NEWS | Round-up VIEWPOINT Inspired to reduce
our waste to landfill Continuing her monthly series, Natalie Peters of Kitchens Etc in Norfolk, describes her experiences during the final year of her Foundation Degree in kitchen design at Bucks New University
80% of Brits are still wasting water, says survey by Wras
EIGHT OUT of 10 Brits are still wasting precious water according to a new survey carried out by Wras. The poll by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (Wras) highlighted the country’s most common water-wasting habits and is urging consumers to change one bad habit a day to help save water resources. Wras highlighted our five worst habits:
THE LAST residential inspired me to think differently and we are planning some big changes to contribute more to sustainability and protecting the planet. We have always prided ourselves on behaving
responsibly towards the environment through recycling, limiting packaging, carbon offsetting, trying to buy local, planning journeys and making the most of larger stone offcuts we generate, but the lectures and experiences from our last session have given me some new ideas. The first is to dramatically reduce our waste to landfill.
We have already implemented one of my ideas and are now producing stone chopping boards from our smaller worktop offcuts, which would otherwise be skipped. We sell them for an attractive price and donate the
proceeds to our local East Anglian Air Ambulance charity. This is already having a great response locally, while also making a big difference to our waste. We are also donating to them the savings made from our skip charges – around £3,000 annually. Other ideas I have for waste reduction include stone chippings, crazy paving, engraving and garden uses or features. I plan to support other charities through each new idea, so we are not only giving back to the planet, but to the community and charitable causes, too. Inspired by Duncan
The last residential inspired me to think differently about saving the planet
Baker-Brown’s lecture, where he encouraged reuse rather than recycling, I am setting up a 6sq m area in our showroom to resell kitchens we take out of customers’ homes.
Depending on the condition, quality and size
of the salvaged kitchen, the prices will start from £250. We are going to price them keenly to help people on a budget and to encourage a quick turnaround, so that we can make room for new ones. Proceeds will go to local good causes. My parents have been really impressed by these ideas and we are building a great relationship with the East Anglian Air Ambulance and have welcomed them to our showroom to collect chopping boards to raffle and use in their office kitchens. Working together, we are getting the word out and gaining more traction to raise money. People come to us by recommendation for our skills in the kitchen business, but these measures bring another dimension to what we do and demonstrate that we care about our locality and the environment. They are not tokenism. They have been relatively easy to implement, they just take time and commitment and the all-round feel-good factor they have generated is something that I am especially proud of.
• Natalie is sponsored on her course by Franke 12
• 29% do not reuse water when preparing or cooking food. Wras suggests we catch excess water in a bowl for reuse, cutting water wastage by 50%. • 26% take deeper baths than necessary. Wras says filling the bath an inch shorter will save five litres on average per bath. • 21% still keep the water running while brushing their teeth. Wras says turning it off will save six litres per minute. • 21% still fill the kettle rather than boil the amount they need. Wras points out that a full kettle will take twice as long to boil as well as wasting water. • 20% of people keep the water running while washing their face. Wras says this wastes six litres per minute.
Julie Spinks, managing director of Wras, said: “Although everyday habits – such as leaving the tap on while brushing your teeth – might seem inconsequential, making a few small changes can make a big difference to the amount of water we use every day. We’re urging consumers to change at least one regular habit to help prevent water wastage. “Being considerate of your water usage will
not only help the environment by conserving valuable water resources, but can save you money, particularly if you have a water meter.” Commenting on the Wras survey, Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) chief executive Yvonne Orgill said: “We have a long way to go to educate consumers about how their everyday habits impact on water efficiency. “Recent consumer research by the BMA found that consumers would be positively influenced to buy products if they had more information about water efficiency. “The results showed that more than 80% of
respondents said water efficiency was quite or very important when purchasing a WC or a shower, yet almost 40% were not made aware of how much water the products would use. There is not enough awareness about how old water-guzzling products can be replaced with more efficient products that can still deliver the experiences customers have come to expect.”
Mira Showers collects its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise
MIRA SHOWERS has won its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise, this time for its Mira Sport Max shower. The award was presented at the Kohler Mira factory in Cheltenham by the Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, Edward Gillespie OBE, and Councillor Steve Jordan, leader of Cheltenham Borough Council. The royal award was signed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and former prime minister Theresa May.
The Mira Sport Max shower was chosen for its patented Mira Airboost technology, which
increases water flow by up to 30%, without using any more water. The eco-friendly technology is in line with the general environmental policy of Kohler whose target is to be carbon-zero by 2035. The first product to receive this award in 2017 was the Mira Flight Safe anti-slip shower tray, which is manufactured in Mira Showers’ trays and enclosures factory in Hull. Kohler Mira UK managing director Craig Baker, (pictured below with Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire) said: “This award highlights our commitment to innovation and the hard work we put into the research and design stages, which allows us to ensure products we bring to market are meeting the ever-changing demands from both consumers and installers. “As a forward-thinking company, our focus on developing exclusive technology is what has made Mira the biggest contributor to the showering industry in the past 90 years. “Mira’s R&D team is always working collaboratively to look for ways to optimise the showering experience. Installers are the voice of the user, and so holding regular meetings with
our Installer Clubs gives us valuable insight to shape the design of products and bring new technology to life.”
kbbreview · September 2019
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