Sustainability on Tap: How XLERATOR Hand Dryers Helped Two Breweries in Lake Placid Cut Waste
In the heart of the Adirondacks, two breweries are pouring more than great beer, they’re also serving up a commitment to sustainability. Lake Placid Pub & Brewery and Big Slide Brewery & Public House are beloved destinations not just for their craft brews but for their environmentally responsible operations. From compostable to-go containers to 100% wind-powered facilities, these breweries are serious about reducing their ecological footprint.
Their green mission doesn’t stop at the taps. Both locations have transformed their restrooms by eliminating paper towel waste and upgrading to green hand dryers with our XLERATOR® Hand Dryers with Electrostatic HEPA (eHEPA®) Filtration. With customized dryer covers and American-made technology, these breweries are proving that even the smallest sustainability choices, like how customers dry their hands, can have a lasting impact.
Check out the full XLERATOR case study for Lake Placid Pub & Brewery and Big Slide Brewery & Public House to see how our green hand dryers helped them meet their sustainability goals.
A Craft Brewery with a Green Vision
Lake Placid Pub & Brewery has been a staple in the region since 1996. Focused on community and conservation, they’ve implemented eco-conscious initiatives from the start. That ethos carried over when the team launched Big Slide Brewery & Public House, designed from the ground up with sustainability in mind.
Both breweries prioritize locally sourced ingredients, energy-efficient operations, and waste reduction. In addition to using 100% wind energy and compostable packaging, they sought a restroom solution that aligned with their green values without sacrificing hygiene or guest experience.
Why the XLERATOR Hand Dryer was the Sustainable Choice
Enter the ultimate green hand dryer, the XLERATOR Hand Dryer. This American-made solution delivers impressive environmental, hygienic, and economic benefits. By replacing paper towels, the go green hand dryers eliminated waste, cut operational costs, and helped the breweries reduce their carbon footprint by up to 94% according to a recent Life Cycle Assessment.
For high-traffic spaces like breweries, the cost and labor of restocking towels, cleaning up paper towel waste, and emptying bins added up. With XLERATOR, that overhead disappeared. Plus, the green hand dryers’ fast dry times (as quick as 8 seconds) keep restroom lines moving, something guests appreciate after a pint or two.
Importantly, the XLERATOR aligns with leading green certifications. As a featured product under the Excel “Works With WELL” & LEED initiative, these dryers support facility goals for sustainability, hygiene, and energy efficiency. By installing any of our go green hand dryers, a facility can ensure their restrooms meet internal environmental standards and advance broader performance metrics tied to WELL and LEED frameworks, essential for businesses that take green practices seriously.
See how our green hand dryers can reduce the carbon footprint of your facility’s restroom.
Custom Covers with Local Flavor
While performance mattered, branding mattered too. Both breweries took advantage of Excel Dryer’s custom cover option, upgrading from standard white to custom-designed green hand dryers that feature each brewery’s unique logo and aesthetic. Our advanced digital image technology allows any graphic or logo to be placed on the go green hand dryers’ cover, allowing brands to add some extra style to their restroom. These personalized touches elevate the restroom experience and extend the breweries’ visual identity into unexpected spaces.
This isn’t just about looks, it’s about brand consistency and pride. When customers see a custom XLERATOR hand dryer on the wall, they know the business behind it cares about the details.
Inside the Adirondack Brewery’s Eco-Friendly Transformation
The breweries didn’t stop at ditching paper towels. They opted for dryers equipped with eHEPA Filtration, which removes 99.999% of viruses and 99.97% of potentially present bacteria at 0.3 microns from the airstream, according to testing performed by LMS Technologies. This upgrade supported not only hygiene but also their broader sustainability goals by eliminating waste and enhancing air quality in the restroom environment.
In the food and beverage industry, hygiene is critical, not just for guests, but for production integrity. Even a minor sanitation issue could compromise an entire brew batch. So it’s no surprise that Lake Placid Pub & Brewery and Big Slide Brewery & Public House made touch-free, high-efficiency hand drying a priority.
And their future plans reflect this mindset: the team’s upcoming third location in Saranac Lake will feature an integrated sink system to further streamline hygiene and sustainability in a unified solution.
Brewery Hygiene Is Good Business
Cleanliness isn’t just about optics, it’s business-critical. A MetrixLab survey found that 80% of people wouldn’t return to a restaurant with a dirty restroom, and paper towel mess is the #1 complaint. For the breweries, swapping in green hand dryers solved that issue while reinforcing their commitment to guest satisfaction and operational excellence.
Moreover, going green with XLERATOR hand dryers has delivered up to 95% cost savings compared to paper towels, a win for the bottom line and the planet.
Raise a Toast to Sustainable Innovation
Lake Placid Pub & Brewery and Big Slide Brewery & Public House are proof that sustainable business decisions can also be smart business decisions. With their investment in XLERATOR Hand Dryers, these breweries have cut waste, improved hygiene, reduced costs, and enhanced their brand, all with a touch of local flair.
From custom covers to advanced eHEPA filtration, every element of the restroom experience now aligns with their values. As they expand to new locations, one thing is clear: sustainability is always on tap. Contact us to achieve this level of eco-friendly innovation in your facility.