Showerthought: Plastic-backed book cloth is a recycling nightmare

I just learned that many book cloths have a plastic layer that makes them impossible to recycle. This stuff ends up in landfills for centuries. Look for natural fiber options instead.

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

derekd477mo ago

Yeah, I ran into this when I started doing some basic book repairs. Tried to peel apart an old cover and it was just this sad, crumbly plastic mesh glued to paper. Total gluey tragedy. I had some luck finding starch-filled cloth from a specialty supplier, which tears clean like fabric. You really have to check the product descriptions though, because the plastic stuff is everywhere.

7

linda6267mo ago

Why does everything feel cheaper now?

8