What is better for the environment when drying your hands? Paper or regular towel?
sco_84 asked:
Although paper towels cannot be and are not washed like regular towels, they cannot be reused by the end user, and end up being recycled or worse, put in landfill. Which has less impact on the environment? Take into consideration the water, detergent, and electricity used to wash regular towels.
Is a hot air hand dryer better for the environment than any sort of towel?
Question posted courtesy of: Caffeinated Content for WordPress
Although paper towels cannot be and are not washed like regular towels, they cannot be reused by the end user, and end up being recycled or worse, put in landfill. Which has less impact on the environment? Take into consideration the water, detergent, and electricity used to wash regular towels.
Is a hot air hand dryer better for the environment than any sort of towel?
Question posted courtesy of: Caffeinated Content for WordPress
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That question is like the “cloth or disposable diaper” question. I would call this a tie. Why? Paper towels produce a lot of waste, but regular ones use too much detergent. In that case, I would use a hot air hand dryer.
Paper towels use trees but disintegrate within 3 weeks. Towels can be used over and over but need to be washed. Overall, I would go with towels.
I wipe my hands on my pants..
Towels. To the people who say they use too much detergent: How does one little hand towel you change every couple days (or more) make any difference?
A regular towel because they can be used over and over again, where as paper towels, u use it once throw them out, its wasting a tree!
I think the application would determine which would be better. In a home environment where the towel would likely be used many times before it were washed then cloth would be the best answer. In a community environment where each person would need a clean towel it would take a lot of resources to keep them all clean. People are so worried about germs these days there would be a lot of waste.
You can reduce the impact of both of these choices by using recycled paper and determining the type of dispenser that would reduce waste as much as possible or in the case of cloth using organic cotton and energy efficient washing methods with natural cleaning solutions.
Everything has its own negatives and positives:
Towels: They need a lot of washing, for everytime you use.
Paper tissue: A lot of waste and a lot of cut trees.
Hot air hand drier: Lot of waste of energy and harms the skin.
Towels: It is soft, can be used for many times, till it becomes stinky!!!
Paper tissue: Use and throw.
Hot air drier: Quickly dries, no need to take the tissues or search for towels and wipe it.(Useful for lazies)
I would prefer towels as they just can be used again and again.
Neither, a real man either shakes his hands the wipes them on the person next to him or wipes them on his pants or shirt!
We don’t need no stinkin’ towels!
And for an added bonus, always leave the lid UP!
If for your home — I admit, I use paper towels in the kitchen because of so much washing, plus germs, plus handling food. SCOTT Towels actually makes paper towels from recycled materials so I don’t feel quite so bad.
In the bathrooms, regular towels You have to wash and dry those anyway, but I often let them dry and use them again before washing which saves detergent, water and electricity.
out and about– no doubt, paper towels and purell. I don’t feel guilty about the towels but after still need a little extra to feel safe especially with small children.