PRESS RELEASE
Sustainable and economical – GROHE Blue® in office kitchens
New study shows that the carbon footprint of GROHE Blue® is significantly
smaller compared to bottled water
When it comes to fitting out their premises, today’s enterprises attach
importance not only to functionality, cost-efficiency and convenience but
increasingly also to sustainability. Green buildings are an excellent
advertisement for businesses seeking to demonstrate their environmental
values to employees, business partners and customers. Local planning
regulations, too, are increasingly geared towards eco-friendly construction
and interior design. Minimising the carbon footprint is consequently an
integral element of any forward-looking company’s sustainability policy. A
recent study carried out by the Production and Logistics Chair of GeorgAugust University in Göttingen in cooperation with Grohe AG compared the
carbon footprint of GROHE Blue® with that of bottled mineral water. The
result: the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the GROHE Blue®
water system are much lower. This clear benefit for the environment goes
hand in hand with greater efficiency, cost reductions and comfort.
Scientifically proven sustainability
The aim of the study was to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of
GROHE Blue® and to put them in relation to bottled water. Between July and
November 2013, the scientists of Göttingen University compared the carbon
footprint of one litre of water tapped from the GROHE Blue® system with the
footprint of one litre of bottled water. The scenario was based on the
assumption of 30 users per day who drink one litre of bottled water on 220
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days of the year over a period of five years. The calculation of the carbon
footprint covered all five lifecycles of GROHE Blue® and of bottled mineral
water, which range from production and transport of the raw materials as well
as transport of the finished product to consumption and disposal. Another
factor in the analysis was the geographic distribution of GROHE Blue® across
the main output markets, Germany, France and the USA. The assumed
consumption was 40 percent sparkling, 30 percent medium and 30 percent
still water.
Based on these data, the scientists calculated green house gas emissions of
17.96 g CO2-eq/litre for GROHE Blue®. This is an impressive result, as the
emissions are much lower than those of bottled mineral water, which range
from 70 to 600 g CO2-eq/litre, depending on the type of packaging and the
place of origin. Since GROHE Blue® does not need to be bottled and
transported over long distances, it is clearly superior to bottled water in terms
of sustainability. The study also shows that the values achieved by GROHE
Blue® are even lower than those of conventional water dispensers, which
range from about 35 to 50 g CO2-eq/litre. This means that GROHE Blue®
allows users to save greenhouse gas emissions of at least 25 to 50 percent.
A versatile device for modern office kitchens
But this smart water system has even more to offer. The fact that it supplies
filtered and chilled water in three different variants - sparkling, medium and
still - directly from the special kitchen faucet means that the many different
users in an organisation can enjoy their preferred type of water at any time.
This saves the time and logistic effort of ordering sufficient quantities of the
different types of bottled water, placing them in the various offices, storing
them and recycling the bottles. Whether used as a regular refreshment for
employees or placed in carafes on the conference table - freshly tapped,
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well-tasting water is always at hand thanks to the environmentally friendly
and comfortable GROHE Blue® system.
22.05.2014
About GROHE Group
The GROHE Group comprises Grohe AG, Hemer, Joyou AG, Hamburg and other subsidiaries in
foreign markets. The GROHE Group is the world’s leading provider of sanitary fittings.
With its global GROHE brand, the GROHE Group relies on its brand values quality, technology, design
and responsibility to deliver “Pure Freude an Wasser”. With the JOYOU brand, the Group covers the
fast growing Chinese market.
Spearheaded by GROHE Group S.à r.l., Luxembourg, the group has a global workforce averaging
9,300 people worldwide (including some 3,500 at Joyou). There are about 2,400 employees working at
GROHE in Germany. According to preliminary figures, the GROHE Group generated consolidated
sales of €1.45 billion in 2013.
The GROHE Group has nine proprietary production plants, of which six are located outside Germany,
namely in Portugal, Thailand, Canada and China (Joyou). The company currently generates some 85%
of its sales outside Germany.
The GROHE Group was taken over by the LIXIL Group and the Development Bank of Japan in
January 2014. The LIXIL Group is the global leader in the building materials and housing equipment
industry. GROHE and Joyou remain independent within the LIXIL Group.
GROHE
Feldmühleplatz 15 40545 Düsseldorf Phone: +49.(0)211/9130-3000 www.grohe.com
Media contact: HERING SCHUPPENER
Unternehmensberatung für Kommunikation GmbH Berliner Allee 44 40212 Düsseldorf, Germany
Telefon: +49.(0)211.430 79-266/-289 E-Mail: grohe@heringschuppener.com
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