Do you believe hand-dryers or paper towels are worse for the environment?

Question

I think it's paper towels, simply because of the energy it takes to harvest wood, the chemicals in it, the energy it takes to manufacture and package, the packaging and all of the costs of manufacturing that, and the landfill space that it hogs.

Answer 1

I'm going to break from the pack on this one.
I'd go for paper towels.
The energy wasted in operating electric driers can not be recovered. They create a bigger "carbon footprint". Sane can be said for the energy used in mining the steel and copper and forming it into the heating unit itself.
Trees remove carbon from the atmosphere. They do it very effectively when they are young. When they age, they slow down in their efficiency.
Eventually they die and rot, or burn in forest fires, returning the carbon to the environment.
If we harvest trees as they mature, we can use the wood for production of many products. If the used towels end up being buried, the carbon is NOT returned to the environment.
Be sure to plant MORE TREES to remove additional carbon as the new, young, fast growing trees mature.
Continue the cycle.

Answer 2

Hand dryers use lots of electricity, which is produced by burning coal, unless they're using nuclear power.

Paper is biodegradable and paper companies grow trees to keep up with demand. Using paper doesn't kill trees, it insures that more will be planted.

So logically, paper towels are more environmentally safe.

Besides, I read where those blow dryers are full of bacteria and you're just blowing crap onto your nice clean hands.

If all they offer is a dryer, I always dry my hands on my shirt. Much more sanitary and better for the environment too.

Answer 3

I have often wondered about this myself.

Hand dryers aren't good because they are usually powered by fossil fuels
and
paper towels kill trees and add to landfills.

Maybe the answer is to wring our hands as much as possible and then just wave them around in the air until they dry naturally.

Of course, then I would have nothing to grab the germy door handle with as I exit the bathroom. :-)

For now, I will have to use one paper towel....but just one.

Answer 4

They are both equally bad for the environment, but the worst culprits are the entrepreneurs and businesses who perpetrate the myth that washing ones hands improves hygiene and helps prevent the spread of germs and disease.

I have yet to see any evidence that using either paper towels or hand dryers improves hygiene. Most people going to the loo handle only their own bodies and clean toilet tissue. What's so dirty about that?

Answer 5

Paper towels, sense you have to throw them in the trash and add more tothe landfills!! which are already too full ! plus paper towels mean cutting down more trees!! Which the animals need for a home and food !! there are lots of other reasons to use hand dyers instead of paper !!!

Answer 6

I think that paper towels have an advantage. They work better and can be used to turn off the faucet after you washed your hands and open the door of a public restroom to exit.

Answer 7

I definitely would rather use a hand dryer than be responsible for the unnecessary killing of trees. If no hand dryer is available, I'd rather dry my hands on my clothing, even if it does leave obvious wet spots.

Answer 8

paper towels since you can reuse hand dryers for a long time.

Answer 9

Id say hand dryers because u need to burn fossil fuels to make them and then u need to burn more to use it.

Answer 10

Paper towels. I agree with the person that said he would dry on his clothes, I do the same.

Thanks!