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With the need to conserve water becoming ever more pressing, bathroom companies are taking sustainability right to the heart of their product design

There’s no hotter topic than sustainability at present, and here in the Middle East – the driest region on the planet, with the lowest amount of rainfall – nothing is more pressing than the need to save water.

A recent report by the World Bank stated that this most valuable and precious of commodities is set to become dangerously scarce within decades, unless the way it is managed radically improves.

According to a Development and Climate Change study carried out in the MENA region: “Per capita water availability is predicted to halve by 2050, even without the effects of climate change”.

So what can the design industry do to minimise the impact of water wastage? The bathroom is an obviously place to start, and bathroom manufacturers today are taking the issue of water efficiency extremely seriously. A raft of new products are entering the market, from reduced flow mixers to waterless urinals and even toilets that flush using water recycled from the washbasin.

“Water shortages and the long-term security of water supply are serious concerns for us all,” noted Kim McBean, marketing manager, Sanipex Group.

“With global warming, the greenhouse effect and other such concerns, the world is looking for more eco-friendly and less resource-consuming products. As a result, many designers and manufacturers have taken steps
to ensure that bathroom products are stylish as well as eco-friendly.”

To cater for this need for increased water efficiency, Sanipex has launched the H2ECO range from Vado, which incorporates a reduced flow aerator in all wash basins and sink mixers, reducing the flow of water to 5L per minute.

In addition, all of Sanipex’s WC cisterns feature a dual-flush mechanism providing three litres of water for a half-flush and a maximum of six for a full flush. Flow restrictors have also been inserted into the company’s range of showerheads from Bossini, Zucchetti and Fantini. Other innovative eco-solutions include the Ecoplay grey water cistern for flushing WCs, and the Sanipex waterless urinal. Sanipex has also brought in its own labelling system, which provides information on the water efficiency of all its products. The idea is to help consumers in choosing the most water-efficient products, in order to save on water and energy bills.

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Geberit is another company taking the issue of sustainability extremely seriously. The company was a pioneer in the introduction of dual-flush technology, and today the concept of sustainability is at the core of its product designs.

According to Guy Wilson, head of the Gulf regional office at Geberit International Sales, the issue of water conservation forms just one aspect of sustainability at Geberit. “Sustainability is an all-encompassing approach and has been a central theme at Geberit since 1990. It is important to consider the sustainability of products in modern bathrooms with the understanding that water consumption is only one contributing element,” said Wilson.

“All Geberit products are developed using a ‘whole life’ approach, which takes into account the use of raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, product use and end-of-life, to measure the overall environmental impact.”

For example, all of Geberit’s suppliers are signatories to a code of conduct ensuring the ethical and sustainable sourcing of raw materials. In addition, the company’s focus is to develop products with a long lifespan, in order
to minimise waste. “When a product is built to last, it means fewer replacements and less waste from replacing an inferior product,” explained Wilson.

“At Geberit, we truly believe that our product quality can have a lasting impact on our natural resources by extending the replacement timeline and reducing manufacturing processes.”

Geberit is also taking an innovative approach towards the development of the sustainable bathroom products of the future. “The present reality is that sanitary technology, in terms of water consumption, has now evolved to the point where only incremental savings can be achieved,” said Wilson.

“The next real evolution in the consumption of water, particularly as far as flushing is concerned, will require a holistic approach to the complete plumbing and drainage system within a building. In order for current drainage systems to function, a minimum amount of water is required to ensure hydraulic efficiency,” he continued.

“In the future, we see a move towards integrated design, with attention being paid to the sizing and design of drainage systems in order to serve advances in the reduction of flush volumes. This is an area of keen interest and research for Geberit.”