Dyson Airblade: Settling the debate of hand dryers vs. paper towels

Why the Dyson Airblade should make paper towels a thing of the past

Since the arrival of the hand dryer, the environmentally-minded have debated if the use of hand dryers is in fact more sustainable than traditional paper towels. Older models of hand dryers use inefficient heaters which have high electricity costs and produce excessive carbon emissions. On the other hand, use of paper towels has high costs in deforestation of trees, as well as manufacturing, transportation, and disposal of paper towels and trash bags, and the contribution to ever-expanding landfills. An argument couldn’t be made, until now.

The innovators of Dyson have released a series of hand dryers boasting superior energy efficiency, longevity, and cleanliness. It’s called the “Dyson Airblade.” The Airblade uses a high-compression fan that spins 92,000 times per minute, using the speed of air to dry your hands rather than heat, reducing carbon emissions by 80%! The Airblade dries the user’s hands in 8-10 seconds versus old-generation dryers which took 30-45 seconds. What’s more, Dyson dryers have HEPA filters which eliminate 99.9% of germs, preventing the spread of disease while requiring minimal cleanup. Plus, all Airblade dryers come with a five-year warranty on parts and maintenance.

Not only do Dyson hand dryers eliminate tremendous amounts of waste, they’re more cost effective, too. While the initial upfront cost is slightly higher than traditional units, (Dyson Airblades average around $1,200), most businesses would benefit quickly from the cost savings. Paper towels are surprisingly expensive.

To break it down simply: a Dyson Airblade costs 17¢ per 1,000 uses. In comparison, paper towels cost 2¢ each, with the average person using two to three sheets per dry. So, if the average visitor uses two sheets, that’s 4¢ for one visit. Multiply that by just nine people and you’ve already exceeded the cost of a whopping 1,000 uses with the Airblade.  This is not even considering the cost of trash bags and waste removal. It’s a no-brainer!

Financially speaking, there’s no doubt that the initial investment would quickly pay for itself, and you could sleep easy knowing that you have made a decision that contributes a positive change to the earth while saving you money.