Papaya Reusables
Papaya Reusables’ quick-drying, highly absorbent cloths are the convenient paper-towel alternative you’ve been searching for.
About Papaya Reusables
If you looked in your trash at the end of each week, how many paper towels would you see? If your answer is higher than you’d care to admit, you’re not alone. Paper towels are almost irresistibly convenient, but as a major cause of deforestation, they’re a convenience that’s dangerous for the planet. That’s why we were jazzed to find Papaya’s reusable paper towel, a 100-percent compostable, highly absorbent alternative. Papaya’s towels hold liquid more like a paper towel than a dishcloth, effectively picking up spills and crumbs without leaving annoying streaks on your countertop. Each towel lasts between two and three months and replaces 17 rolls of paper towels. Simply rinse, hang to dry, and repeat.
Why we love them
There’s a laundry list of reasons to love Papaya Reusables, but convenience sits at the top. They actually absorb spills, can take on tough messes, and are easy to keep fresh. A quick rinse does the trick most days, but you can also throw Papaya towels in with your laundry, or on the top rack of your dishwasher for a deep clean. Papaya’s site makes it easy to order sheets individually, or create a customized subscription to get a fresh set (in a compostable mailer, of course) exactly when you need it. Plus, we’re loving the bright, cheerful patterns. KCM’s Mary Kate says the Edible Arrangement pack is her personal favorite, but she has her eyes on the Roses Are Yellow set for her next round.
Meet Rena Green and Eric Prisman
Before co-founding Papaya Reusables with her husband, Eric Prisman, Rena Green had struggled to decrease her reliance on paper towels for years. Things came to a head when she had her daughter and realized she needed a sustainable solution to the wads of paper towels filling her trash can every day. Green and Prisman combined their backgrounds in branding and finance, respectively, to design Papaya’s fresh and user-friendly take on the average Swedish dishcloth, and managed to pull off a successful launch in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Below, we spoke to Rena about the inspiration behind Papaya, where the name came from, and how she uses her towels every day.
In Conversation with Rena
KCM: What prompted you to start Papaya?
Rena Green: When I had my daughter Lucy in 2019, I was going through rolls and rolls of paper towels. Messy babies are no joke! I had always tried to incorporate sustainable swaps into my life like reusable water bottles and reusable shopping bags, but I couldn’t find a reusable paper towel that I loved and could actually see myself using regularly. One day, I came across a staggering statistic about the deforestation caused by the demand for paper towels, and I realized I needed a product that would help me eliminate my paper towel usage once and for all. I knew that if I had this desire, others had it, too. It was a product I was passionate about and could put my energy into making a staple in every home.
How were you originally introduced to Swedish dishcloths?
I bought my first set of Swedish dishcloths years ago and, while I loved the idea of the product, the functionality and user experience fell short for me. I had no good place to store it after I used it, so it would end up either sitting wet at the bottom of my sink — breeding bacteria and smelling like mildew — or hanging awkwardly over my faucet. When my husband and I were brainstorming potential business ideas, we thought, “Hey, here’s a great material — it’s made of cellulose and cotton, so it’s 100 percent compostable — and there’s room to innovate and make it so much better!” We came up with our patent-pending hole-and-hook innovation, which seems simple, but makes ALL the difference. You can stick the hooks strategically around your home for different uses. I have one hook on my backsplash for cleaning my appliances and counters, one hook by my sink for washing dishes, one hook on my daughter’s highchair to clean her hands and face, and the list goes on!
Why the name Papaya?
When we were brainstorming names for the business, we thought about all the brands we love. Most were one word. Some started with an interesting letter. And then we noticed that a lot of great brands were named after fruit: Apple, Lululemon, Blackberry. We already had the design for our Mod Papayas paper towel and we thought, “What about Papaya?!” It’s cute. It’s fun. It’s natural. It’s memorable. It’s perfect!
