Hand Dryer vs. Paper Towels Savings Calculation

Cost Element Input

Custodial Hourly Rate (including overhead):
Paper Towel Cost per Case:
Paper Towels per Case:
Daily Traffic (# of people):
Hand Dries per Day per Person:
Work Days per Year:
Landfill Disposal Cost per Cubic Yard:
Electricity Cost (per kWH):
Restocking Towel Dispensers (minutes per day):
Cleaning up the waste towels from the floor (minutes per day):
Emptying towel waste bins and replacing trash bags (minutes per day):
Carting the towel waste to the dumpster (minutes per day):

Assumptions

  • Does not include plumbing repair costs for removing paper towels from stopped-up toilets.
  • Does not include cost for storage space used for paper towels.
  • $30 per cubic yard disposal cost estimated from Waste Management (wm.com).
  • An average case of paper towels becomes ~1 cubic yard of uncompacted solid waste (Source: Darman Manufacturing).

Additional Calculations and Assumptions:

  • Hand Dries per Year: Calculating...
  • Average Paper Towel Sheets per Hand Dry: 2.5
  • Seconds per Dry Cycle: 12
  • Power Consumption (kW/Hr): 1.25