REF: 66-2311-9020914 - Paper Towel Removals

Your comment: The removal of paper towels from bathrooms is wholly inconsiderate of those with sensory processing issues (noise sensitivity) who cannot use the extremely loud hand dryers on campus.

Our response:

Many thanks for your Tell us Now submission in respect of paper towels.

This project is part of a wider sustainability review aiming to heavily reduce the environmental impact of approximately 4.5million hand towels being used at the university annually. This level of paper usage, in addition to the resulting waste management, does not align with some key sustainability targets and as such it was important to review.

As a result, the University has moved to return to pre-pandemic measures, where bathroom facilities contain either hand driers or paper towels.

However, in recognition of some of the challenges being experienced by the adjustment back, paper towels have been retained in all Accessible bathroom facilities.

Paper towel dispensers are being retained should we need to re-introduce paper towels for infection control purposes in the future.