Paper Towel Differences Explained.

Governments buy three types of paper towels: bleached (white), semi-bleached or natural (off-white), and unbleached or kraft (brown). All paper types can be in roll or in folded form (singlefold, C-fold and multifold).

People use more folded towels than roll varieties because: they pull folded towels out of dispensers by the handful, they rarely unfold towels before using them and they take towels to their desks to mop up spills. Dispensers control the amount of paper for roll towels and they are not as wide as folded towels so less paper is used per "handwipe."

By changing from folded towels to roll towels, you can reduce waste 25% to 35% in toweling alone. There are packaging, cost and labor savings as well. Roll towels do not have to be replaced as frequently. Dispensers that hold 800 feet rolls as well as stub rolls (partially used rolls) are the most cost-effective in maintenance terms. Replacing the existing folded towel dispensers is the only major drawback and it is short term.

Recycled content is common in paper towels bought by governments. Most governments in Alameda County currently specify recycled paper towels. Some order bleached towels, some order unbleached towels and some order both. All order far more folded towels than they do roll towels.

Similar Products or Uses

"Tissue" paper includes towels, toilet tissue, facial tissue, napkins and industrial wipers. Most tissue manufacturers make all of these products for "consumer" and "commercial-institutional" markets. Like towels, toilet tissue can be dispensed in jumbo rolls to reduce maintenance costs.

Paper

Tissue producers can use a wider range of recovered paper than printing paper manufacturers because printing paper has such different performance requirements. Mixed postconsumer office paper is a common feedstock whether recycled towels are bleached, semi-bleached or natural. Since pulp from office scrap is grayish, semi-bleaching improves the color. Some unbleached towels may be dyed brown to obtain the "natural" color.

Towel paper is made in basis weights. Standard basis weights are 25 lb., 28 lb., and 30 lb. The heavier the paper, the stronger and more absorbent it is. Thinner grades are produced, down to 21 lb., but the wet strength additives used to strengthen light-weight paper reduce absorbency.

Roll towel production is faster than folded towel manufacture because cutting, folding and some packaging operations are unnecessary. Roll towels are rewound on cores to the specified length and slit to the specified width. They may or may not be wrapped before they are cased.

Dispensers

You must replace the dispensers when switching from folded to roll towels. Caution and a little research can help avoid future problems. Paper companies often supply "proprietary" dispensers designed to accept only their own rolls. Special notches in the roll or end pieces inserted in the core fit special holders in the dispensers. Proprietary dispensers lock users into future use of towels designed for the dispenser. This limits competition for all future bids. "Universal" dispensers are a better choice and all manufacturers make "universal" rolls to fit universal dispensers.

Universal dispensers for government use should be very durable. Metal cases with replaceable plastic covers work well because it is the cover that wears out over time. Transparent plastic covers allow maintenance personnel to see if a new roll is needed.

Dispensers should be designed to hold 400 feet of toweling at a minimum although 800 feet rolls are the optimum choice to reduce maintenance costs. Though costs may be higher, you may want a design that holds stub rolls (partial rolls that would otherwise be removed on scheduled maintenance visits.) This saves money over the long term because dispensers are never empty and partial rolls are not thrown away.

A mechanism to adjust sheet length is useful too. You can have shorter sheet lengths in bathrooms where use is controlled. Dispensers in large public facilities are set to maximum length to help speed people through.

There are two ways to obtain dispensers:

Purchase: When you buy dispensers directly, you can control the type of dispenser supplied. However, you are responsible for installation and dispenser maintenance. Warranties tend to be short, one year, because there is no control over how dispensers will be treated on site.

Extended Contract or "Leasing": Most companies will provide dispensers for "free" in three or five year contracts for paper towels. Dispensers are warranted for the length of the contract. Installation may be included in the contract price. The buyer owns the dispensers at contract end.

The cost of the dispensers is amortized over the contract period. Should the contract be broken, the buyer refunds the non-amortized amount to the supplier. Since nothing is really free, some companies add the cost of the dispensers to the cost per case of towels, others depend on future profits from extended towel contracts. In this case, long term contracts may have a price escalator to protect the supplier from rises in paper production costs.

EPA Designation - Minimum Recycled Content Standards

Conservatree Update: The EPA recycled product content standard in 2009 is 40-100% recovered fiber and 40-60% postconsumer content for commercial-industrial paper towels.

As postconsumer materials are the targeted feedstock in paper products, and because most manufacturers will use additional recovered materials as a matter of course, buyers should use a postconsumer-only standard.

Recommended Postconsumer Recycled Content = 60-100%

Reduction Opportunities

Unbleached Paper: The first source reduction opportunity is with the paper itself. Some paper bleaching processes use forms of chlorine which can pollute. If you currently use bleached towels, consider unbleached towels or semi-bleached towels. If you reduce bleaching, you reduce paper costs.

Roll Towels: Your towel vendors will help you calculate the potential waste and cost savings when you evaluate switching to roll towels. Nearly all have calculation models.

The example in Table 15-I shows how savings can be calculated, but do not count on identical results in your own case. Your own usage patterns may vary from those in the example and thus will affect the waste and cost savings. The example uses average values and a large roll towel. Savings would be less if smaller 400 foot towels are used.

The potential reduced waste, by weight, for paper towels is difficult to calculate without specific examples. Actual weight of the paper toweling and any pattern on the toweling affects roll weight. Packaging waste reduction depends on the types of cases used (weight of corrugated boxes or stretch film wrap) and the types of individual package and roll wraps.

Roll towels require less storage space because packaging is more compact. This additional benefit is hard to quantify but it may be extremely helpful in jurisdictions where space is at a premium.

There may be hidden barriers to changing to roll towels. Dispensers are not changed in government facilities unless they are broken or worn out. If your jurisdiction recently converted from one type of folded towel to another, you will find resistance to scrapping reasonably new dispensers. In a few cases, each time a dispenser is replaced for the first time in many years, the walls may have to be checked for asbestos contamination. This increases installation costs