PRODUCT FEATURE | Sustainable bathrooms
‘Being sustainable isn’t an easy commitment… but it’s worthwhile’
Selling ex-display and slow- moving stock through the Used Kitchen Exchange can help retailers promote sustainability
Caesarstone’s Snow 2141 quartz bathroom surfaces with Greenguard, Declare and NSF approval
Graeme Borchard, MD of UK Bathrooms, outlines the company’s commitment to sustainability
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Triton’s Danzi electric shower, has a category A energy rating to help cut energy and water use
to maximise the working life of every enclosure.” Looking at the bigger picture, in addition to considering the origin – and the sourcing process – of materials it’s also about processes and logistics. Fernando Maceda, product manager at Acqua- bella, acknowledges that products are becoming more sustainable, but admits the transformation is just beginning. Resin shower tray manufacturers are looking for eco resins, made from recycled PET bottles – as are Acquabella shower trays.
Processes
He says: “Not only must the composition of the product be sustainable, but also the processes that the companies use. The use of renewable energies and greater energy efficiency, control and reuse of waste and elimination of plastics in packaging are just some measures that show companies are taking on environmental responsibility.” Regarding bathroom furniture,
Jade Taylor, marketing, Arbor Lane, states that: “Every furniture project made by Arbor Lane is sustainable and environmentally friendly. Arbor Lane supports The National Forest Regeneration Project, is an official National Forest Corporate Social Responsibility partner, and plants a tree for every furniture project we produce. We use environmentally- friendly, water-based paint and heat the workshop using waste and scrap wood.”
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Should manufacturers do more to emphasise sustainability and educate retailers?
It seems that there is plenty of information available to retailers from manufacturers that can be digested and passed on to consumers. However, creating a circular economy relies on all sectors of the supply chain communicating and thinking more responsibly. “We have a lot of data available for retailers, and our sales literature highlights our commitment to the circular economy – in a simple message that retailers can pass on in even brief conversations with the consumer,” explains Roman’s Reed. “For example, every piece of aluminium that Roman uses is already recycled before we use it. We urge retailers to seek out information on sustainability. Change only happens with buy-in from the consumers, so the more retailers who begin to use sustainability as a sales tool, the better.”
To be able to prove to consumers that they are providing sustainable products and have a forward-thinking approach to sustainability is a big
selling point Steph Harris, product manager, Showerwall
George Burtoft, sustainability analyst at Symphony Group, sums it up: “Retailers who put planet before profit benefit from an improved reputation and in turn attract more customers who appreciate their values.
This ultimately
helps increase the amount of money sustainable businesses earn.” It’s a no-brainer – keep up with the latest sus - tainability updates from suppliers, as well as keeping an eye on your own green footprint.
ince launching in 2005, online retailer UK Bathrooms, based in Ripon, North Yorkshire, has taken on Corporate Social Respon- sibility (CSR) initiatives as a way to lessen its environmental impact. “We understand the need to make choices that help sustain the world that sustains us,” comments UK Bathrooms MD Graeme Borchard. “We work to limit our environmental impact, continually striving for improvement to exceed our environmental targets and aiming to reduce our carbon footprint. “It’s not easy to find ways to lower our footprint that are scalable, but we have found there are strong initiatives out there that are adaptable to businesses of every size. These are a great starting point.” ENERGY-EFFICIENT CHOICES: We’ve opted for lighting, equipment and appliances that save energy from swapping all light bulbs to LED to installing boiling water taps in the kitchen areas. We’ve also adopted a ‘switch off when not required’ approach. MINIMISED PAPER USAGE: We are 99% digital in the office space and around 85% digital in the warehouse. DISPOSAL OF WASTE: Minimising waste by reusing items wherever possible is another action that is relatively easy for any business to adopt, along with being mindful of how your business disposes of waste. We aim to recycle anything we can. All
cardboard boxes and cartons that enter our business are reused for customer order fulfilment whenever possible. We even have some fun with ‘reusing’. We have a bath that has been made into a sofa in our reception area and when a bath was damaged accidentally, we gave it to the father of one of our team members, who is an avid gardener. He turned it into a planter. RESPONSIBLE SOURCING: We deal with brands that are committed to social and environmental responsibility and they bring quality products that have been manu- factured and sourced through ethical means. SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING: Reduce, reuse, recycle. Our packaging is under constant review. We use 100% recycled cardboard boxes and cardboard edging. Our pallet deliveries are wrapped in a fully recyclable sugar cane wrap. Our packaging tapes and bubble wrap are also 100% recyclable.”
The best part of genuinely taking a more sustainable approach in your business? It makes you part of the solution.
• April 2023
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