what is more environmentally friendly a hand drier or paper towels?

Answer 1

I'd have to say a hand drier. They make those eco friendly. The one at my job has a whole paragragh on it about why it is better for the environment.

Answer 2

So far I think dryad has the best answer. I am amazed at how many people think the answer is paper towel, because "there's no waste."

Did you ever consider what it takes to produce a durable electrical appliance like a hand dryer? I am sure the production and transportation of the metal and other materials, the fabrication process, shipping and other supporting processes create lots of waste and environmental hazard.

I'm also amazed at how many people think paper towels don't require electricity. The manufacture of paper towels certainly consumes electricity and natural resources, and generates heat, and there's also shipping and related processes involved.

But when you divide that down to the amount of resources consumed per sheet of paper towel, it becomes rather miniscule.

On the other hand, delivering electricity is not all that efficient. Heating air by electricity is not efficient. The dryers do such a poor job that people usually hit the button a second time, then walk away while the unit is still running. This is wasting electricity and heating air for no reason. And, if it is summer, chances are the bathroom is air conditioned! It would be great if those things ran on solar, but they'd still be heating the air unnecessarily.

So you stand around running this machine multiple times, or leave the bathroom with WARM, wet hands, instead of just wet hands. As dryad pointed out, that's unhealthy.

Those machines are there because it is cheaper for the owner of the establishment. That is the ONLY reason. The vague "better for the environment" text printed on the unit is just B.S.

So, as others have mentioned, probably the best thing to do for the environment is carry your own towel (see: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy). At the least, facilities that provide paper towels can use unbleached paper that is made from recycled material. That would help. And post reminders to people to use only one or two sheets. I hate it when people grab several sheets and then, with so much of what they've grabbed still unused, they just toss the whole wad in the general vicinity of the trash receptacle. Pigs.

Answer 3

Recycled Paper towels might seem to be not as environmentally friendly however an electrical appliance such as a hand drier uses a specific amount of energy. Electricity is generated via use of coal, not all electricity is created hydroelectrically. Coal is a fossil fuel and as it burns it emits components into our atmosphere that can affect a great many other things.

Also testing has shown that the heat generated from a bathroom hand drier actually increases the amount of bacteria. One of the germiest items to be found in the bathroom is actually the door handle! Can you use an electric hand drier as a barrier to those germs as you open the door? Nope, but a disposable recycled paper towel is the perfect barrier.

After you dry your hands use the towel to open the door then deposit it (towel not the door handle) in the nearest waste receptacle. Not only will you be helping the environment, you will also prevent spreading colds and other transmittable illnesses.

Answer 4

A very good question and the answer is not easy. Earlier one could say, an electric hand drier waas more environmentally friendly but now we must question how the electricity is produced, whether using hydel, thermal fossil fuel or nuclear, solar, wind-power, wave power etc. Each method of producting electricity has its own pros and cons.

However, from practical point of view, I would install an electric drier and put a box of paper napkins too, so that if two people are trying to wash their hands, they wouldn't need to form a que for the drier and one can use a paper napkin. Also, the drier ensures that the people are not too much affected if the paper napkins get exhausted.

By this solution, I may also be striking an optimum balance between the ecofriendly nature of the two options.

Answer 5

I love this, a question all environ-mentalists can argue among themselves! Do I kill a tree or do I use fossil fuels to dry my hands? Living in California, you have no idea how many times I have walked into a bathroom to see some Birkenstock wearer standing like the proverbial donkey between the bales of hay. You wash your hands, wipe them on your jeans and move on, no damage.

Same situation used to happen in grocery stores... "Paper or plastic?" Was always answered by pondering outloud, "Destroy the rainforest or choke a sea turtle? Hmm lets go with the sea turtle, slimy little buggers."

Now that the Supreme Court has decided that CO2 is a pollutant, I envision arriving at the restaurant to the question of, "Inhaling or exhaling section?"

To answer your question properly, paper towels can be recycled into more paper towels. The purpose of the hand drier was to limit litter and the transfer of germs at the start of the no-touch bathroom craze. I'm still waiting for America to embrace the bidet. Imagine motion detector opens the doors for you as you approach, unoccupied stalls beckon you. You enter and the door seals shut and the exhaust fan quietly whirs into life above. You sit and read the warning on the back of the door in 10 different languages that reminds you to stay seated for the entire performance. A soft whoosh and the solids are removed. Then a warm stream cleans your backside, a gentle warming breeze dries you, the green light comes on and you can now stand and leave the room. Touchless faucets, hand driers... a germaphobes heaven.
You'll also be able to quickly spot the newly arrived Asians, they'll be the ones with the backs of their shirts wet from the bidet cycle. (Not an insult, I lived in SE Asia for 3 years and dealt with the footprints on the seats).

Answer 6

If there's one thing the answers to this question show, it's the futility and idiocy of the whole global warming/environmental friendly craze. Just look at the answers! Everyone on here is pro-green and yet even they are split across the board on which method is best. And doesn't logic tell you that if one method is better than the other, then a person is essentially doing more damage to the environment if they are using the wrong method? That's a fact, right? So it follows that, the half that are using whichever method truly is worse (which we may never know), they are actually damaging the environment more by doing something that they THINK is helping it! Ironic, isn't it?

Every single additional human on the planet adds to the problem. That is, we all consume things and produce waste and all of those things, on both ends, have a cost to them either in the production of the things we consume or in the reduction of the waste we produce. So, the ONLY single, true solution is to REDUCE the number of PEOPLE on the planet. Anything short of that is going in the wrong direction, maybe quicker or slower but what's the diff; it's still the WRONG direction? Until people are ready to do something about THAT, the rest is just staving off the inevitable..so why bother? After all, there ARE major costs to the global society for the efforts to be green. It's not free!

Answer 7

Paper towels are more more environmentally friendly a hand drier because paper towels can be degraded and absorbed by nautre as far as hand drier is concerned it burns oxygen when it is hot and increased green house effect.

Answer 8

a hand drier is more enviromentally friendly due to less waste of paper. It has a timer and only is on for about 45 secs. With paper towels, people waste them and use more than needed. A hand drier is actually more hygenic as well. With a paper towel dispenser, you have to pull a lever to get it to come out, unless it is one that automatically comes out itself..yet than again you have to ask yourself this question about the automatic dispensers, the paper towel is already hanging there, yet how many germs are on that paper towel from exposure to the air?...Also with a hand drier, you can use your elbow to turn it on and the heat actually kills off some of the germs on your hand and it is better for your skin compared to the rubbing of the harsh paper towel.....the drier uses less energy to run verses the many trees that are cut down to make rolls of paper towels....

Answer 9

I don't know which is more eco friendly, but I use towels when available and I use the towel to open the door so I dion't have to touch the hardware, i am still amazed by the number of men i see use the restroom then just walk out, not even considering a stop at the lavatory. I don't touch nothing with the bare hand, no towels I'll use toilet tissue top open the door.

Answer 10

I think a Hand Drier is more E. Friendly. Even though I keep using paper towels.....

But the Hand Driers that take too long or they are too hot, that's junk.

Paper towels take away all our trees and you'll need a garbage to hold all the used paper. And when the thing is full, you'll need to empty it. Or you'll need to put MORE paper towels in again, all the time.

Paper towels can collect dust and germs too, from other people who have already touched it. Air is a lot cleaner, even though it had germs just the same, you won't get other people's.

Answer 11

A hand drier is more environmentally friendly because you are not creating useless waste and wasting paper. On the other side tho, paper towels are more sanitary as a dryer could just be blowing all types of germs on your hands. Depending on who used it previously and what they used it for.