Go green.
Those two simple words have revolutionised the way we approach almost every aspect of our daily lives, and often times without our even realising it. From household white goods in our homes to public and private transport systems to the stationery we use at the office, virtually everything we utilise on an average day has been assessed for its impact on the environment before being purchased and put in place.
And that philosophy extends now to the washroom as well – besides water saving technology, energy efficient lighting and environmentally-friendly materials, the spotlight has also come to rest on the innocuous hand drying systems in place.
Old Battle, New Front
The choice between paper towels and hand dryers is not a new one; with the advent of electric hand dryers decades ago, most institutions and businesses started to choose them over paper towels as a symbol of how modern their organisations were and as a representation of their commitment to overall customer satisfaction.
The battle lines between hand dryers and paper towels today, however, have been drawn on an altogether new territory – eco friendliness.
The Research
To ensure a balanced viewpoint and obtain an unprejudiced result set, one team of researchers used a wide range of criteria to assess overall impact, including:
- Potential impact on human health;
- Potential impact on global warming;
- Extent of land occupation;
- Amount of water consumption;
- Energy demand.
A variety of hand dryers, paper towels from both virgin forests and recycled material, and cotton roll towels were pitted against each other for a comprehensive investigation.
The verdict was rather clear-cut in one aspect; it seems that modern electric hand-dryers outperform paper towels on the green scale by a fair margin. On the other hand, it was also shown that standard warm air dryers are consistently the worst offenders when it comes to environmental friendliness.
Analysing the Research
A number of observers were caught off-guard by the scope of the results; it seems few expected hand dryers to be both the best and the worst options available in the modern washroom. The results themselves were eye-opening in that it was seen that simply opting for the modern option does not necessarily make that option the greener one – care must be given to the individual characteristics of the choice to be made.
Ultimately, a modern hand dryer is an investment in the planet as well as an asset that could potentially lower your company’s expenditure. QBIC Washrooms’ team of consultants will be able to assist you in making the decision of washroom dispensers which are ideal for your particular set of circumstances and limitations.
