High effiiciency hand dryers have less impact than traditional paper towels
University of Washington
Bothell Campus
Building UW-1
Building UW-2
Ongoing
High efficiency hand dryers are more than convenient - they are helping to reduce pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and maintain cleanliness. Paper towel production contributes heavily towards water pollution and releases stored carbon dioxide, while the transportation involved with distribution produces greenhouse gas emissions. These hand dryers avoid those costs, while only using minimal electricity. Electricity here almost exclusively comes from hydroelectric sources, almost eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from energy production.
Fun Facts:
848,400 paper towels will be saved when dryer installations in the UW-1 and UW-2 buildings are complete
Around 80% of the campus' landfilled waste came from paper towels
In one building, it costs $7 per month to operate hand dryers vs. $510 per month for paper towels.