How Environmentally Friendly Are Hand Dryers?

It seems going green is becoming one of the most important topics for individuals and businesses alike; with the desire to save money, energy, resources and appeal to a wider array of customers, many companies are looking to implement more energy efficient products and services in their facilities.

Many consumers are starting to notice more hand dryers in public restrooms, for example. While some people inherently prefer the tried and true paper towel or linen cloth method to dry their hands, with further examination of some key points, it makes perfect sense to install a hand dryer rather than multiple paper towel dispensers, you can find more info here.

The Real Cost of Paper Towels:

The cost of a single paper towel might be miniscule, but what’s the overall cost on a large scale? Not only does a paper towel have to be harvested from trees, a resource that is becoming quickly depleted in some parts of the world, that tree also has to be shipped to a processing facility or paper mill, processed (which can cause chemical byproducts that are harmful to the environment), and then shipped to a warehouse or paper retailer. From there, it will be shipped to the buyer, used once, and thrown away.

That’s a tremendous amount of wasted energy, fuel and time.

While the impact is lessened when paper towels are recycled or made from recycled material, the sad fact is most paper towels are simply thrown into the trash.

Linen Towels:

In a few public restrooms, you may find a linen towel on a roller that allows a person to pull down a clean part of the towel. While these linen towels can easily be washed and reused many times, they are not especially hygienic or safe. Just because a spot on the towel looks clean doesn’t mean it is, and washing has to happen frequently to ensure the least amount of bacteria and germs spread from user to user.

Hand Dryers Past and Present:

Hand dryers typically use less power over all for several reasons. They last much longer, typically take fewer resources to manufacturer, and also often take less fuel to transport. They do not require washing, and they can certainly be used more than one time before being thrown away.

However, they do take electricity to run, and in decades past, have not always been as economical when compared with today’s models. Reports show that modern hand dryers are up to 80% more energy efficient than old models. They also dry hands more quickly and thoroughly than old hand dryers.

Author bio – Ben Hodge works as an editor for HandryersUK and writes content relating to personal care and hygiene. In this article he discusses the environmental issues surrounding the use of hand dryers.