Georgia-Pacific Paper Towel Dispensers: Your Questions Answered by Someone Who's Refilled Thousands
I've been coordinating washroom maintenance for a regional healthcare network for about seven years now. We've got Georgia-Pacific dispensers in roughly 340 restrooms across 12 facilities. If you've got questions about these units, I've probably dealt with whatever you're wondering about—usually at the worst possible time.
Here's what facility managers, janitorial staff, and building maintenance folks actually ask me.
How do I open a Georgia-Pacific paper towel dispenser without the key?
Okay, this is the question I get most. And I get why—lost keys are basically an occupational hazard in this industry.
First, the honest answer: you're supposed to use the key. Georgia-Pacific designs these units to stay locked for a reason—vandalism, theft, people stuffing weird things inside. The official solution is to order replacement keys through your GP sales rep or authorized distributor.
That said, I've been in situations where a dispenser was empty, guests were complaining, and the key was... somewhere. In March 2024, we had exactly this happen 36 hours before a Joint Commission inspection. Not fun.
For most Georgia-Pacific models, there's a small slot at the bottom of the dispenser cover. Some maintenance folks use a flathead screwdriver to carefully release the catch. I'm not officially recommending this—you can damage the locking mechanism. But I've seen it done in genuine emergencies. The better move is to keep spare keys in multiple locations. We now have a "key box" policy in every janitorial closet because of what happened in 2023 when our only key walked off with a departing employee.
What's the difference between Georgia-Pacific enMotion and regular dispensers?
The enMotion line is touchless—wave your hand, paper comes out. Standard Georgia-Pacific dispensers require you to pull the towel manually or turn a lever.
From my perspective, the choice comes down to three things:
Infection control requirements. In our healthcare setting, touchless is basically mandatory in patient care areas. Per CDC guidelines on hand hygiene in healthcare settings, reducing touch points matters. If you're in food service or healthcare, enMotion makes sense. Regular office building? Maybe not worth the extra cost.
Battery management. enMotion dispensers need batteries. Not a huge deal, but it's another thing to track. We burn through about 4 D-cell batteries per dispenser per year in high-traffic restrooms. That adds up across hundreds of units.
Refill cost. enMotion uses proprietary rolls. You can't just shove any paper towel in there—the sensor and feeding mechanism are designed for specific roll diameters and paper thickness. Standard dispensers give you more flexibility, though GP obviously wants you using their refills.
The conventional wisdom is that touchless always equals better hygiene. My experience with 200+ dispenser locations suggests it's more nuanced—a well-maintained manual dispenser beats a neglected touchless one with dead batteries.
Why does my Georgia-Pacific dispenser keep jamming?
Nine times out of ten, it's one of these:
Wrong paper. If you've ever tried to save money by using off-brand refills, you know that sinking feeling when the whole thing seizes up. GP dispensers are engineered for specific paper weights and roll sizes. I learned this the hard way when we tried a "compatible" brand to save maybe $3 per case. We spent more in labor hours fixing jams than we ever would have saved.
Humidity damage. Paper towels absorb moisture. In humid environments—think pool facilities, commercial kitchens—rolls can swell slightly and bind up. We rotate stock more frequently in those locations now.
Worn feed mechanism. After about 5-7 years of heavy use, the internal gears and springs wear down. At that point, even correct paper jams more often. Replacement parts exist, but honestly, if you're at that point, it's often more cost-effective to replace the whole unit.
User abuse. I don't hold me to this, but I'd estimate 15-20% of our jam calls are from someone yanking too hard and tearing the paper mid-roll. Nothing mechanically wrong—just need to re-thread.
How much do Georgia-Pacific dispensers cost?
Ballpark figures as of early 2025—take this with a grain of salt since pricing varies by distributor, volume, and any contracts you've got:
Standard manual paper towel dispensers: $25-60 per unit
enMotion touchless dispensers: $80-150 per unit
Soap dispensers: $15-45 per unit
Toilet paper dispensers (standard roll): $20-40 per unit
Toilet paper dispensers (jumbo roll/coreless): $35-75 per unit
The dispenser itself is often the cheap part. It's the ongoing refill costs that add up. For context, our annual paper towel spend across all facilities runs around $47,000, and the dispensers themselves were maybe a $12,000 one-time investment when we standardized years ago.
To be fair, GP's pricing is competitive for commercial-grade equipment. I've tested cheaper alternatives, and the durability difference shows within 18 months.
Can I use generic refills in Georgia-Pacific dispensers?
Technically, some will fit. Should you? Probably not for your high-traffic or high-visibility locations.
Here's the thing people think: paper is paper, so I'll save money on refills. Actually, the paper engineering matters more than most realize. Roll diameter, core size, paper weight, and perforation patterns all affect whether the dispenser feeds correctly.
I've done the math on this. The $50 difference per case on a "compatible" brand translated to roughly 3x more maintenance calls for jams and tears. Not worth it. We now use genuine GP refills in patient-facing areas and allow generics only in back-of-house staff restrooms where a jam is an inconvenience, not a compliance issue.
If you're going to try generics, test them in one low-traffic location for a month before rolling out. Document jam frequency. Then decide.
How do I get replacement parts or keys?
Three options, in order of what actually works:
Your distributor. If you have a relationship with a janitorial supply company, they can usually order GP parts. This is fastest for keys—turnaround is typically 3-5 business days.
Georgia-Pacific directly. They have a professional products division (gppro.com) with resources for facility managers. You can request parts catalogs, find authorized distributors, and access installation guides.
Third-party suppliers. Sites like Amazon and facility supply companies carry some GP-compatible parts. Quality varies. I'd argue genuine parts are worth it for anything mechanical, but for cosmetic stuff like cover replacements, aftermarket can work fine.
What's one thing most people don't think to ask about these dispensers?
Mounting height.
Seriously. I've walked into buildings where dispensers are mounted at random heights, and it causes more issues than you'd expect. ADA guidelines specify that operable parts of dispensers should be between 15 and 48 inches from the floor for forward reach. If you've got dispensers mounted outside that range, you're creating accessibility problems and—honestly—just making life harder for shorter adults and anyone with mobility limitations.
When I started in this role, I didn't think about this at all. Now it's one of the first things I check when auditing a new facility. Everything I'd read about dispenser selection focused on cost and capacity. In practice, I found that placement and height cause more ongoing complaints than the brand you choose.
If you're installing new or relocating existing units, get the mounting right the first time. Patching drywall holes because you had to move a dispenser is a waste of everyone's time.
