In schools and businesses, maintaining hygiene standards is essential, and hand drying plays a key role in this. When it comes to hand drying solutions, the choice between hand dryers and paper towels has long been debated. While paper towels may offer a quick fix, hand dryers are becoming increasingly popular for their financial, environmental, and health benefits. This article explores why hand dryers are a superior option, especially for schools and businesses in the UK.
1. Cost Benefits: Hand Dryers vs. Paper Towels
One of the most significant advantages of hand dryers over paper towels is the cost savings over time. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the costs involved:
Cost of Paper Towels
- Upfront and Ongoing Costs: Paper towels must be purchased continuously. In the UK, the average cost for a box of 5,000 paper towels is around £20-£30. A typical school or business with moderate foot traffic could easily use 2-3 boxes per week.
- Yearly Costs: At a conservative estimate of two boxes per week, the annual cost for paper towels is approximately £2,000 to £3,000, including refills, maintenance of dispensers, and waste disposal.
- Waste Disposal Costs: Using paper towels generates a substantial amount of waste, requiring regular disposal. This adds additional costs for waste removal services, potentially increasing expenses.
Cost of Hand Dryers
- Upfront Costs: High-speed hand dryers range from £200 to £500 for commercial models, depending on the brand and power. The initial installation cost may be slightly higher, but these dryers typically last 5-10 years with minimal maintenance.
- Energy Consumption: Modern hand dryers use between 0.15 to 0.25 kWh per dry. At an average cost of £0.34 per kWh in the UK, drying hands with a high-efficiency hand dryer costs around £0.05 per use. In a setting where a hand dryer is used 200 times per day, this results in approximately £365 in energy costs per year.
- Total Yearly Costs: Even with initial purchase, installation, and energy consumption, the yearly running cost for hand dryers remains significantly lower than the ongoing costs of paper towels.
In short, schools and businesses can save thousands of pounds annually by switching from paper towels to hand dryers, especially in high-traffic environments.
2. Environmental Benefits
Sustainability is a growing priority for many organisations. Hand dryers, particularly energy-efficient models, offer clear environmental advantages compared to paper towels.
Paper Towels and Waste
- Deforestation and Resource Use: Paper towels are made from trees, contributing to deforestation and habitat destruction. Producing paper towels also consumes large amounts of water, energy, and chemicals during the manufacturing process.
- Waste Generation: Paper towels cannot typically be recycled due to contamination from water and bacteria. Therefore, they end up in landfills, where they contribute to methane emissions as they decompose. A single user can generate up to 100-200 kg of paper towel waste annually.
- Transportation Emissions: The regular transportation of large volumes of paper towels contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, adding to their overall environmental footprint.
Hand Dryers and Energy Use
- Reduced Carbon Footprint: Although hand dryers do consume electricity, modern hand dryers are much more energy-efficient than earlier models. High-efficiency dryers use up to 80% less energy compared to traditional hand dryers.
- Less Waste: Since hand dryers eliminate the need for disposable paper products, they drastically reduce the volume of waste produced. Over the lifespan of a hand dryer, it can prevent hundreds of thousands of paper towels from ending up in landfills.
According to one study, switching from paper towels to energy-efficient hand dryers can reduce a business’s carbon footprint by up to 70%.
3. Hygiene and Health Benefits
Maintaining a high level of hygiene is critical in schools and businesses, particularly in settings with frequent visitors or a large workforce. Both paper towels and hand dryers have their place in hand hygiene, but modern hand dryers offer specific health-related advantages.
Paper Towels and Bacterial Spread
- Cross-Contamination: Paper towel dispensers often require users to pull a lever or touch a surface to dispense towels, which can lead to the spread of germs. Waste bins filled with used towels can also become a breeding ground for bacteria, creating additional hygiene risks.
- Lack of Consistency: Not all users will dry their hands thoroughly with paper towels, which can leave hands damp. Damp hands can spread up to 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands.
Hand Dryers and Hygiene
- Touchless Technology: Most modern hand dryers are touch-free, reducing the chance of cross-contamination. Users simply place their hands beneath the dryer, which automatically activates, drying hands quickly without the need for physical contact.
- Advanced Filtration: Many new hand dryers come equipped with HEPA filters, which can remove up to 99.9% of bacteria and airborne particles from the air used to dry hands. This feature ensures that the air blown onto hands is clean and hygienic.
- Faster Drying Time: High-speed hand dryers can dry hands in 10-12 seconds, encouraging users to thoroughly dry their hands. Studies have shown that people are more likely to dry their hands completely with an efficient hand dryer, leading to fewer instances of bacterial spread compared to using paper towels.
4. Reduced Maintenance and Operational Efficiency
For schools and businesses, managing restroom facilities can be a time-consuming and costly task. Switching to hand dryers simplifies the process in several ways:
- Less Frequent Refills: With paper towels, maintenance staff must constantly refill dispensers and empty bins. This creates additional work and increases operational costs.
- Less Cleaning Required: Paper towels can often end up on the floor or clog drains, leading to extra cleaning or plumbing issues. Hand dryers eliminate this problem entirely, making restrooms cleaner and more presentable.
- Increased Staff Efficiency: Facilities management teams can focus on more important tasks when they are not tied up with restocking paper towels or managing waste disposal.
Conclusion
For schools and businesses in the UK, switching from paper towels to hand dryers is a smart, sustainable, and cost-effective decision. Not only do hand dryers offer substantial financial savings by eliminating the need for continuous paper towel purchases and disposal, but they also contribute positively to the environment by reducing waste and lowering carbon footprints. Additionally, modern hand dryers provide superior hygiene through touchless operation and advanced filtration systems.
As organisations strive to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and meet environmental goals, hand dryers provide a modern solution that benefits both the bottom line and the planet.
References:
- The Carbon Trust
- Dyson Airblade Environmental Impact Study
- UK Energy Savings Trust