Share and Voice: Paper Towels vs Hand Dryers

So today after I had washed my hands in the bathroom, I went to go grab some paper towels, and there weren't any. This frustrated me becuase I was in a hurry and prefer paper towels. I have always heard that it is more environmentally friendly to use the hand dryers, but I have always disliked them because it takes FOREVER for them to dry your hands. So back to today....in my frustration I got to thinking...Is it even better for the environment for people to use hand dryers instead of paper towels? What are the benefits for each? Why are both paper towels and hair dryers provided in bathrooms when one is better for the environment then the other....that is if one is truely better than the other. All of these thoughts inspired me to do some research of my own in order to get some real answers to my questions.



So here is what I found...Facts are found from the article "Electric Hand Dryers vs. Paper Towels" written by By Brendan I. Koerner. This article came from the website Slate.

• Both have a cost on the environment, so the best option is to wipe hands on your pants.
• The main benefits of using paper towels are that they don't use electricity, and the automatic ones are battery operated. Also, the trees that are used to make paper towels are typically replaced after the harvest; so deforestation is not an issue.
• The main disadvantage of using paper towels is all of the pollution that is created. Fossil fules are used for the woods' transportation to companies who make paper towels. The pulping process in making paper towels also creates a lot of pollution. Finally, the transportation of paper towels to clients who use them, creates even more pollution.
• Hand dryers do need to be delivered, but this occurs much less often then paper towel deliveries.
• Another disadvantages of using paper towels is that more maintanance jobs are needed for bathroom clean up, that aren't needed for hand dryer use. Just think about how often the garbage can needs to be emptied, and paper towel machines need to be refilled.
• Hand Dryers are the greener option!!!! They eliminate waste disposal and they are more hygienic than paper towels. They use less energy and last 7-10 years. The worst part about hand dryers is that it takes a little bit more energy up front to make them.
• The carbon emissions from a typical use of a hand dryer are .02-.08. This is much less than the carbon emissions from a typical paper towel use (typically 2 paper towels) which is 0.123.

I just want you guys to think about this. Is the added convenience of paper towels really worth the piles and piles of paper towels that are filling our landfills? Please take the extra minute, and try to dry your hands more often with a hand dryer.

Thanks for reading!!

Here is the main webstie where I found most of my information. Please feel free to click on it if you want to learn more!

http://www.slate.com/id/2193740/

Have a Great Day!!!