Multifold paper towels in all dorm bathrooms have been permanently removed this term. Originally introduced during Covid-19 to prevent sharing hand towels for health concerns, single-use paper towels have now been removed due to excessive waste and cost. In addition, all washing machines and dryers have been replaced across campus.
The removal of the paper towels was a sustainability and budgetary decision, according to Susan Tsao Esty, Dean of Students and Residential Life. However, common rooms will still be stocked with paper towels. Esty explained that this decision was a response to reports from the Office of Physical Plant (OPP), reporting the high cost and waste created by paper towel usage.
“I received a report that there was so much waste happening. The custodians noticed that there were those multifold paper towels. People were taking them, and then there were a bunch strewn around the bathrooms that clearly weren’t all used, even. We were replacing them really frequently and they weren’t even all being used… It was showing up in our budgets, we were having to replace them so frequently,” said Esty.
Dean Yang ’27 said he believes paper towels were essential to maintain dorm bathroom hygiene. Yang suggested that an alternative way for drying hands should be provided.
“It feels unsanitary because after washing our hands, they’re wet. Touching the door handle with wet hands makes it wet, which is disgusting. It’s a hygiene issue, and removing paper towels hurts the dorm’s general hygiene… They’re a necessity in our bathroom routines, like water. Just because something costs money or might be wasteful doesn’t mean it should be removed… If they remove paper towels, they should install hand dryers or an alternative for drying hands,” said Yang.
While she acknowledged the convenience of having paper towels, Lisa de Boer ’26, Co-Coordinator of the Phillips Academy Sustainability Coalition (PASC), agreed with the removal. De Boer viewed the removal of the paper towels as a way to help Andover become more sustainable.
“If you asked me before they were removed I might have been slightly less supportive, but now that they’re gone I think it was a very good idea. It’s a quick and easy way to reduce paper waste on campus, and they’re not absolutely essential, so it makes a lot of sense. Not having paper towels to dry your hands is not the end of the world, you can let it air dry or use a hand towel. That being said, sometimes paper towels are useful, for example when you’re doing dorm duties and maybe the trash leaks or something. I’m definitely all for using paper towels when it’s necessary, but I don’t think drying your hands is ‘necessary,’” said de Boer.
Addison Deng ’26, a Prefect in Nathan Hale House, noted previous instances of wasted paper towels in her dorm. She described how towels were not used properly and created a mess in bathroom areas.
“A lot of my prefectees have been complaining that there aren’t paper towels in the bathroom. But I’ve also noticed that they were using them irresponsibly. We would find paper towels clogged in our sink and just extra paper towels on the sink that would be wet and unused and people would have to throw them away. So I feel like people have been complaining, but people have also been working through it by using their own towels,” said Deng.
From January 8 to 10, laundry machines were replaced in dorms across campus. This change followed the announcement earlier this school year that students would be able to use the machines for free. Esty explained that laundry machines with card slots to receive payment were replaced as a result.
“It was a huge decision not to charge for doing your own laundry. Students had been petitioning for that for a long time. It’s an expense, but we do believe it was the right decision for us as a community. When we did that, we knew we would eventually phase out the machines that take the [laundry] card,” said Esty.
Esty continued, “We also were waiting until it was time to upgrade. We had scheduled this with E&R. [They] not only provide the full-service laundry, but they provide the machines and service them… There are no new machines anywhere where there weren’t machines before. They’re just machines replacing the ones that took [laundry] cards.”
Though he noticed some issues with the new machines, Yang appreciated the addition of free laundry machine usage.
“The new machines have rust on the bottom, and the dryers don’t work well. Last year, money wasn’t a big issue, but it was inconvenient to fill the card. This year, it’s easier and more convenient to do laundry without worrying about payments, making it a positive change.” said Yang.
