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INDUSTRY UPDATE THE BMA COLUMN


BMA – Getting back on track E


ffectively focusing our minds on the important matters of the day is high on everyone’s agenda at this time of year.


Whether we are looking forward to the months ahead, or treading carefully, the bathroom sector has a lot to grapple with in 2022. The pandemic


continues to impact so many areas of our businesses and society, and in the context of the massively increased focus on our home lives, we are all using a lot more water. Indeed, the Water


Demand Reduction Group, established in 2020, is certain we must confront the upward trend in water consumption to redress this. The latest data, collated by Defra for the group, shows overall water use has increased since 2019 and it is not keeping pace with Ministers’ ambitions to reduce demand. This upward trend, in place before the pandemic, has widened the gap


even further as a result of the new work-from-home culture. The Environment Act outlines plans for a legal commitment to a water


demand target for England, and there are calls for this to be treated similarly to carbon targets in the Climate Change Act, to drive overall reduction in our water use. Our national response to the climate emergency demands coherence in


Government policy, to create a truly circular economy, introduce green taxes for businesses, devise a deliverable retrofit programme and announce stretching water demand reduction targets. Policy progress on water efficiency labelling is also set to make a


significant impact in the bathroom sector in 2022, and this is where joined- up thinking is needed, to connect water efficiency and carbon reduction in the minds of all water users. Our industry is accustomed to new product innovations with reductions


in flow rate, water, eco-friendly designs and decreased flush volumes. But neither national policymakers, nor the market by its own volition, are


creating the reduction in water use we need. In calling for coherence at a Government level, we must also accept the


challenge that as designers, retailers and manufacturers, we need to do everything possible to lead the way towards a more sustainable future. If we are going to get the nation back on track, cross-industry alliances


need to be strengthened and we must use our voices to shout about sustainability in bathrooms, letting it define our actions in the months and years ahead.


Tom Reynolds Chief Executive of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association


BiKBBI –The KBB Industry’s role in helping to tackle some of the major challenges on the UK’s horizon


W


e’re just weeks into 2022 but many of the big issues that dominated the news at the end of last year


continue to make headlines. We’re still debating the balance between restriction and risk to keep covid in check and wondering just how many parties the staff at 10 Downing Street had during lockdown. But as these seemingly endless sagas fade from view over the coming


months, attention will turn to some major social and economic national challenges that have been bubbling away in the background for a while. On a whole number of fronts this year looks set to be a turning point for the country, and how these challenges are handled could affect just how bumpy the road ahead is for everyone. It’s with a great sense of responsibility that I suggest the KBB industry has a vital role to play in ensuring the country’s positive future. Take first the so-called ‘levelling up’ agenda. Long hailed by the


Government as a plan to spread prosperity across all communities and regions, all indications are that some radical policies are on the way. As an industry that offers rewarding careers for people from all backgrounds in all communities, KBB stands to be a major player in ensuring their success - not least through the work we are doing on skills and apprenticeships. Another big issue is the increasing ‘cost of living’. A range of international


and national issues are colliding at the same time to push up interest rates and energy prices. A lot of people are going to struggle this year, forced to tighten their belts and make tough choices. We need to put our collective best foot forward to deliver value for consumers and make sure people can continue to afford to invest in their homes. Sustainability will


also continue to loom large over almost all areas of our lives, with the need to limit damage to the environment as much as humanly possible. Innovations in many of the appliances and products our industry specialises in and the way we dispose of them can be a big part of the solution. I’m proud to be


u For more information contact BMA on 01782 631619 or email info@bathroom-association.org.uk


part of an industry that is nationally important in so many ways, particularly as it starts to get the recognition it has long deserved. BIKBBI’s annual conference at the start of February included contributions from both the Government and the opposition, signalling that we’re taken seriously across the political spectrum. It’s up to all of us - manufacturers, retailers and installers - to capitalise on this and prove our industry’s worth as a major national asset.


Damian Walters, Chief Executive Officer. BKU FEBRUARY 2022 43


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