This article, the second part of the great ‘Hand Dryer Vs Paper towels’ debate, looks at the cost element. If you haven't read the introduction, click here. For many people, this is the overriding reason for choosing one over the other, and is certainly the criterion that hand dryer manufacturers love to talk about. But is it as strong an argument as they make out?
Firstly, let me say that several hand dryer manufacturers have created their own calculators or cost illustrations, and some of them are extremely detailed. I have drawn on several of them, but I am trying not to be too anal about these calculations – the objective is to come up with a general opinion rather than any exact figures.
To start, let’s split this into the 2 most obvious areas: purchase price and running cost.
Purchase Price - Hand Dryers and Paper Towels
In today’s highly competitive market, you can get hold of a high-quality, efficient hand dryer which does a good job of drying hands quickly, for around the £200
