More and more companies are focusing on designing carbon out of
their products. For Dyson, this process starts at the initial
development phase, through efficient design and engineering.
The approach to design and engineering is simple:
Good design
and environmental responsibility go hand in hand. By considering
the environment from the start, our engineers develop machines that
are more powerful, perform better and work using less energy and
materials.
James
DysonInventorThis commitment to Green Growth through design is exemplified by
the Dyson Airblade™, a product the Carbon Trust has come to know
well as a result of our product footprinting work with the company.
The Dyson Airblade™ is ground-breaking - a design which:
- Works by blasting a sheet of unheated air at 400 mph, to scrape
water from hands in 10 seconds.
- A small, long-life, low-energy and brushless motor spinning at
1,666 revolutions per second, the Dyson Digital motor produces
enough air pressure for the Dyson Airblade™ to dry hands without
the need for heat.
- Doesn't require a power-hungry heating element to work, unlike
conventional hand dryers, making it 80% more energy efficient.
- Avoids paper towel waste in landfills.
Dyson approached us to learn and demonstrate how his model was
energy efficient to minimise environmental impact, and to get our
help to drive its carbon footprint even lower. We provided advice
and data analysis using our Footprint Expert™ software.
As a result of these efforts, The Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer was certified by Carbon Trust
Certification; the first ever hand dryer to be awarded the Carbon
Reduction Label.
The footprinting exercise demonstrated just how low the
machine's footprint is, and also highlighted remaining carbon, so
providing a focus for additional reductions;
Materials and manufacture
Represents 8.5% of the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer's total carbon
emissions.
The product, made from polycarbonate-ABS, a strong and flexible
plastic used to make riot shields and police helmets, produces over
50% less CO2 emissions during production than the aluminium
equivalent.
Transport
Transport, from the production of the product's materials to
washrooms to recycling facilities, makes up only 1% of the total
carbon footprint of the hand dryer.
Dyson also avoids energy exhaustive air-freighting by shipping
its products around the world by sea using fuel efficient vessels,
rail and canal.
Energy in-use
The biggest impact on the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer's carbon
footprint is through its energy in use, representing 90.8% of total
carbon emissions. But even though it's the biggest proportion of
the Airblade's total emissions, Dyson worked hard to cut carbon
here. In particular, the Dyson digital motor spins at 88,000rpm -
five times faster than a Formula 1 car engine - ensuring it is very
efficient. And unlike conventional brushed motors, it doesn't emit
harmful carbon particles into the air.
End-of-life
The product's end-of-life phase represents less than 1 percent
of the product's total carbon footprint.
Almost all the product's component parts are recyclable.
As part of the certification, Dyson has
committed to further reducing the machine's carbon emissions over
the next two years. We're sure they will deliver and inspire other
companies along the way.
The Dyson Airblade is now sold in 19 countries worldwide, and
sales of the Airblade continue to go from strength to strength.
Dyson's approach shows how carbon can be designed out of the system
right from the beginning, how continuous improvement can help to
lower carbon even further, and how such efforts can deliver
significant green growth to those
taking part.