Electric hand dryer or towel rail. Knowing which generates less impact on the environment is difficult.

That's why the question of whether to adopt an electric dryer or a towel rail is common. Uncertainty increases as people are becoming increasingly aware of sustainability.

Between using electricity and paper, a common reasoning is: “the world needs to save energy, and paper is recyclable. So, the towel rail is better.” No it's like that. Used paper towels, whether made from recycled paper or not, cannot be recycled, so their use produces large volume of waste, unlike the electric dryer.

In addition, the papers go through a process of chlorine bleaching, which is harmful to the environment - but the use of cleaner alternatives has already had beginning.

The process of extracting cellulose from wood to make paper consumes a lot of water and energy. Ideally, the water should be treated by the paper manufacturer itself and the energy used should be clean. It is also It is important that the wood is from reforestation, and most of it is, especially because reforestation is more economical for the manufacturers.

Some estimates suggest that around 17 trees are needed to produce one ton of paper. But reforestation farms can be beneficial: they occupy deforested areas and contribute to minimize global warming, as pine and eucalyptus forests, which grow quickly, remove more gas from the air carbon dioxide than adult trees in forests.

Fernando Sodré, CEO of Limpidus, explains that much It is important to consider the entire value chain involved in this choice. “The one that brings the hot air that dries your hands is short and based on electrical energy. The paper towel cycle is long, and even involves transportation in trucks. It doesn't even end when we dry our hands, as we need plastic bags to collect rubbish, and we know that Most of them are not ecological, as well as trucks to take them to landfills”, summarizes the expert.

And in your company, which one did you choose, electric hand dryer or towel rail?