BYOT: Bring Your Own Towel

I'm the type of person who dries my hands on my pants after washing them, since I don't like the idea of using a paper towel once and then throwing it out. In most situations, this isn't a big deal, but occasionally, I don't want wet hand prints on my pants.

Luckily for me, Linda Lannon, a South Shore native, has brought a more socially acceptable option to the market. PeopleTowels are small hand towels that you can keep in your bag, purse, or near your desk and use instead of paper towels or hand dryers. The idea comes from Japan, where, according to Lannon, it is the standard in several areas of the country for people to carry their own hand towels.

At first I was skeptical, but I've been using a PeopleTowel for a few weeks and love it. I'm sure it will take some time for them to catch on, but for those who want to take one more step to reducing waste, this is a great option (and makes a nice gift). The towels are small, soft, lightweight, and hip.

They are also organic, fair trade, and use soy dyes. The company has paid careful attention to the design, and the final result is something that you're much more likely to want to use. My favorite towel has funky, hand-drawn trees and the text, "This is not a tree," plays off the famous Anya Hindmarch "I'm not a plastic bag" tote.

According to the company's calculations, each PeopleTowel user can save 250 gallons of water, one quarter of a tree, and 23 pounds of landfill waste annually. If every person in Boston used one towel for a year, it would save about 155,000 trees and 250 Olympic swimming pools worth of water.

PeopleTowels can be purchased online or at Greenward (in Cambridge or their online store).