Toss in the towel: Help Restore Our Earth with a Paperless Solution

In today's world where hygiene is of utmost importance, the debate between hand dryers and paper towels is not just a matter of preference but also a statement of health and sustainability. Did you know that the paper industry is the fifth largest consumer of energy? That's right. It uses four percent of the world's energy. It's estimated that 253 gallons of petrol are needed to produce one ton of virgin paper.

While the majority of paper goods tend to be recyclable, many items like paper towels are not. Most of these goods are made with recycled paper pulp that can't be reused. A major global landfill issue is caused by the 254 million tons of paper towels that are trashed every year.

As the world returns to its normal operations, we can't go back to business-as-usual. This Earth Day 2021, let's honor the theme to Restore Our Earth™ by making small changes to our daily operations. Changes can range from reforestation efforts to small but essential actions like clean-ups or even limiting paper consumption from our planet. Together we can do our part today for a better tomorrow.

The Pros and Cons of Paper Towels vs Hand Dryers

Bacterial Transmission: Wet hands are a breeding ground for bacteria, making the drying process a crucial step in hand hygiene.

Hand Dryers: Modern hand drying technology has evolved, with some models offering advanced features that reduce bacterial spread. However, not all hand dryers are created equal, and their efficacy can vary based on power, design, and placement.

Paper Towels:While often preferred for their quick drying capability, the quality of paper towels and their dispensers play a significant role in their hygiene effectiveness. Moreover, their environmental impact, from production to disposal, is a factor to consider.

Upgrade to paperless to gain these top four facility benefits.

1. Sustainability

Here's the real cost of paper. Paper towel production is twice as energy intensive as hand dryers and creates more greenhouse gases. A ton of recycled paper consumes 7,000 gallons of water, 360 gallons of oil, 158 million BTUs of energy, and 86 pounds of pollutants go into the atmosphere. Over its lifetime, just one hand dryer will produce 3.0 tons less CO2 than paper towel production. Altogether, World Dryer hand dryers can save 250,000 trees in one year.

2. Cost Savings

Saving trees can also help you save some bottom-line money. A medium-sized restaurant can spend up to $3,562.50 on paper vs. $28.90 on a hand dryer in a year. Save up to 99% with a paperless solution. When it comes to savings, time is also money. Paper towels stack up against your business, little by little until they are overflowing your trash bins and overwhelming your staff. Count on a solution that will help you save time, work, and money.

3. Reliability

Hand dryers are a solution that never runs out or requires constant stocking or restocking. What's best? They can't be used to clog toilets or sinks. You can depend on high-speed hand dryers to dry hands fast. Contrary to belief, hand dryers and paper towels take approximately the same amount of time to dry hands. It takes an estimate of 10 seconds to dry hands with paper towels. World Dryer's SMARTdri Series also dries hands in as little as 10 seconds. Hand drying techniques might vary, but the goal is to always dry hands thoroughly.

4. Superior Sanitation

Wet hands can spread 1000X more bacteria than dry hands. CDC recommends washing hands for about 20 seconds and drying hands entirely as part of our top defense against the spread of infection. Users often have to obtain paper towels from dispensers by touching a lever-controlled device. Provide a superior drying solution that is touchless, fast, and HEPA-filtered. Cleaner than Air™ hand dryers remove 99.97% of air contaminants, 0.3um or larger, from the air for greater sanitation. Can your paper towels do that?

A year-round effort

If your restroom currently provides paper towels, World Dryer offers an excellent opportunity to help reduce your building's carbon footprint year-round. Provide residents with an environmentally friendly way to dry their hands. Next-gen hand dryers promote sustainability without compromising sanitation. Plus, the installation will help your building save money and earn potential LEED credits. A simple decision to upgrade to a paperless solution can send a ripple of positive effects across the planet. After all, change is in our hands.