Paper Towels Vs. Hand Dryers

Whether you prefer paper towels vs. hand dryers or vice versa, both of them have their own pros and cons. Both of them affect personal hygiene, the environment, and even vary in costs. Before you develop a preset notion about either, take a look at this old, yet raging debate regarding what is better, and then decide what you would prefer to use.

Effects on the Environment
Scientific experts have proven that the carbon emissions and the emission of other greenhouse gases from the use of paper towels are greater than those from the use of hand dryers. This is after taking into consideration the entire production process, including discarding both. Also, the number of trees that go into producing paper towels is extremely high. This has a negative impact on the environment. Moreover, paper towels are used extremely casually, one instead of two, and for any and every purpose leading to wastage. Though hand dryers run on electricity, advanced hand dryers are now being produced, that don't take more than 10-15 seconds to dry hands completely. This reduces the wastage of electricity considerably. Hand dryers also last for over 7-10 years. Recycling paper towels is not possible, though they themselves may be made of recycled material.

Personal Hygiene
In terms of personal hygiene, neither paper towels nor hand dryers completely win the battle. You may follow the regular and healthy procedure for washing hands. However, when you use hand dryers after washing your hands, and do not allow your hands to dry out completely, they are more susceptible to contracting and spreading harmful bacteria. Studies show that wet hands carry over 500% more bacteria than those that have been thoroughly dried. With a paper towel, you can completely dry your hands. Experts have recommended against the use of hand dryers in restaurant and cafeteria bathrooms due to this reason.

Maintenance
Common complaints regarding paper towels are made by facilities managers. It is natural for people to leave behind a mess when using paper towels in public restrooms. Cleaning up after them can be a tough task, and also requires more cleaning material to be used. This again is an indirect way of harming the environment. On the other hand, hand dryers do not require such extensive maintenance, unless they break down, and usually have a life that lasts anywhere between seven and ten years.

Cost
There is also a difference in the cost of paper towels vs. hand dryers. Firstly, a paper towel dispenser is definitely cheaper than a hand dryer. But one must take into account that a hand dryer lasts longer, and that while the paper towel dispenser is cheap, the cost of paper towels itself is definitely higher in the long run as compared to hand dryers. As mentioned before, the casual use of paper towels makes its overall cost much heavier. This is particularly the case in extremely crowded zones such as movie theaters, malls, restaurants, etc. People use more paper towels than required, or they fall out of the dispenser and are then deemed unfit to be used. In such a case, the wastage factor is much higher, which increases the final cost. One must also factor for the cost of paper towels in terms of transportation (which happens more often), and storage. With hand dryers, there is hardly any wastage. They are in fact timed, and thus use minimal electricity. So the costs there are not that heavy. However, if a hand dryer breaks down, the cost of repair is much higher. Even so, people prefer the cost-effectiveness that is provided by a hand dryer, as against paper towels.

To conclude this debate about, only one point can be made. Though all arguments seem in favor of hand dryers, using either is going to be a cause for several environmental issues in the long run. Even if paper towels are produced from recycled materials, and even if advanced hand dryers that dry hands in ten seconds are produced, it is ultimately going to have a negative effect on the environment. Choosing one over the other, is then your choice. Just remember that this choice is going to impact the environment over time.