Schools have a responsibility to pupils to help them understand the environmental impact of their actions, and the choices of school management can influence the way in which these lessons can be applied to day-to-day activities.

Opting for energy efficient and environmentally friendly solutions in all areas of the school can help to contribute to reduced emissions while also reducing energy costs and helping to conserve school budgets.

Paper towel waste vs electric hand drying

A key decision when planning school bathrooms is the choice between paper towels and electric hand dryers. While paper towels may be seen as a lower emission option, this is rarely the case because of the hidden carbon from the manufacturing, distribution, and disposal stages in their lifecycle.

For every tonne of paper towels produced, around seventeen trees need to be felled. While these come from managed woodland, it does have an impact on the amount of carbon that can be absorbed.

Manufacturing in paper mills and distribution also contribute to the CO2 footprint of paper towels meaning that even in a relatively small school, the use of paper towels can result in more than three tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere annually.

Waste management is also a factor that should be considered. As a hygiene product, paper towels cannot be easily recycled, and as such will either go to landfill or incineration which in turn means more CO2 is released.

Highly efficient hand dryers such as the Mitsubishi Electric Wave u02 produce zero waste and are responsible for about 5% of the emissions of paper towels for equivalent usage levels making them a far more environmentally friendly choice.

Energy-Saving Technology in Jet Hand Dryers

Older, warm air hand dryers not only make a lot of noise, but they are also highly inefficient, taking a long time to complete the drying process and wasting energy on heaters to evaporate water from the user’s skin.

In terms of overall efficiency, Mitsubishi Electric Wave hand dryers are responsible for around one third of the CO2 emissions that you would see from even a more efficient conventional design, and this results in savings on electricity of around 30% per machine annually.

Low power consumption

The innovative Jet Towel design of Mitsubishi Electric Wave hand dryers simply blows the water off the skin using high speed air accelerated through the internal aerodynamics of the dryer using an ultra-efficient fan. Even though the operating speed is higher than a warm air hand dryer, the design helps to reduce energy use. This air is directed through a slim nozzle which creates far less noise-making turbulence meaning that less energy is wasted.

Faster drying times

Unlike conventional warm air hand dryers which can take a full minute to fully dry the hands through evaporation, jet powered eco friendly hand dryers blow water off the surface of the skin quickly, meaning that hands are fully dry in as little as ten seconds. This means shorter operating times, and when coupled with automatic operation, less energy use, and lower emissions.

Heater-less options for further savings

The biggest energy drain on a conventional hand dryer is the heater. This is necessary with slow moving air to help water evaporate as it is spread over the skin. Jet hand dryers do not require a heater, meaning that they use far less energy.

Find out more

Speak to a member of our team today to learn more about how Mitsubishi Electric Wave Hand dryers can help you improve school environmental practices. Send an enquiry or call 01707 288780 to discuss your project.