is it more environmentally friendly to use paper towels or hand dryeers!?

Answer 1

The newer hi-blast hand driers certainly use less energy than the manufacturing process for paper towels. There are no unfriendly chemicals involved in the production of the hot -air blast either and no contaminated paper artefacts to dispose of subsequently.

If you use the drier properly, it is even more effective. The instructions on most hand driers are WRONG. however! You DO NOT constantly rub your hands together; this prevents the airstream from getting to half your hand surface. Hold your hands apart in the blast and move them as if you were rubbing them but not actually in contact. This allows the airblast to circulate freely and maximises the evaporation rate. The occasional redistribution of remaining moisture by brief contact may be required.

In tests I estimate this HALVES the time taken to dry your hands compared with constantly rubbing them together.

Answer 2

HI

I'd reckon paper towels. Hand dryers use power, are mostly shite, so you end up using paper towels anyway. And paper towels can be recycled, the power used to dry hands for at least a minute a go is not. And, if my utility bills are anything to go by its costing more and more to use, thats just in monetary terms, never mind the planet etc.

However, you would also need to factor in the cost of delivery of the towel and costs associated with cleaning them up and removal.

But is there anyone out there that only uses a hand dryer to dry their hands, or does everyone either finish off drying them with some toilet roll or on their jeans!!

Answer 3

If the paper towels are made from recycled paper then I'd say paper towels as hand dryers are often inefficient and use a deal of electricity. Hand dryers were introduced more as a health and safety measure than an environmental one.

Answer 4

The devil is in the details. For example, if trees are planted and grown specifically to produce paper towels the trees remove carbon (CO2) from the atmosphere via photo synthesis. This recycles carbon or even stores it longer term in a landfill. During cold weather, hand dryers add heat to a building reducing the need to burn as much fossil fuels (oil?) for heating (a dual use of the electric power). One must consider all the details of production, use and disposal and any hidden benefits to discuss relative merits.

Answer 5

Both aren't ideal, but as someone else said, wipe hands on your jeans, or i guess recycled paper towels are better, but not best. Whatever you use, make sure it isn't Kimberly Clarke or Kleenex.

Answer 6

i read on top of a hand dryer while i was drying my hands that they were more enviromentally friendly, had like some sort of little plaque screwed to the top of it, looked pretty official so i would say hand dryers

Answer 7

Neither. It is best to be a filthy pig and not wash at all (as nature intended).

Answer 8

just wipe your hands on your jeans

Answer 9

Both have merits and demerits, better referred perhaps, as pros and cons.

Answer 10

hand dryers.