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A Good Housekeeping report describes six household uses for empty paper towel rolls: seed starters, bird feeders, dog foraging toys, napkin rings, compost material and wrapping-paper cuffs. The ideas are practical reuse suggestions, but the report notes that composting depends on the tube being free of plastic coatings or other non-compostable materials.
A Good Housekeeping report outlines six ways to reuse empty paper towel tubes around the home, including making seed starters, bird feeders and wrapping-paper cuffs. The suggestions offer alternatives to throwing the cardboard tube away, though the report says composting is suitable only when the material has no plastic coating or other non-biodegradable components.
For gardening, the report recommends cutting a tube into 2-inch sections, standing the pieces in a shallow tray and filling them with seed-starting mix. Whitney Malone, founder of Malone House Gardens, says the starters can be planted directly into pots or garden beds. The report also suggests using small pieces of plain cardboard tube in a compost pile as a carbon-rich “brown” material.
Two of the ideas involve outdoor use. A tube cut in half can be made into a bird feeder by threading string through a hole, coating the outside with plain peanut butter and rolling it in birdseed. The report recommends peanut butter without added salt or sugar. For dogs, Lincoln Schaefer of The Ruly Bully suggests cutting a tube into thirds and placing the pieces among treats or kibble in a box, creating a simple foraging activity.
The remaining uses are for the home. Cut a tube into 1- or 2-inch rings and decorate the sections with paint, ribbon, twine or dried flowers to make napkin rings. Or cut a 2-inch slice and slide it around wrapping paper to hold the paper in place; the report says this works best with standard-sized rolls.
Six Reuses for Everyday Tubes
The suggestions give households several ways to use a common cardboard item before discarding it. Some are functional, such as the wrapping-paper cuff, while others turn the tube into a short-term gardening aid, a craft material or an activity for a pet. The ideas require basic materials and simple cutting and decorating, rather than specialized equipment.
The environmental benefit should not be overstated: the source presents reuse and composting options, not measured waste reductions or evidence that these projects replace other products. Compost suitability also depends on the tube’s composition. Checking for coatings or other non-compostable materials matters before adding it to a compost pile.
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How the Ideas Are Made
The source is a practical household roundup by Wendy Rose Gould, published by Good Housekeeping. It presents the six uses as do-it-yourself suggestions and includes advice from gardener Whitney Malone and dog expert Lincoln Schaefer. The supplied material does not report testing, comparative results or a formal environmental assessment.
Most projects use the tube as a ready-made cylinder: it can hold soil for seedlings, carry a coating of birdseed, form a ring for a table setting or slide over wrapping paper. The compost suggestion differs because it depends on what the tube is made of. Malone advises tearing plain cardboard into small pieces and adding it as a carbon-rich material.
““You can easily repurpose paper towel rolls into biodegradable seed starters.””
— Whitney Malone, founder of Malone House Gardens, as quoted by Good Housekeeping
Limits and Material Checks
The source does not specify whether every paper towel tube on the market is suitable for composting or planting, and it advises against composting tubes with plastic coatings or other non-biodegradable materials. Readers should check the tube and local composting guidance rather than assume all cardboard products break down in the same way.
The roundup also does not provide detailed safety guidance for the bird feeder or dog activity, such as how long a feeder should remain outdoors or whether a particular dog may chew or swallow cardboard. The bird-feeder suggestion specifies plain peanut butter without added salt or sugar, but the source does not compare ingredients or brands. The reported uses are suggestions, not guarantees of suitability for every garden, compost system, bird or pet.
Choosing a Suitable Reuse
Readers can choose among the six projects based on the tube’s condition and the intended use: keep it intact for a seed starter or paper cuff, cut it into rings for crafts or a dog activity, or tear it up for compost only if it is plain cardboard. For projects involving animals, use the report’s food guidance and supervise the activity as appropriate for the pet or setting.
The source does not announce a follow-up test, product launch or further reporting milestone. The next step for anyone trying an idea is to check the materials, prepare the tube for its specific use and follow local composting rules where relevant.
Key Questions
What are the six suggested uses for paper towel rolls?
The report lists seed starters, a bird feeder, a dog foraging toy, napkin rings, compost material and a wrapping-paper cuff.
Can paper towel rolls go in compost?
According to the report, plain cardboard tubes can be torn into small pieces and added as carbon-rich “brown” material. It cautions against composting tubes with plastic coatings or other non-biodegradable materials.
How do you make a seed starter from a tube?
Cut the tube into 2-inch sections, arrange them in a shallow tray and fill them with seed-starting mix. Whitney Malone says the sections can be planted directly into pots or garden beds.
What does the report recommend for the bird feeder?
Cut a tube in half, thread string through a hole, spread on a thin layer of plain peanut butter and roll it in birdseed. The report recommends peanut butter with no added salt or sugar.
How can a tube keep wrapping paper from unrolling?
Cut a roughly 2-inch slice from an empty tube and slide it over the wrapping paper. The report says this method works best with standard rolls.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
