Case studies

Unilever

"In addition to a cost saving of €1,170 per annum, the removal of the paper towels has helped to reduce the amount of general waste we send to landfill each week. "

Caithriona Murphy,
Quality Manager for Unilever Ireland, Unilever Ireland

Unilever is a leading manufacturer of food, home and personal care products including brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Flora, Persil and Lynx. Unilever Ireland’s head office is based in Citywest, Dublin.

Energy saving and effective

In 2007 Unilever Ireland formed the Environmental Improvement Team, made up of environmentally conscious individuals working across the company. The team was charged with improving the environmental performance of the head office building in Dublin and increasing environmental awareness among staff. Their efforts paid off: in 2008 Unilever Ireland was named ‘Eco Business of the Year’ in the Chambers Ireland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards for the ‘Making Unilever Ireland a Greener Place to Work Initiative’.

After a member of the Environmental Improvement Team saw the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer in a hotel, a proposal was made to use them to replace the existing bathroom paper towel dispensers. Caithriona Murphy, Quality Manager for Unilever Ireland, said: “In addition to a cost saving of €1,170 per annum, the removal of the paper towels has helped to reduce the amount of general waste we send to landfill each week.”

The existing warm air hand dryers were also removed. “Our conventional warm air hand dryers were not used very often as they weren't very effective at drying hands,” says Caithriona. “So the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryers were very well received by our employees because they work well.”

The Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer was installed in all of Unilever Ireland’s bathrooms and are now used by 200 of the companies’ employees on a daily basis.

Caithriona said: “We installed the machines with energy saving in mind but people find them very effective as well.”

Unilever