Green Hand Dryers
Project Sponsor: Engineers for a Sustainable World
TGIF Grant: $500
Project Theme: Waste Reduction
Project Description: A life cycle assessment (LCA) will compare paper towels versus hand dryers in the dorms. Economics, waste generation, and carbon emissions will all be looked at in the LCA. First, data will be collected involving the current number of times people in the dorms dry their hands. The total cost of paper towel usage will be calculated. Then, based on the number times hands are dried, the cost of hand dryers will be found including both electricity and installation. The environmental impact will be compared as well, taking into account every step in paper towel and hand dryer manufacture, electricity, transportation, and composting. Sustainable Minds software will be used in the LCA, and the TGIF grant will be used to purchase this software.
Project Goals:
- Determine whether paper towels or electric hand dryers are more sustainable and economical.
- If hand dryers are found to be the better option (in both aspects), the team will attempt to persuade the university to switch to hand dryers in the dorms. A presentation of findings and a petition will be used to try to convince the university to switch to hand dryers.