The Facts About Disposable Wipers · Learn the Myths
| FACT 1: | Disposable Wipers are Friendlier to the Environment |
EPA's own research data documented by the Lockheed/Martin Energy & Environmental Systems Company indicates that rented, laundered towels have a greater negative impact on the environment that single-cycle disposable wipers. Eighty percent of shop towel laundries have no wastewater pretreatment equipment thereby contributing 13 million pounds per year of pollutant discharges to POTW's (local sewer plants) of which 5 million pounds per year pass-through the POTW untreated directly to lakes, rivers, and streams.
| FACT 2: | Wiper rental and cleaning represents only 10 Percent of The commercial laundry business while directly resulting in 90 percent of their wastewater discharge problems and violations |
Most commercial laundries focus their efforts on rental and cleaning of uniforms, floor mats, and linens. In many cases shop towels are a very small non-priority portion of their business. As a result, many shop towels will be cleaned by third party contract cleaners, exposing the user to unknown environmental liability. Many commercial laundries would prefer not to offer shop towel services due to the wastewater effluent problems and costs.
| FACT 3: | Disposable Wipers are Recycled Products--Rented Towels are Not |
Most disposable wiper products, particularly woven fabric wipers, are manufactured from recycled textiles, diverted from landfills previously used fabrics for conversion and a second life as industrial or commercial wiping products. Most of the wipers provided by shop towel rental laundries are manufactured overseas from virgin cotton fibers for this purpose.