A Carbon Neutral Sustainable Washroom


Sensor Tap Water Saving	Litres of Water Saved by Dolphin Products	Energy Consumption Savings (LED Lighting and Solar)
70%	1,256,850,000	28%

Dolphin’s journey to carbon neutral

We have a deep sense of responsibility to provide sustainable washroom products, implement manufacturing methods to reduce carbon emissions, and join the movement to become advocates in combatting climate change.

The commercial washroom industry directly impacts the precious commodity of water and energy with its washroom products and manufacturing processes. It is our duty to humanity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our business operations and continuously improve our sustainability benchmarks to come closer to Carbon Net Zero.

It takes small steps to make big changes

With our dedicated Compliance and Environmental Management Team, we strive to transform our role in impacting the environment by compensating for the emissions we make and continuing the journey beyond reaching our sustainability goal.

It takes small steps to make big changes, and our commitment to sustainability stands strong with a determination to make a positive difference for the longevity of our planet and future generations.

What are we doing to reduce our carbon footprint?

Solar PV panels

In 2021, we accomplished one of the most exciting renewable energy projects since embarking on the journey to becoming Carbon Neutral.

By switching to solar panels and connecting the best emerging solar technology to the grid, we now utilise 17% of renewable energy to power our office, warehouse, and factory.

In the coming months, we are reducing our electricity usage by up to 80% due to a massive energy saving drive currently underway. As a result, we expect approximately 53% of Dolphin’s power needs will be met solely by our roof solar panel array.

Dolphin's six electric car charging points, a collaboration with Octopus Energy

Electric car scheme

In collaboration with Octopus Energy, the Dolphin electric vehicle scheme was launched in July 2022 to take our sustainability commitment one step further. Electric vehicles emit fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants than fossil fuel cars, and this is a fantastic opportunity for our employees to reduce their carbon emissions by futureproofing their transport solution.

In October 2022, we introduced five charging points to provide convenience for our employees and visitors with electric cars and encourage the move to battery-powered vehicles in the community. By summer 2023, the solar panels will generate enough energy to power all the electric vehicle charging equipment.

Building insulation

With 100mm insulated Kingspan walling and roofing, Dolphin’s head office, manufacturing plant, and warehouse insulation is of the highest standards and air pressure tested to ensure energy efficiency is at its prime. The insulation solution cuts down heat loss and heat gain within the building, thus reducing the need to rely on other heating or cooling sources.

LED automatic lighting

LED lighting requires a fraction of the energy to power up lights compared to fluorescent bulbs, so it made sense to replace all fluorescent lighting with energy-saving LED on our premises.

With sensor activation, the LED lighting automatically turns off once no movement has been detected in all spaces to help reduce energy usage.

The positive benefits we have seen are that LED lighting lasts more hours than fluorescent, which means replacing bulbs is less frequent, and of course, the energy usage is significantly less.

Alavo behind mirror system sustainable washroom at Dolphin premises

Commercial sensor taps and high speed, low energy hand dryers

Upon visiting our premises, you will find Dolphin’s ALAVO Behind Mirror System in all our sustainable washrooms. Renowned for its state-of-the-art SMART washroom technology, ALAVO is the ultimate sustainable solution in raw materials and water/energy efficiency features.

The ALAVO sensor taps save up to 70% water compared to manual taps, and the high speed, low energy hand dryers produce 60% less carbon emissions than paper towel dispensers.

What you measure you can manage, and what you manage you can improve.

Innovative washroom products

We are actively innovating to ensure our products are more sustainable, using BREEAM, LEED, SKA, WELL, NABERS UK and USGBC standards as a guide to implement and improve our carbon emissions. Energy and water consumption, construction efficiency, materials, and waste disposal are just a few of the product innovation elements we are focusing on improving.

Most of our products go through a manual assembly process which means the core energy consumption amounts to the usage in the administration block.

Dolphin works towards a circular economy by producing recyclable washroom products, and because we manufacture washroom products in the UK, this retains our carbon emissions and reduces our global impact.

Sensor tap timeout feature

With integrated timeout features controlling the water running time in our sensor taps, employees and visitors have limited time and access to how much water they use to wash their hands.

Through Dolphin’s water and energy management portal, we monitor water usage and adjust the settings to reduce water wastage, thus saving water wherever we can.

Commercial washroom taps ceramic coating finish in gold

Timed Hygiene Flush

The hygiene flush feature in our sustainable washrooms prevents our water system from becoming stagnant and reduces the risk of Legionella contamination. Without it would require manual flushing of taps and WCs during periods when the building is left vacant, and there is no telling how long facilities will leave the water running at their discretion.

Using SMART washroom technology, we maintain strict control over this process.

ISO accreditation

Dolphin embraces the international standards of ISO 9001 – Quality Management and the ISO 14001 – Environmental Management System. We are constantly improving our environmental performance through more efficient use of our resources, reducing waste, and reducing Co2 emissions. Shortening our assembly process to use less light and heat is one of the activities we are currently working on.

Following the ISO accreditation standards and going through the accredited certification processes assures us that our practices are in line with international standards. It also demonstrates to our clients that we are continually improving our systems and approach to environmental concerns.

Quality is at the forefront of our business by streamlining our internal processes and focusing on the impact we make on both our employees and our clients. We are proud to say there has not been one occasion where we have received a non-conforming report (NCR), and we intend to work harder to keep it that way.

Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)

Using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) licenced software, our Compliance and Environmental Management Team is running EPD data collection on Dolphin’s DS Inform Sensor Taps and ALAVO Behind Mirror System. We will also have the cradle-to-gate EPDs covering our range of high speed hand dryers by the end of 2022.

Next on our EPD data collection list for 2023 will be our soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers, and hand soap.

What is our environmental management plan?

Every year we set targets in our environmental action plan that are realistic and manageable to reduce operational emissions.

In June 2022, we finalised a carbon footprint analysis with Wanderlands (a natural solutions consultancy) to assist us in reducing and offsetting our climate impact.

The report focused on the greenhouse gases emitted from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021, and the findings concluded an action plan of comprehensive monitoring and measurement of emissions be made a primary goal to improve particular areas of operations.

Monitor, Implement, Improve

The following areas were identified for monitoring and improvement:

Refrigerant – reduce refrigerant emissions from sources such as air conditioners in the office space.
Company vehicles – monitor fuel usage by issuing fuel cards for work-related car travel to attain more accurate information regarding fuel emissions.
Waste management – track type of waste and disposal methods.
Lifecycle emissions of Dolphin Solutions’ sold products – capture data relating to distribution, processing, use, and end-of-life treatment.
Shorten logistics trail – reduce transportation and distribution.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) – using automated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software, release EPDs for each washroom product.
Planting – Plant and grow trees and vegetation in the woodland surrounding Dolphin’s premises to introduce more oxygen into the air.
Cradle-to-Grave – Track product operation till the time of disposal, and method of disposal.
Cradle-to-Cradle – Upcycle or recycle products for usage in replacement products.

Dolphin’s sustainability commitment: Safeguarding the future of our planet

Although the manufacturing industry may not be able to achieve Carbon Net Zero, Dolphin Solutions aspires to work towards it and go beyond our Carbon Neutral goal by overcompensating in offsetting carbon emissions.

Why are we doing this? Because we genuinely care and want to protect future generations by ensuring the longevity of our planet and its natural resources.

It is all about improvement and setting new strategies to reach as close as possible to Carbon Net Zero. We are looking at ways to accelerate the process and are prepared to acquire external support to help us reach our sustainability goals.

Dolphin’s sustainable washrooms in our building include all the washroom products we sell. That is why we are confident in supplying our sustainably made solutions to our clients because we know they contribute to reducing their carbon footprint and protecting the environment.

We dedicate ourselves to achieving Carbon Neutral and are eager to stay on this journey to supply innovative sustainable products to become advocates for protecting our world.

Carbon neutral sustainable washrooms

70%

1,256,850,000

28%