The use of paper towels in bathrooms has a significant impact on the environment. From production to disposal, paper towels create large amounts of waste, consume large amounts of energy, and result in long term costs for businesses.

Opting for modern, efficient hand dryers in place of paper towels helps businesses meet their Net Zero goals by reducing their CO2 footprint while also helping to save money on energy bills.

Deforestation and Tree Harvesting

The most immediately obvious environmental issue due to paper towels is the reliance on trees. It’s estimated that approximately 17 trees are cut down to produce one tonne of paper towels. Given that billions of paper towels are used annually worldwide, the number of trees harvested each year for paper manufacturing is staggering. 

This deforestation has serious consequences for biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate regulation. The large-scale harvesting of trees for paper towels leads to habitat loss for countless species and disrupts the balance of forest ecosystems. Deforestation also contributes to soil erosion, water cycle disruption, and increased vulnerability to natural disasters.

Increased CO2 Emissions from Production and Transportation

Sawmills, where trees are processed into pulp for paper production, consume significant amounts of energy. This energy is often derived from fossil fuels, which contribute to CO2 emissions. The energy-intensive process includes debarking, chipping, and pulping the wood, followed by drying and pressing to form paper.

The carbon footprint of paper towels substantial. In addition to the processing and transportation of wood, combined with the energy required to make the paper, there is also the cost to the environment of transporting paper towels in bulk to wholesalers and end users.

Long Term Environmental Damage from Disposal

As a hygiene product, paper towels are not normally recycled, which means that they will often end up in landfills or being incinerated. In landfills, paper towels decompose and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas that has a greater impact on global warming than CO2. The decomposition process also produces leachate, a toxic liquid that can contaminate soil and water sources.

While the alternative, incineration, reduces the volume of waste, incineration releases CO2 and other pollutants into the atmosphere. This process can contribute to air pollution and has associated health risks for nearby communities.

How Modern Hand Dryers Can Help

Ultra-efficient modern jet hand dryers such as the Mitsubishi Electric Wave u02 are responsible for around 5% of the emissions attributed to paper towels for the same amount of drying.

This also translates into lifetime costs. Over the course of a year, in a typical office environment where 250 people use the dryers each day, a business can reduce their carbon footprint by more than 1,500KG of CO2 per year, and save an estimated £706 annually on energy costs compared to the price of buying paper towels.

Find Out More

As your business works toward your Net Zero goals, don’t overlook the opportunities presented by choosing a highly energy efficient alternative to paper towels for your bathrooms.Speak to a member of our team to discuss your upcoming project and find out how much you could save each year.