“Others might label our machines as ‘green’. To me, the very notion of it smacks of marketing hype.”

There will always be machines. But when they work better – more efficiently – then they needn't be at odds with sustainability. This lean mindset is what got me hooked on engineering – when I discovered the flaw with vacuum bags and came up with something less wasteful and more efficient. That is the beauty of lean engineering – by its very nature, it does more with less.

Fewer bags in landfill

Rather than relying on bags, high speed centrifugal forces separate dust and debris from the air, collecting it in a clear bin. There are no bags to throw away and no filters to replace.

James Dyson wanted to come up with something more efficient. It was about improving performance – creating a machine that wouldn't lose suction. Using cyclone technology he invented the world’s first bagless vacuum.

Our secret weapon: lean, mean motors

The Dyson digital motor is small, power-efficient and much lighter than a conventional motor. For example, the Dyson digital motor V6 weighs just 218 grams yet generates 425 Watts of power.

The more power-efficient our machines, the less energy they use. And the lighter and smaller they are, the less packaging and transport energy is required.

How do you build a precision motor every six seconds?

Not even dexterous human hands can assemble the high tech components crammed into the Dyson digital V6 motor. Such is the precision required to guarantee performance. So we brought in the robots – all 50 of them – each working within micron accuracy at high speed. The fully automated assembly line in Singapore is now able to produce six million Dyson digital motors a year and has been awarded ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management.

Conventional hand dryers. A lot of hot air.

Conventional hand dryers heat unfiltered air and blow it onto wet hands, gradually turning moisture into vapour. Typically it’s too slow – some can take up to 43 seconds.

Airblade™ technology scrapes hands dry with 430mph sheets of unheated air, It dries hands in as little as 10 seconds, with no energy-hungry heating element – so far less energy is consumed.

Doing more with less

The less material we use, the less of a drain on resources and the less energy intensive processing required. It also means a lighter, more user-friendly design.

So our engineers experiment with many different materials and designs: start with the bare minimum, then gradually build up.

Stringent testing and finite strength analysis ensure durability is never sacrificed.

Built to last

From design through to material selection and after-sales service, our philosophy is to keep Dyson machines working. Prototypes are subjected to months of repetitive and rigorous testing. It takes 120 engineers 50,000 hours and 550 tests to be satisfied that they are robust enough.

That’s why we offer a no quibble warranty on our machines.

2nd life and recycling

Dyson machines contain high quality materials, almost all of which can be reused and recycled. We operate service workshops where machines are refurbished and sold as discounted certified machines. And to encourage end-of-life recycling, we offer trade-in promotions – accepting any make of vacuum and offering new, more efficient Dyson technology.

Lean from source to ship to shop

Supply chains are complex and Dyson's is no different. In order to produce the 26,000 machines that roll off our production lines each week, we work with several hundred companies all over the world. Yet we monitor each of them. They must all sign up to our stringent ethical code of conduct and our Corporate Social Responsibility team drop by to ensure standards are being met.

Precision tooling

Component manufacture is an energy and material-intensive operation. Dyson plants are getting more efficient through the use of hot runner systems, reducing resin wastage. Our tooling suppliers are also developing more multi-cavity tools, allowing for the production of multiple parts in one mould, reducing material and energy use.

Spray painting

By improving the positioning of robotic arms, our engineers achieved a 30 second faster cycle time for the painting of our new Air Multiplier™ fan – as well as a reduction in reject rates. This cuts waste and enables our high temperature curing ovens to be used for a shorter time.

Efficient assembly

With one Dyson vacuum cleaner made every 3.3 seconds, assembly needs to be highly efficient. Components are synchronized to arrive just on time. And tests have been simplified without compromising quality.

Packaging scrutiny

Dyson packaging engineers have found a way to tight-pack our machines with recycled corrugated cardboard, minimizing environmental impact.

Shipping

As our machines get smaller and our packaging gets smarter, we can fit more into a shipping container. We also load directly into containers without the use of pallets. Consequently our container utilisation is up from 70% in 2005 to 97% in 2013, reducing transport emissions.

Supplier Responsibility

As a customer, Dyson is demanding. We only want to work with those who, like us, solve problems and relentlessly look for improvement. This extends to the conditions in which Dyson machines are made. Dyson requires suppliers to work to international standards governing Health and Safety, Labour and Environment.

Our Corporate Social Responsibility team works with suppliers every week to ensure that workers are treated fairly, workplaces are safe and that any environmental impacts are managed and mitigated. If suppliers fail, we look for another.

Safe machines

All Dyson machines comply with RoHS, the European Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic equipment. Examples of materials restricted by RoHS include lead, mercury and cadmium.

Dyson is also compliant with the European Regulation on the Registration of Chemicals known as REACH.

What Europe’s Energy Label doesn’t tell you

The Energy Label was supposed to guide people towards high-performing, energy efficient vacuums. However, what many people don’t know is that the ratings don’t reflect real use because the tests are performed on empty vacuums in laboratory conditions. Vacuums don’t stay empty – and as bagged vacuums fill with dust, they lose suction, requiring more energy to clean.

The label doesn't include the impact of consumables, like bags and filters. In Europe alone, 126 million vacuum bags a year need to be disposed of in landfill or incinerators.

To find a truly efficient vacuum look beyond the label.