we told you so!