The Role of Hand Dryers in Reducing Paper Waste and Deforestation
In today’s world, where sustainability is top of mind, even small decisions, like how we dry our hands, have significant environmental consequences. The choice between paper towels and hand dryers impacts not only operational costs but also the health of our planet. Paper towels may seem convenient, but they come with hidden costs: paper waste, deforestation, and a larger carbon footprint. In contrast, energy efficient, green hand dryers like the XLERATOR® help reduce paper waste and support global efforts to protect forests.
At Excel Dryer, we’ve studied this issue in depth through a third-party verified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which proves that switching to eco-friendly hand dryers can dramatically reduce the environmental impact of paper towels.
Learn more about our energy efficient hand dryers with sustainability FAQs.
The Environmental Cost of Paper Towels
Paper towels are single-use products that require enormous resources to produce. Manufacturing paper towels consumes vast amounts of water and energy, while also contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Once used, towels are discarded, often ending up in landfills, where they generate methane as they decompose. This cycle highlights the environmental impact of paper towels, which goes beyond restrooms and contributes to global sustainability challenges.
Deforestation is also a hidden cost of paper towel use. As demand for pulp continues, forests are cleared to keep up with production needs, linking paper towels directly to deforestation and paper products. This process destroys habitats, reduces biodiversity, and accelerates climate change. This is why we need to start focusing on paper waste reduction to help improve the planet.
In fact, our Life Cycle Assessment data shows that paper towels have a significantly higher global warming potential and resource depletion rate compared to high-speed, energy efficient hand dryers. When compared to our XLERATOReco® green hand dryer, facilities can achieve up to a 94% reduction in carbon footprint versus paper towels. For businesses, this means that relying on paper towels directly increases environmental costs, while also adding to operational expenses from constant restocking and waste removal.
How Paper Waste Contributes to Deforestation
Deforestation is closely tied to paper production. Trees are harvested to create pulp, which is then processed into paper towels. This large-scale demand fuels deforestation and habitat loss, threatening biodiversity and accelerating climate change.
When businesses use paper towels in restrooms, they unintentionally contribute to this cycle. By contrast, adopting green hand dryers helps break it, starting the sustainability process of paper waste reduction. Eco-friendly hand dryers reduce the need for virgin paper products, which in turn helps protect forests from unnecessary logging.
The Long-Term Impact of Reducing Paper Waste
Reducing paper waste isn’t just about convenience, it’s about creating a long-term environmental benefit. Every ton of virgin paper towels consumes seventeen trees, uses 20,000 gallons of water, pollutes 7,000 gallons of water, and consumes 40 cubic feet of landfill space. For facilities that serve thousands of people each week, the difference quickly adds up.
The benefits of switching from paper towels to hand dryers means:
- Less landfill waste
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- Lower demand for logging and paper production
This shift to go green hand dryers supports broader sustainability goals as Excel “Works With WELL” & LEED to help organizations striving to meet these green building standards.
XLERATOR Hand Dryers: Designed for Efficiency and Sustainability
The XLERATOR Hand Dryer is more than just a hygienic drying solution, it is designed to be a sustainable alternative to paper towels. By eliminating paper towel waste, facilities reduce both operational costs and their environmental footprint. A Life Cycle Assessment confirms that XLERATOR Hand Dryers significantly outperform paper towels in eutrophication, acidification, smog, ozone depletion, fossil fuel use, carcinogenic emissions, ecotoxicity, and water consumption. This makes these green hand dryers the proven choice for organizations committed to sustainability.
This commitment is reflected in large-scale installations like Istanbul Grand Airport, where over 550 XLERATOR Hand Dryers were chosen to serve millions of passengers each year. By replacing paper towels, the airport not only reduced landfill waste but also aligned with its goal of creating one of the most environmentally conscious travel hubs in the world. Backed by a 7-year warranty, these energy efficient hand dryers delivers durability and long-term performance that organizations can count on.
Learn how our green hand dryers have helped several facilities achieve their sustainability goals.
A Product of Our Environment
At Excel Dryer, our commitment to sustainability extends beyond the product. Our manufacturing processes, green certifications, and collaborations with organizations like mindful MATERIALS and ecomedes reflect our dedication to environmental stewardship. By providing eco-friendly hand dryers, we aim to help architects, designers, and facility managers make choices that support both people and the planet.
Bringing It Together: Hand Dryers and the Fight Against Deforestation
Paper towels are often viewed as a convenient option, but they are also among the most wasteful. By contributing to deforestation, increasing landfill waste, and driving up carbon emissions, they create an environmental challenge we can no longer overlook. The solution is clear: switch to energy efficient, green hand dryers.
Eco-friendly hand dryers like the XLERATOR not only reduce paper waste and help protect forests, they also enable organizations to achieve their sustainability goals, lower costs, and provide cleaner, greener facilities.