HelloFresh Case Study

Forward thinking approach to sustainability

Delivering 7.4 million meal kits a month to more than 800,000 regular subscribers, HelloFresh knows its way around the kitchen—and helps customers by offering high quality ingredients and step-by-step instructions.

The company has adopted a forward-thinking approach to sustainability, offering only responsibly-sourced seafood, meat and poultry from quality farms and encouraging home cooking. More than that, HelloFresh has a goal of encouraging and promoting a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle.

Clean hands = clean food

When preparing food, hand hygiene is of the utmost importance. Washing hands helps to remove bacteria and prevent the spread of germs. Just as important as proper hand washing is proper hand drying—and not all hand drying techniques are created equal.

When HelloFresh opened its UK-based corporate office, paper towel dispensers were installed in the washrooms. The detriments of paper towels were soon discovered and management made the decision to install high speed, energy efficient XLERATOReco Hand Dryers from Excel Dryer.

There is a misconception that paper towels are more hygienic than hand dryers. The fact is, germ removal happens through proper hand washing, regardless of drying method. According to an independent study from the Mayo Clinic, there are “no statistically significant differences in the efficiency of four different hand drying methods for removing bacteria from washed hands.” A separate study conducted by Laval University finds that paper towels may in fact spread germs on hands.

Cleaner and greener

It is commonly thought that paper towels are acceptable from a sustainability perspective because they are often made from recycled materials. This notion has been disproven. Quantis, the international life cycle assessment research firm, conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Study, peer reviewed to ISO 14040 Standards, which found that XLERATOReco dryers reduced the Climate Changing Score of hand drying by between 50- and 75-percent when compared to traditional electric hand dryers and paper towels—both virgin and 100-percent recycled content.

The XLERATOReco offers a 95-percent cost savings versus paper towels, eliminating the associated labour, maintenance and waste. In addition, high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers use significantly less energy than paper towels and represent a 90-percent energy savings.

“Damp, used paper towels pile up in and around washroom trash receptacles on the floor, creating an environment in which bacteria can thrive, and, when improperly disposed of, can clog toilets and urinals,” says Denis Gagnon, Jr., Vice President, International, at Excel Dryer. “Conversely,
the XLERATOReco’s hands-under design offers a touch-free, hygienic hand drying experience that is cleaner and greener.”

“We work very hard as a company to reduce food waste and packaging waste, so living these values in our daily work lives is very important to us,” says Sam Wharton, UK Facilities Lead at HelloFresh. “The XLERATOReco is one way to help us toward our goal.”

Hellofresh and the XLERATOReco : a recipe for success

In addition to meeting performance and sustainability needs, the XLERATOReco Hand Dryers met the design preference of HelloFresh management—and matched the design of their washroom. “Their aesthetics were definitely noticed and a deciding factor for us,” says Wharton. “They’re sleek and modern looking. And if it’s possible for a dryer to match a corporate vision and mission, then XLERATORecos do just that. All around, the XLERATORecos were the right choice for our organization.”

“There has been zero labour,” reports Wharton. “There’s no need to refill the paper towel dispensers or tidy up overflowing bins or clogged toilets. They just work.”