Paper towels are one of the most fervently consumed household goods on the market, as evidenced by pandemic shortages. In 2020, people used over 13 billion pounds of them in the United States alone.

Paper towels are great. There, I said it. You rip a sheet, wipe up a mess, then toss the paper in the trash. No extra cleanup or washing, and most of the time—for small messes at least—you don’t need ...