The Great Hand Drying Debate: Eco Facts to Blow You Away

The debate around paper towels vs hand dryers, and which is the greener way to dry your hands, is an ongoing one for businesses, environmentalists and everyday consumers. Paper towels are undeniably handy for drying hands quickly and mopping up all manner of spillages, but have you ever stopped to consider their impact on the environment?

We’ve compiled some paper towel vs hand dryer eco-facts on environmental impact and eco-savings below that you might just find surprising.

A single paper towel dispenser sends 160kg of waste to landfill every year

There is a widespread assumption that because paper towels don’t use any electricity and can be made from recycled materials, they must be the greener option, however this isn’t necessarily the case.

Paper towels are generally made from chemically treated virgin wood pulp, recycled materials or a combination of both, and their production plays a significant part in deforestation as well as consuming high levels of water. Every stage in the life cycle of a paper towel, from manufacturing to transportation, packaging, storage and disposal, produces significant levels of CO2, which has a hugely detrimental impact on the environment.

Paper towels are designed as a single use product and it doesn’t take long for even a small business to generate a vast amount of waste, with just one dispenser producing 160kg of rubbish each year. Categorized as contaminated waste, paper towels are more often than not unrecyclable and consequently end up in landfill, usually in plastic bags. The decay of paper products in landfill produces methane gas, which has a global warming potential of 28 times that of carbon dioxide.

Hand dryers can reduce a building’s CO2 emission by nearly 70%

On the other side of the debate, hand dryers use only a short burst of energy, don’t need to be constantly refilled and leave no waste products. They beat paper towels on the environment front hands down, with electric hand dryers proven in some cases to reduce a building’s carbon footprint by 50% – 70% compared to using paper towels.

Studies have also shown that a hand dryer is nearly three times more eco-friendly, producing only a third of the CO2 that paper towels create. Modern dryers can also dry hands in as little as 12 seconds and use far less (around 88%) energy than their predecessors. This energy efficiency, in terms of CO2 emissions and impact on our environment, constitutes an actionable step closer for businesses striving to achieve net-zero ambitions.

What makes a hand dryer eco-friendly?

Eco-friendly hand dryers are designed to reduce environmental impact while still drying hands quickly and reliably. Energy consumption is an important consideration, but wattage alone doesn’t tell the full story. Facilities should also consider drying time, energy used per cycle, durability, maintenance requirements and the expected life of the unit.

A hand dryer that operates efficiently for many years can also reduce the environmental impact associated with manufacturing, transporting and disposing of replacement equipment. Durable components and straightforward maintenance can therefore be just as important to long-term sustainability as low energy consumption.

When comparing sustainable hand dryers, facility managers should look for clear product specifications and environmental data rather than relying on broad “green” claims alone.

Are hand dryers more eco-friendly than paper towels?

Comparing hand dryers vs paper towels fairly means looking beyond what happens during the few seconds it takes to dry a pair of hands. A lifecycle approach considers raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, use, maintenance and eventual disposal.

Paper towels require a continuous supply of material to be manufactured, packaged and transported to a facility, followed by regular restocking and waste removal. Electric hand dryers require electricity during operation, but eliminate this ongoing stream of disposable paper products.

The exact environmental impact of hand dryers varies according to factors including the efficiency of the dryer, drying time, local electricity generation and how frequently the restroom is used. For many commercial facilities, an energy-efficient hand dryer can provide a practical way to reduce both paper consumption and associated waste.

Energy efficiency is about more than wattage

Facilities comparing energy-efficient hand dryers should consider how much electricity is required for each complete drying cycle. A unit’s power consumption and drying time work together to determine energy use per dry.

For example, a dryer that uses more power but completes a drying cycle quickly may consume less total electricity per use than a lower-powered model that needs to run considerably longer. This makes drying time an important metric alongside wattage when comparing models.

Restroom traffic matters too. Even small differences in energy used per cycle can become significant in airports, restaurants, schools, stadiums and other facilities where dryers may operate hundreds of times each day.

Hand dryers can pay for themselves in as little as 18 months

It might sound surprising, but UK manufacturers sold paper towels worth approximately £496m in 2021, a huge amount of money for an item that is only used once before being thrown away.

Choosing an energy efficient, eco-friendly hand dryer instead of a paper towel dispenser could save you up to 97% annually, as well as reducing the maintenance costs associated with refilling and disposing of paper towels.

Paper towels can cost approximately two to three times more per month than warm air hand dryers and up to 20 times as much as a powerful cool jet air hand dryer, which for any business looking at cost saving measures is a no-brainer.

In fact, many hand dryer units can pay for themselves in under a year (based on usage of over 100 times a day when switching from paper towels). Without factoring in the cost of rubbish bags and maintenance, an average size company will spend around £2,000 a year to cover paper towels and their refilling and disposal. By comparison, the initial cost of an electric hand dryer and annual operating costs from £10 is a much smaller price to pay.

Airdri eco-friendly hand dryers put sustainability and performance into practice

Airdri’s CompactDRI combines energy efficiency with long-term reliability in a durable, space-saving design. Its 1.0kW motor delivers a 15-second dry time, while premium stainless-steel cover options and a 7-year warranty support lasting performance. Airdri’s rigorous testing has achieved a dryer lifecycle of more than 10,000 hours, and CompactDRI’s independently verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) provides transparent data on its lifecycle environmental impact.

Steve Whittall, Chief Operating Officer here at Airdri, has this to say:

“It takes very little energy to dry one pair of hands. However, in public buildings where washrooms are used on a daily basis for eight, twelve or more hours, these energy usages can mount up to a substantial expense. Therefore, exceptional energy efficiency is paramount to ensuring an ecologically friendly dryer. At Airdri, our bespoke motors help achieve best-in-class energy efficiency, requiring only 200 watts of power to operate.

“Breakdowns and faulty mechanisms are the last things you want to be dealing with when you’re investing in a hand dryer, therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary repairs and replacements, a long-life span is a top priority for an eco-friendly dryer.”

How to choose an eco-friendly hand dryer

There is no single specification that makes one dryer the most eco-friendly choice for every restroom. The right option depends on how and where it will be used.

For a busy commercial restroom, drying speed, energy per cycle and durability may be priorities because the dryer will operate frequently. Offices, schools and hospitality settings may place more emphasis on noise levels as well as energy efficiency. Facility managers should also consider maintenance requirements, accessibility, warranty coverage and whether independently verified environmental information is available.

Taking these factors together provides a more realistic picture of long-term environmental performance and total cost of ownership. It can also help businesses choose eco-friendly hand dryers that support wider sustainability goals without compromising the performance expected by restroom users.

Visit our paper towel calculator to calculate the environmental impact of your business.