Start Growing Exhibition in the gardens of Clarence and Lancaster House

Delphis Eco has been invited to exhibit at the Start Open Garden sustainable gardening and growing event in the gardens of Clarence House from the 27th to 31st July 2011.

Start is an initiative to help people across the UK lead more sustainable lives and to show what a more energy efficient, cleaner and healthier future could look like. It is a national initiative by The Prince's Charities Foundation to promote and celebrate sustainable living.

In line with its policy to “reduce, re-use and recycle” Delphis is promoting sustainable household living by is launching its innovative, no fuss chemical dispensing offering. Customised for garden centres this technology gives customers accessibility to ecologically EU Ecolabel concentrated cleaning solutions popular in both the home and the garden. Consumers will now have access to safe, environmentally sound cleaning chemicals whilst not having to pay traditional high street prices.

The garden event, open to the general public, coincides with two related Start events taking place just next door - an eco-rally on The Mall and a pop-up restaurant at Lancaster House featuring a delicious organic menu.

Under the theme of sustainable growing and gardening, the inquisitive gardener can see exhibits from Garden Organics, the Soil Association, the National Trust and the Highgrove Shop, whose products take their inspiration from the gardens at Highgrove and reflect the wide-ranging interests of HRH, Prince of Wales passions for preserving the environment.

The Eco Turtle Project

Delphis Eco first met pupils and staff of Ashley C of E School at the Prince of Wales’ Start Garden Party to Make a Difference in September 2010.  The Headteacher, Richard Dunne invited Delphis Eco to the school to ask about introducing our Delphis Eco cleaning products into the school’s cleaning regime.  However, there was in fact another fantastic opportunity in such a forward thinking school.  This was to assist in the education surrounding sustainability and hence the Eco Turtle Project was born.   The positives that spin off from this project also include a fundraising revenue for the school, business skills learnt by pupils and the chance for school’s to uphold their environmental aims.

The Eco Turtle Project’s primary aim is to embed more sustainability education into the curriculum.  By understanding the tangible aspects of sustainability, pupils will be able to see how everyday actions can affect our planet.  From learning about recycling measures to the water cycle, environmental issues and sustainable production Delphis Eco are hoping to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

From the initial designing of the logo and choosing the name of the Eco Turtle Project, a Year 4 class at Ashley School have taken over the running of the inaugural Eco Turtle Project at Ashley School.  Pupils will sell three different products (Multi Purpose Cleaner, Anti-Bacterial Sanitiser and Washroom Cleaner) to their parents and all profits raised will be invested directly back into the school.  The three products will be sold in concentrate form to reduce carbon footprint and parents are encouraged to reuse their trigger bottles time and again.

Ashley C of E School in Surrey is the first in the UK to pilot this exciting project.  Headteacher Richard Dunne explains, “By offering Delphis Eco cleaning products to families of Ashley School, pupils will learn about the environmental benefits of recycling and sustainability.  In addition, parents will have access to cost effective environmentally friendly cleaning products while the school generates a much needed revenue stream.”

On the 17th of July, during Walton-on-Thames 'celebrating unity within the community' family fun day out the mayor of Elmbridge, Councillor John Seldon and his wife posed with some of the Eco Turtle team from Ashley School.

|If this project sounds like something you would like to implement in your school, please contact us on 02033970096 or sales@delphiseco.com.

Phase 2 of the Delphis Eco Garden

Just a quick post to show you what we've been up to today.  We planted some cabbages, cauliflower, peppers, swiss chard and aubergines to add to our tomatoes and herbs.  We were also joined by a few butterflies, ladybugs and bees in the afternoon sunshine.  The Delphis Eco Garden is ready for summer!  Come and join us for lunch!

Caroline Lucas champions Delphis Eco

Mark Jankovich, CEO of Delphis Eco (a UK company that exclusively makes ecological cleaning chemicals for the commercial cleaning sector) recently met Caroline Lucas, the first Green Party MP in the UK.  

They had a very fruitful discussion about a number of activities that Delphis Eco are doing and how they could work more closely with the Green Party.  At the end of the meeting Caroline asked Mark if there were any questions he would like tabled at Parliamentary Question time. (This is a huge achievement for such a young company to get such high profile access).

Caroline tabled a single question to:

·         Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

·         Minister for the Cabinet Office

·         Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport

·         London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)

“Will the right honorable gentlemen make it their policy to require all cleaning contracts held with their Department to stipulate that the cleaning products used should be EU Ecolabel products accredited by DEFRA; and if they will make a statement.”

Very disappointingly not a single government department came back with an answer stating that it was their department’s policy.  Slightly alarming was that DEFRA gave a £500 million contract to Interserve in 2008 and never stipulated the need to use accredited cleaning chemicals. 

The stock answer from all four departments was that they all use super concentrated products therefore are totally environmentally friendly.  Their efforts must be applauded but their lack of knowledge is concerning.  There are a number of ecological DEFRA accredited products that come in super concentrate form but which are significantly less harmful than what’s currently being used.

Surely the government’s first step in its attempt to go green is for DEFRA itself to stipulate using the ecological cleaning chemicals that it provides accreditation for in its own departmental buildings?

Delphis Eco was the first company in the UK to gain the EU Ecolabel.  The EU Ecolabel takes into consideration environmental issues and very keenly sets apart the criteria for ecological ingredients.  The Ecolabel is also synonymous with product efficiency and is awarded only to those products which meet and exceed strict ecological and performance criteria. 

Delphis Eco’s accredited range is highly effective because of the modern technology used to make their products  – no longer does the green choice have to mean a compromise in product efficiency.  The Delphis Eco cleaning chemicals compete head to head with the market leaders on performance but are cost neutral or even, in some cases, more cost effective.  Delphis Eco products now clean 1000 Office and General sites and over 800 Iceland stores.  Both companies found they have saved money by switching over to Delphis Eco and have admitted that the ecological chemicals used are as effective as the previous ranges used. 

For more information about Delphis Eco, the EU Ecolabel or for the full answers to the Parliamentary Questions please visit the Delphis Eco website www.delphiseco.com.

The EU Ecolabel: FACTS

§  Ecolabel products deliver high performance and environmental quality, verified by a robust and independent certification process

§  Ecolabel products really are kinder to the environment.  The Ecolabel criteria look at every stage of a product’s lifecycle – from manufacturing through use and disposal

§  The Ecolabel is credible, comprehensive, wide-ranging and influential.

SOURCE: http://ecolabel.defra.gov.uk/pdfs/The%20Flower%20-%20a%20Guide%20for%20Applicants%20v5.1%20-%20March%202011.pdf

The Delphis Eco Garden

garden photos (before,during,after)

Delphis Eco have created an inspired community food garden in the disused spaces around the Delphis Eco offices with the help of Seed Pantry and Transition Town Wandsworth.  With many acres of office garden space around the country they hope to raise awareness and lead the way for other companies to make their garden spaces more accessible, healthy and sustainable for those who work there.

To encourage people to grow more of their own food Delphis Eco have collaborated with Seed Pantry, Transition Town Wandsworth and Capital Growth (a London initiative by Mayor Boris Johnson) to come together and get the local community involved in developing an otherwise fruitless garden space into a vibrant healthy community food growing space where passers by can help their selves to produce.

Seed Pantry founder Neil Whitehead comments, “I’m very excited to be working with Delphis Eco and the local food growing initiatives, it’s great to see companies encouraging people to grow food in available spaces at home and at work. Our aim is to get everyone to have a go at growing your own food, even if you’re a novice and as people spend a great deal of time at work this is a perfect place to encourage this. With this collaboration we’re demonstrating the simple steps for businesses to provide healthy working environments and be more sustainable”.

Delphis Eco Managing Director Mark Jankovich said, “I read in a local newspaper that there was a huge waiting list for an allotment in the area.  I knew I wanted fruit and vegetables grown in our little garden but this was certainly beyond my ability.  I am delighted to have Transition Town Wandsworth (a community based organisation) on board as the green fingers of the project and Seed Pantry offers the perfect approach to growing food in urban environments and we’re really pleased to be working with them on this.”

To find out more about Delphis Eco visit www.delphiseco.com

 To find out more about Seed Pantry visit www.seedpantry.co.uk

To find out more about Transition Town Wandsworth visit http://ttwandsworth.wordpress.com/


And below a few snaps of the Delphis Eco staff (Camilla and Neil) at the Capital Growth and B&Q's big tomato give-away in Trafalgar Square:

Delphis Eco is delighted to announce, alongside 3663, that they have successfully won the Non Food nomination for TUCO (The University Caterers Organisation) Purchasing Ltd and NEUPC (North Eastern Universities Purchasing Consortium) as a preferred supplier of ecological cleaning products to higher education organisations nationwide. 

This is the first time Delphis Eco have been nominated for these contracts estimated to be worth circa two million pounds and is testament to the fact that Universities recognise the need to be more environmentally focussed.

Delphis Eco's broad range of EU Ecolabel accredited are proven to work in all aspects of university catering from canteens and fast food hubs, to restaurants and pubs. 

 Mark Jankovich, Managing Director of Delphis Eco remarked, “University students are the next generation of leaders and we are delighted that they are focussing on the environment and recognise the impact non-ecological cleaning chemicals have on our planet.  Through 3663 we look forward to working very closely with TUCO and the NEUPC to deliver products for a sustainability cleaned university environment.”

Welcome to the Delphis Echo!

Welcome to our first blog!  We are so excited to be able to start blogging about all the things that matter to us.  We'll keep you up to date on our eco projects such as the urban garden we're creating (with lots of pictures to show what's happening) to the new Delphis Eco products available and even information we come across that we'd like to share.

I suppose for those of you who don't know us it may be useful to explain that Delphis Eco is the first company in the UK to be awarded the EU Ecolabel for it's environmentally friendly cleaning products.  We're passionate about finding innovate green new ways to clean and we hoping to find out a little more about sustainability on the way.