Manufacturing

Disinfecting with UV at the Coquitlam Water Treatment Plant, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia

Challenge

Metro Vancouver, located in the lower mainland of British Columbia is home to nearly 2.3 million people, making it the third largest city in Canada. Metro Vancouver draws water from three different sources: the Seymour, Capilano, and Coquitlam Reservoirs. The Greater Vancouver Water District owns and operates the Coquitlam Water Treatment Plant (WTP), which has a rated treatment capacity of 1,200 million litres (317 million gallons) of drinking water per day. The watershed for the Coquitlam Reservoir is protected and therefore, filtration is not required at the Coquitlam WTP. However, in 2005, in response to changes to the Canadian Drinking Water Quality guidelines, the Greater Vancouver Water District Board approved a proposal to upgrade the Coquitlam WTP with UV disinfection technology to act as the primary means of disinfection.

Strategy

Engineers evaluated the existing treatment train of ozone/chlorine for disinfection and soda ash for corrosion control. After review, it was decided that UV disinfection was needed to provide sufficient multi-barrier protection to ensure the residents of Metro Vancouver were receiving the safest and highest quality water possible. Metro Vancouver had specific requirements for this project, including: • An energy-efficient solution with the smallest environmental footprint • Reduced carbon emissions • An easy-maintenance system with low lamp count and an effective quartz sleeve-cleaning system • Flexibility to install the equipment in a vertical piping network

Result

In the spring of 2010, Trojan was selected as the supplier of UV disinfection equipment to the Coquitlam WTP upgrade. The installation includes a total of eight TrojanUVTorrent™ reactors, equipped with TrojanUV Solo Lamp™ Technology (Figure 1). The system is sized to deliver a required UV dose of 12mJ/cm2 to 1,200 million liters of water per day, sufficient to perform a minimum 3-log reduction of Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Figure 1. TrojanUVTorrent utilizing Solo Lamp Technology. At 1,000 Watts per lamp, the Solo Lamp is the most powerful amalgam lamp in the industry. By utilizing Solo Lamp Technology, the TrojanUVTorrent provides Metro Vancouver with a best-of-both-worlds UV solution – one that combines the ease of maintenance and compact footprint associated with a medium pressure lamp system with the electrical efficiency of a low pressure high output (LPHO) lamp system. The reactor was designed to increase efficiency and operational flexibility to save power, making it the ideal solution for the vertical pipe loop, gravity-fed system at the Coquitlam WTP. TrojanUV Solo Lamp Technology combines the best features of both medium and low-pressure lamp technology. Benefits of MP Lamps • Low lamp count and small footprint • Dimmable from 100 to 30% power Benefits of LPHO Lamps • Low power consumption (1/3 the energy usage of MP lamps) • Long lamp life (>12,000 hours) • Low carbon footprint and environmental impact Metro Vancouver formally placed the concept of sustainability at the center of its operating and planning philosophy, calling it the Sustainable Region Initiative (SRI). Numerous sustainable features were incorporated into the new UV building including a green roof, EcoSmart concrete which is made using low carbon dioxide emitting methods and a hydronic heating system which uses water to heat or cool the building. In accordance with the SRI, Metro Vancouver utilized key sustainability metrics to select Trojan as the UV system supplier. Electrical energy consumption and physical footprint were heavily-weighted evaluation parameters and Trojan exceeded on both. The TrojanUVTorrent, using Solo Lamp Technology requires 70% less electricity than an alternative medium pressure lamp-based system and the Solo Lamp’s high UVC output results in fewer lamps and a small physical footprint. Further, Trojan provided a carbon footprint analysis, comparing medium pressure (MP) and Solo Lamp-based UV systems. Under typical operating parameters at the Coquitlam WTP, the TrojanUVTorrent produces one third the carbon emissions of a comparable MP solution (see Figure 2). Over a 20 year period this will result in 1,380 fewer tons of C02 being released into the atmosphere. < Co2 Emissions Graph.jpg> Figure 2. C02 estimates are based on predicted electricity consumption at the Coquitlam WTP.

Website Links

Website Links Full Coquitlam Water Treatment Plant Case Study

Manufacturing

TrojanUV Introduces Stormwater Management System at Cog Moors Wastewater Treatment Works

Challenge

Wales is said to be wetter throughout the year than Northern Ireland and England, and is known for intense rainfall activity. Therefore, effectively treating and managing the country’s substantial stormwater runoff is of utmost importance. It’s also subject to increased scrutiny from governing bodies.

Cog Moors Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) in South Wales services the areas of Barry and Penarth. Total population is approximately 240,000, and incoming flows can reach approximately five cubic metres per second (CUMEC).

Discharge from the Cog Moors WwTW is adjacent to three bathing water beaches. Due to the growing popularity of these beaches, especially from April through September, the Environment Agency Wales (EAW) introduced stringent stormwater spill limits (three per bathing season) and discharge consents.

Meeting a limit of three spills per bathing season meant construction of an additional 25,000 m³ of stormwater storage tanks. Considering this option involved significant construction costs and a greatly enlarged physical footprint for the WwTW (they already had 16,500m³ of storage tanks). These factors led Cog Moors WwTW to evaluate other possibilities for dealing with the spills. Choosing an option with a low carbon footprint (eC0₂) was another important factor for the WwTW.

Strategy

It was decided that an economic and environmental comparison would be made between the addition of storage tanks and adding ultraviolet (UV) disinfection to the treatment train.

Result

Trojan worked with Imtech Process Ltd – Cog Moors WwTW’s engineering contractor – to complete modeling and run a pilot project from May 2007 to January 2008. These studies proved to Cog Moors WwTW and the EAW that not only was UV technology very effective in treating stormwater, it was also the better economic and environmental choice.

In March 2009, three TrojanUV4000Plus™ systems were installed in time to treat water for the 2009 bathing season. As the last stage in the treatment process, the UV systems disinfect all storm flows prior to discharge into the sea.

The TrojanUV4000Plus has increased the quality of discharge, achieving the same environmental improvement to the bathing waters as reducing the number of spills to three per bathing season. A 0.5-log inactivation of bacteria and viruses was required for comparison, and the UV system easily and consistently achieved a 2-log reduction.

An economic analysis calculated capital cost, annual operating expense and 20-year Net Present Value (NPV) for both the UV disinfection and additional storage options. On all accounts, UV disinfection was the substantially lower cost option. Figure 1 displays relative cost comparison charts using the additional storage option as a baseline. UV disinfection’s capital expenditure was 34.2%; operating expense was 11.8%; and NPV was 42.9% of the cost of additional storage.

A carbon footprint analysis revealed the findings in Table 1. The eCO₂ for UV treatment of stormwater spills was 1,394 tonnes versus 12,860 tonnes for additional storage tanks. UV treatment has a substantially lower environmental impact, with the largest contributing factor being emissions from the construction of the concrete storage tanks.

Website Links

Full Cog Moors Wastewater Treatment Works Case Study

TrojanUV's New York City Drinking Water Case Study on ShareGreen

Manufacturing

TrojanUV Greens New York City Drinking Water Facilities

Challenge

New York City is home to more than eight million people, making it the most populous city in the United States. The City draws its drinking water from two protected surface water systems: the Catskill/Delaware and Croton watersheds. Historically, NYC has not filtered the water from this system nor did they require any additional barriers to microbial contaminants due to the pristine nature of the watershed.

In 2006, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released the Long Term Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR). This new rule requires surface water treatment facilities to either filter their water or install an additional barrier for microrganisms as a multi-barrier disinfection strategy. The city of New York needed to comply with the LT2ESWTR by 2011.

Strategy

Engineers working on the Catskill/Delaware project evaluated a new filtration plant but the cost of installing a 2.2 billion gallon per day (BGD) filtration facility was significantly greater than other alternatives. After evaluation of available technologies, it was decided that UV was the most practical and cost-effective solution.

After evaluation of available lamp technologies, NYC chose to design a low pressure, high output (LPHO) lamp based UV system over a medium pressure (MP) lamp-based system. The LPHO units are capable of disinfecting the water utilizing approximately one-third the power of MP lamp units. Trojan Technologies offered a high-flow capacity LPHO lamp solution – the TrojanUVTorrent™ – which minimizes electrical costs while maximizing disinfection efficiency.

In separate work, Trojan assessed the relative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions associated with both MP and LPHO solutions through a joint project with the University of Western Ontario. It was estimated that for the Catskill/Delaware Facility, the low pressure solution would lead to the release of approximately 13,700 fewer tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) annually than a medium pressure option (assuming that for typical conditions, the system operates at 70% of its peak capacity). Over 20 years, this equates to 274,000 fewer tons of carbon dioxide, making the TrojanUVTorrent™ the most environmentally-friendly solution for NYC.

Result

CATSKILL/DELAWARE UV FACILITY

In 2005, Trojan Technologies was selected as the manufacturer for the UV portion of NYC drinking water project. In 2009 and 2010, Trojan delivered 56 TrojanUVTorrent™ UV units to the Catskill/Delaware UV Facility. Each unit is capable of delivering a 40 mJ/cm² dose to 40 million gallons of water per day (MGD). This disinfection requirement, set by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, delivers greater than 3-log reduction of microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The TrojanUVTorrent™ was custom-designed by Trojan’s engineers and scientists in order to meet the challenging design parameters of this unique project.

CROTON WATER TREATMENT FACILITY

 In 2006, Trojan Technologies was selected to supply the UV equipment for the new Croton Water Treatment Facility. This facility has the capacity to treat up to 600 MGD of high quality drinking water. Trojan is supplying 20 TrojanUVTorrent™ UV units. Each unit is capable of producing a dose of 40 mJ/cm² to treat a flow of 30 MGD.

When completed in 2011, the Catskill/Delaware and Croton water plants will supply residents of NYC with over 2.8 BGD of high quality drinking water.

Website Links

Full New York City Drinking Water Facility Case Study

TrojanUV's Stormwater Management System Case Study on ShareGreen

Manufacturing

Carmanah’s Lighting Solution

Challenge

Global security company Lockheed Martin assessed their Orlando, Florida facility and found their 25-year-old streetlights needed replacing, along with the underground wiring that powered them. Lockheed needed an easy-to-install, field-proven solar-powered lighting system, so they partnered with Florida-based Carmanah distributors SESCO and HD Supply to conduct a feasibility study.

Lockheed had already committed to find ways to reduce energy usage across their facilities worldwide, and had benefited from successful installation of energy-efficient lighting at other facilities. Now they were looking to build similar momentum in Orlando. However, Lockheed had another ‘green’ consideration to contend with: cost. In the past, solar-powered outdoor lighting was a costly alternative.

Strategy

Following a comparison between solar and AC-powered fixtures, representatives from SESCO and Lockheed confirmed that the Carmanah EverGEN solar LED streetlights would be a good alternative for the company—and would produce significant cost savings for the company. The EverGEN solar LED lights are cost-effective to install and come with an energy management system that provides enhanced autonomy while ensuring reliable, all-night operation.The EverGEN solar LED lights are the most common solar outdoor lighting in Florida, offering the most practical and economical alternative to conventional hard-wire systems.

The lighting system was installed along the facility’s main entrance way and a main loop road. Lockheed operates the lighting on an efficient split night system: the light comes on at dusk at full intensity for 5 hours, then dims to 25% of full intensity, and then returns to full intensity two hours before dawn.

Result

The installation of EverGEN solar LED lights has helped Lockheed Martin to manage their energy requirements and costs. Installation of the EverGEN lights, including purchase price and maintenance, is $342,000 over a twenty year period. Conventional AC-powered streetlights, including new wiring and electricity costs, would have been $563,000 over twenty years. The Carmanah EverGEN solar LED streetlights will save $221,000 over twenty years.

The installation has helped Lockheed save energy costs while moving towards more sustainable business practices.

Manufacturing

Kruger Products LP – Emissions Reduction: Biogasification

Challenge

Kruger Products LP is Canada’s leading manufacturer of tissue products for consumer, commercial and industrial use with well-known brands such as Cashmere®, Purex®, SpongeTowels® and Scotties®. Kruger Products has declared an objective of reducing its energy consumption by 15% as well as its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% over the next five years as part of its Sustainability 2015 initiative being launched in 2010. Sustainability 2015 is a five year strategic initiative aimed at reducing its environmental impact by reducing its energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, waste, emissions from transport and packaging material. Papermaking by its very nature is a large user of both electrical and thermal energy. In addition it is a capital-intensive industry with large machinery requirements. At its New Westminster, BC mill, Kruger Products was looking to reduce its energy costs for operations while lowering its greenhouse gas emissions and its use of fossil fuels.

Strategy

Working with Nexterra, a company specializing in advanced biomass gasification solutions, a technology was installed to covert locally sourced wood waste destined for landfill into a clean burning syngas that is fired directly into a boiler in place of natural gas to produce steam. This steam is then used throughout the mill for a variety of uses. This application is the first system of its kind in the pulp and paper industry as well as the first in Canada. To successfully implement this system, Kruger Products, Nexterra and FPInnovations formed a consortium to build the new system. The project received support from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the British Columbia Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund and Ethanol BC.

Result

The biomass gasification system became operational in December 2009 and has already on track to reach its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 22,000 tonnes per year. This represents a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at the mill – the equivalent of planting 3 million trees or removing 5,500 cars from Canadian highways. In addition, the mill will displace 445,000 GJ of natural gas annually, the equivalent to heat 3,500 Canadian homes. This significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at this facility and represent a key contribution towards Kruger Products’ overall objective of a 15% reduction as part of its Sustainability 2015 initiative.

Website Links

www.krugerproducts.ca/sustainability

Manufacturing

Kruger Products LP – Alternative Energy Project: Biomass

Challenge

Kruger Products LP is Canada’s leading manufacturer of tissue products for consumer, commercial and industrial use with well-known brands such as Cashmere®, Purex®, SpongeTowels® and Scotties®™. Kruger Products has declared an objective of reducing its energy consumption by 15% as well as its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% over the next five years as part of its Sustainability 2015 initiative being launched in 2010. Sustainability 2015 is a five year strategic initiative aimed at reductions in energy, GHG emissions, water consumption, packaging use, and transportation footprint. Papermaking by its very nature is a large user of both electrical and thermal energy. In addition it is a capital-intensive industry with large machinery requirements. At its New Westminster, BC mill, Kruger Products was looking to reduce its energy costs for operations while lowering both greenhouse gas emissions and the use of fossil fuels.

Strategy

Working with Nexterra, a company specializing in advanced biomass gasification solutions, a technology was installed to convert locally sourced wood waste destined for landfill into a clean burning gas that is fired directly into a boiler in place of natural gas to produce steam. This steam is then used throughout the mill for a variety of uses. This application is the first system of its kind in the pulp and paper industry as well as the first in Canada. To successfully implement this system, Kruger Products, Nexterra and FPInnovations formed a consortium to build the new system. The project received support from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the British Columbia Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund and Ethanol BC.

Result

The biomass gasification system became operational in December 2009 and is already on track to reach its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 22,000 tonnes per year. This represents a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at the mill the equivalent of planting 3 million trees or removing 5,500 cars from Canadian highways. In addition, the mill will displace 445,000 GJ of natural gas annually, the equivalent to heat 3,500 Canadian homes. This is a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at this facility and represents a key contribution towards Kruger Products™ overall objective of a 15% reduction as part of its Sustainability 2015 initiative.

Manufacturing

TerraSkin

Challenge

Reduce the carbon footprint of Burt’s Bees by providing improved, sustainable packaging.

Strategy

Reduce soap packaging by 50 % to eliminate Burt’s previous double-layer wrapping system by converting packaging to tree-free,TerraSkin. TerraSkin’s natural barrier properties and excellent print quality allow Burt’s Bees to eliminate their previous double-layer wrapping system and improve print quality.

Terra Skin is a water and tear resistant stock that prints with veggie inks and is Cradle to Cradle Certified- making it a sustainable choice.

Result

The amount of packaging used was reduced by half. TerraSkin proved to be an excellent medium, with better performance in both barrier properties (increasing shelf life )and print quality. Impeccable print quality provides better graphics and higher visual appeal.

50% Reduction of Materials – From 2g to 1g. 1 layer of TerraSkin replaces 2 layers of traditional paper (one wax for barrier, one regular for printing) and provides superior barrier properties for product. Weight reduction leads to less energy use for transit.

The soap wrapper recently won the Silver Award in the PAC (Packaging Association of Canada) Sustainable Packaging Leadership Awards.

Manufacturing

Henkel – Purex Complete 3-In-1® Laundry Sheets

Challenge

Current market offers many types of laundry detergents and additives in multiple forms. Many Laundry products have a high level of water content, are bulky and heavy.

The energy, materials and water consumption, as well as waste disposal from these products and their supply chains impose a great burden on the environment and significant costs to consumers and businesses.

Many laundry products are bulky, heavy and take a lot of space at home.

Combining the benefits of multiple products into a single product that provides cleaning, softening and anti-static benefits that works well in the washer and dryer is a difficult technical task.

Educating consumers and changing consumer purchasing and use behavior can be a challenge.

Strategy

Develop a laundry product that can deliver cleaning, softening and anti-static benefits in one product and one step.

Henkel’s vision is to make people’s life easier, better and more beautiful with our brands and technologies. Innovation and sustainability are key elements of Henkel’s core values that can
turn this vision into reality.

At Henkel, we pursue product innovations that deliver environmental benefits, consumer advantages, and business success. Each new innovation must address at least one of the 5
sustainability focal areas of climate control, energy, water, waste and social progress.

Develop a 3-in-1 product that will be able to address the demands from fast-growing green consumers for a green laundry detergent with quality while being a better value.

This product should be a disruptive sustainable innovation and trigger step changes toward ecoefficient supply chains and sustainable consumer behavior. The innovation should create an
exciting product segment within the laundry care category that has been driven by liquid and powder laundry detergents and additives.

The goal for Purex 3-in-1 is to provide a novel product that greatly simplifies the laundry care process and makes people’s life easier. The product should eliminates the need for consumers
(especially seniors and physically challenged) to carry and store heavy and bulky laundry bottles or boxes during shopping and in-use.

It should eliminate the need to purchase three different products and saves storage space at residential homes or student dormitories. No more measuring, spills, and messes during use.
The product should be the trouble-free alternative to the multiple laundry products.

Result

Purex 3-in-1 is the first and only product in its category with a load’s worth of detergent, softener and anti-static all in one powerful sheet. Simply drop laundry sheet into washer, the detergent is released during the wash cycle. Once wash is complete, transfer the laundry sheet with clothes to dryer. The stripe is heat activated by the dryer to soften and remove static. It is laundry simplified.

When compared with a double concentrated (2x) liquid laundry detergent, Purex 3-in-1 reduces the product weight, reduces packaging materials by 43%, and results in 67% less CO2 emission from transportation. The laundry sheets trim water content to an extremely low level, and the detergent formula is 10 times (10x) concentrated!

The product greatly simplifies the laundry care process and makes people’s life easier. The product eliminates the needs for consumers (especially seniors and physically challenged) to carry and move heavy and bulky laundry bottles or boxes during shopping and in-use.

It eliminates the need to use separate products and saves storage space at residential homes or student dormitories. No more measuring, spills, or messes during use. The laundry sheets are the trouble-free alternative to multiple laundry products.

Furthermore, the product costs less than purchasing the 3 premium products it replaces. Consumers recognize the great benefits and value in Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets, and supported the product with their purchasing decisions. Based on information from IRI Infoscan, the product is the number one new laundry detergent launch of 2009.

Henkel has partnered with Kiva.Org, a micro lending organization that finances entrepreneurs in developing countries. The partnership allows consumers who purchased a 3-in-1 product to key in the product’s UPC code at www.purexchangeslives.com and pick an entrepreneur in need. For each purchase, Dial will donate $1 to the entrepreneur by consumer’s choice.

Henkel’s TV advertisements for Purex Compete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets were well designed, received great ranking, and created broad awareness of the product launch. A full print campaign was supported in magazines (e.g., Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, and Real Simple) and business press (e.g., Wall Street Journal, AdAge, and Brandweek), and trade journals.

Manufacturing

Henkel – Renuzit ® Adjustable Air Freshener

Challenge

• Packaging materials from consumer products generated 76.7 million tons of solid waste in 2005.
• Reduction of product packaging is an urgent call to protect our environment.
• A significant portion of the waste into landfill is a huge waste of money for consumers and businesses.
• Henkel produces more than 100 million Renuzit Adjustable Air Freshener per year, and a huge amount of plastics and other packaging materials are consumed. Reducing the product’s packaging materials and still maintaining or even imp roving the product impression and performance is a significant technical and business challenge.

Strategy

• Henkel’s vision is to make people’s lives easier, better and more beautiful with our brands and technologies. Innovation and sustainability are key elements in Henkel’s core value to turn this vision into reality.
• At Henkel, we pursue product innovations that deliver environmental benefits, consumer advantages, and business success. Each new innovation must address at least one of the 5 sustainability focal areas of climate control, energy, water, waste and social progress.
• Henkel’s goal is to improve Renuzit Adjustable Air Freshener, and make the product a sustainability leader in the air freshener category.
• The development target is to significantly reduce the product’s primary and
• secondary packaging materials, and maintain the product integrity and performance.
• Product impression and consumer convenience are also part of the key criteria for success when the Renuzit Adjustable Air Freshener was designed. With the product’s new design, all consumers should find the product easy to purchase and easy to use.
• Renuzit Adjustable Air Freshener should be a sustainable innovation and trigger improvements toward eco-efficient supply chains, and more collaboration between Henkel and its customers and suppliers.

Result

√ 140 dump trucks

√ Equivalent to 60,700 trees 

• Through novel packaging design and application of the latest molding technologies, Henkel has reduced a significant amount of the plastic from Renuzit Adjustables primary package. The reduction in the plastic use in the primary packaging has resulted in more savings in the product’s supply chains such as energy consumption for transportation and distribution.
• In addition, the development team eliminated the product’s paper sleeve (secondary packaging), and replaced the sleeve with a decorated shrink-wrap sleeve with product information printed on it. The improvement further saved significant amounts of paper, and water (used to make the paper sleeves).
• Comparison of sustainability features between the Renuzit Adjustable w/ less plastic and shrink wrap with the benchmark w/o the improvements -
• Total plastic saved per year: 1,555,000 lbs
• Paper saved per year: 3794 tons
• Water saved per year – 30 MM gallons (from paper)
• Carbon emission savings – 12.6 MM Kg (4330 cars)
• Total petroleum oil saved -1.47 MM gallons (35,000 barrels)

Manufacturing

Henkel – Dial® Eco-Smart™ Refill For Liquid Hand Soap

Challenge

Consider a simple act that we undertake several times a day: washing our hands. As a result of this regular routine, millions of plastic liquid hand soap dispensers are consumed each year.

Most of those dispensers are disposed after only one-time use without refill, which impose great burden on our environment and significant cost for the consumers and businesses. The available refills in the market are also made of plastic bottles.

Consumer convenience is another challenge for a soap dispenser refill, which requires the refill to be easy for consumer to purchase, use and dispose.

Strategy

Henkel’s vision is to make people’s lives easier, better and more beautiful with our brands and technologies. Innovation and sustainability are key elements in Henkel’s core value that turn this vision into reality.

At Henkel, we pursue product innovations that deliver environmental benefits, consumer advantages, and business success. Each new innovation must address at least one of the 5 sustainability focal areas of climate control, energy, water, waste and social progress.

Henkel’s goal is to create a market-leading sustainable refill product in the liquid hand soap category that has been dominated by one-time use bottled soap dispensers and plastic refills for many years.

The development target is a sustainable refill for liquid hand soap that significantly reduces the waste disposal of the plastic soap dispensers and bottled refills. Reducing the environmental impacts through each step of the Eco-Smart Refill’s life cycle has been greatly emphasized during the product’s design, development and implementation.

Making people’s lives easier – consumer convenience was also part of the key criteria for success when the Eco-Smart™ Refill was designed. With the Dial Eco-Smart Refill, all consumers should find the product easy to refill their soap dispensers.

Eco-Smart should be a sustainable innovation and trigger step changes toward eco-efficient supply chains and sustainable consumer behavior. The innovation should create an exciting product segment within the liquid hand soap category.

Result

Less energy to produce

67% less plastic in the package

87% reduction in material transportation and fuel (1 truck of empty pouches = 8 trucks of empty bottles)

Less product waste (59% less land fills)

Dial Eco-Smart Refill allows consumers to refill their empty soap dispenser multiple times. The product is a flexible pouch made of plastic film with a small spout at the top. The new product significantly saves on the plastic materials versus the soap dispensers and refill bottles, and lessens the environmental impact on landfills. Since the product has less weight and is more flexible, efficiency of materials transportation and fuel usage is also improved.

Comparison of sustainability features between a 40 oz Eco-Smart pouch vs. 40 oz plastic refill bottle:

Dial Eco-Smart Refill was designed with consumer convenience in mind, and includes features such as easier and faster filling without spills/mess, right product size and shape for handling and carrying, and free-standing structure for easy storage.

Our consumer engagement program has played an important role to the significant business success of the Dial Eco-Smart Refill. The program has focused on communicating our product’s sustainable advantage through different media channels.

Through Henkel’s corporate press release, and www.dialsoap.com, we have shared the product’s sustainability benefits with consumers. Henkel has partnered with retail customers such as Walmart, and jointly held in-store activities to raise consumers’ awareness and knowledge about environment protection and sustainable products.

For example, during the Earth Month of 2009, Dial® Eco-Smart™ Refill was featured at Walmart stores across the United States with in-floor product and information displays. The product’s environmental benefits and consumer value have also been communicated through inserts and publications in printed media such as magazines, newspapers, and in trade journals.

Those combined efforts have empowered consumers to make a sustainable purchasing decisions, and made Dial® Eco-Smart Refill the biggest new product launch in the liquid hand soap category for the US market in 2009 (Source: IRI, $ Sales, 2009).