The Most Cost-Effective Towels

In this article, industry manufacturers answer common questions asked by building service contractors.


Q: Between roll and fold towels, is one more cost-effective than the other?

Roll towel systems are superior. Roll towel systems (coupled with a dispenser) feature controlled portion dispensing, which reduces consumption because folded systems allow users to take more towels than are required. From a service point of view, longer roll footages of 800 feet and longer provide the best cost-in-use, a reduction of run-outs (improving customer satisfaction), and refill labor.

— By Mark Ray, director of marketing, Away From Home, Kruger Products, L.P., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada


Generally speaking, hardwound roll towels provide a lower cost-per-hand dry vs. folded towels. The user can use the entire surface of the dispensed towel for drying, resulting in fewer towels used. The end-of-roll transfer system also eliminates stub roll waste.

Most folded towels dispensers allow users to wastefully grab a handful of towels. Moreover, few users take the time to unfold each towel to maximize the drying surface. There is a considerable difference, for example, between the folded and unfolded size of a C-fold towel. For these reasons, high capacity hardwound roll towels are considered a more efficient and cost-effective means to dry hands.

— Élaine Tassoni, communications and sustainability advisor and Steve Ott, product manager, Cascades Tissue Group, Waterford, N.Y.


Hard roll towels have a higher capacity and are very compatible with controllehttp://www.cascades.com/tissuegroupd dispensing systems which impacts cost-in-use. A major element of cost-in-use is usage or product utility and for more than a decade, we have examined the performance of its products and dispensing systems to provide the basis for determining the cost-in-use of various products and translate it into total consumption savings. In one analysis, switching from a multi-fold towel to a hard roll towel provided substantial savings in the following areas:
• 55 percent decrease in case consumption;
• 45 percent decrease in packaging waste (pounds).

— Howard Connell, global sustainability leader for Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, Ga.