Sustainable Bathroom

The sustainable bathroom is a future-oriented concept that combines smart, water and energy-saving products, environmentally friendly industrial production, sustainable materials, future-oriented bathroom planning and a durable design.
Graphik: FAR.consultuing, VDS
Today natural materials, enduring design and
certified sustainable production credentials are virtually standard for
products from Germany’s bathroom sector. Private home owners are more and more mindful
of ensuring a positive environmental footprint and increasingly demanding a
“green” bathroom.
The Sustainable Bathroom describes a
development that will change an entire industry. In addition to resource conservation, energy
management and sustainable product development, totally new concepts like the
circular economy look set to play a key role as well. At ISH
2023, the Sustainable Bathroom will be present in the Water section in the form
of products, panel discussions and targeted approaches, and will be defining
new standards.
Sustainability is an important issue that has meanwhile arrived in the
mainstream – not just as a matter of conscience, but as an expression of the
current lifestyle. Our carbon footprint is becoming a prestige
factor in the way we see ourselves, both as a society and as individuals. Consequently,
resource conservation is the order of the day – including and especially in the
bathroom, where one third of a household’s daily drinking water consumption is
used for showering, bathing and personal care and hygiene. Another
quarter ends up in the sewage plant as a result of flushing the toilet. But at
least Germany is on the right track: according to the German Association of Energy
and Water Industries (BDEW), average per capita water consumption has dropped
from its peak of 147 litres in 1991 to 123 litres. At the same time, even in Germany –
a country where there’s usually anything but a shortage of rain – the declining
groundwater levels after several years of drought are making us realise that
water is indeed a precious resource.
Conserving precious water in the bathroom

Modern sanitary products can reduce water consumption. For example, water-saving elements are usually already integrated as standard in modern taps, hand showers or overhead showers.
Photo: Axor/hansgrohe
Being mindful of how we use water is the easiest way to behave
sustainably in the bathroom. Because it’s not purely how much water we use
that matters: heating it takes a lot of energy, and that has a noticeable
impact on both the costs and the ecological footprint of every single
household. First and foremost, making sure taps don’t run unnecessarily is an essential
part of saving water, and perhaps showering rather than taking a bath. The German
bathroom sector is constantly looking for ways to save water – whether it’s at
the washbasin, in the shower or with the toilet.
Besides
mindful behaviour, modern bathroom products are another way to reduce water
consumption, without having to go to great effort or sacrifice comfort and
convenience. Water-saving
elements are now for instance a standard feature of most modern fittings, hand
and overhead showers. Aerators –
also known as flow restrictors – are the most familiar example. They’re inexpensive, easy to install and
reduce the amount of water that passes through the tap by mixing it with air. Even much older taps can be retrofitted
with a flow restrictor.
Today’s side
jets, waterfall and overhead showers also come with optimised, water-saving spray
patterns. The popular
overhead showers can even use an optimised spray pattern to simulate luxurious
monsoon rain; as a result, not even those who regularly indulge in a hedonistic
shower experience need to feel too guilty. Water-saving cartridges for conventional single-lever
mixer taps also help to save water by causing resistance when the lever is
operated and thus reducing the likelihood of the tap running at full flow
unintentionally. In the public
sector, and increasingly also in private settings, touchless fittings are being
used to save water as well. It’s even possible to conserve resources when taking a bath, because
tubs with an optimised inner shape considerably reduce the amount of water
required to achieve the sought-after wellness effect.
Energy-saving features

Electronic sensor taps in particular make it easy to save water. Thanks to the integrated infrared technology, water only flows when it is actually needed. In addition, the flow rate of electronically controlled fittings from Kludi, for example, is reduced: in selected variants of the Balance E and Zenta E sensor mixers, it is just 1.9 litres per minute.
Photo: Kludi
Single-lever
mixers for the washbasin and shower are a particularly effective way of saving
water because they allow the flow to be turned on and off more quickly. What’s more, they have a built-in
energy-saving effect because they allow the desired temperature to be set more
quickly than separate hot and cold taps. And last but not least, touchless fittings are helping
to promote a more conscious approach to water and energy in a growing number of
private bathrooms: sensors control the water flow electronically and switch it
on and off automatically; it’s often even possible to preset the temperature as
well. Consequently, the
water only flows when it’s really needed.
The
thermostatic mixers available for the bathtub or shower allow the maximum and
average water temperature to be set and maintain the temperature constantly thanks
to a sensor. Besides
preventing the risk of scalding, they also minimise the amount of time during
which the water runs unnecessarily until it reaches the desired temperature.
The toilet as No. 1 water saver

Thanks to their optimal water flow, rimless WCs use less water per flush. In addition, the use of cleaning agents can be dispensed with.
Photo: Geberit
As a rule,
today’s cisterns are either equipped with a flush button that stops the water
flow when the button is released or with a short flush button. This dual flush technology saves up to 50%
of the water used by conventional systems. Whereas pushing the large button results in 6 litres
of water being flushed through the toilet, the small button only uses approx. 3
litres per flush.
At the same
time, the technology advances manufacturers are making with regard to flushing
the actual toilet bowl more effectively aren’t just further reducing water
consumption in the bathroom, they’re making the toilet more hygienic and easier
to clean as well. Rimless
toilets in particular significantly reduce the amount of cleaning effort
required because the absence of a rim means every part of the surface is easily
accessible. That has the
effect of minimising the use of environmentally harmful, sometimes very
aggressive cleaning products.
The shower
toilet is also a good choice for a Sustainable Bathroom and is particularly
suitable for anybody who occasionally uses moist toilet paper in search of enhanced
hygiene and comfort. Because that’s
not just problematic for environmental reasons; it also increases the risk of
clogging up the sewer system and wastewater treatment plants: it has to be
raked out of the sewage and burned. In addition, moist toilet paper is made of synthetic fibres like
polymers or polyester, which means it doesn’t dissolve in water and has a
lasting impact on the environment because of micro plastic. Besides eliminating the need for moist
toilet paper, a shower toilet also reduces toilet paper consumption in general. What’s more, the water-based cleaning it
provides is also far more gentle on the skin.
Recyclable materials and the avoidance of (plastic) waste

With Sustano, Duravit presents the first recyclable shower tray made of DuraSolid Nature. At the end of their useful life, the shower trays can be returned either to Duravit or a local recycling centre in line with the life cycle principle. The recycled materials can be reused for the production of new shower trays or for industrial applications.
Photo: Duravit
The Sustainable Bathroom isn’t just about saving precious resources,
technically complex products and state-of-the-art technologies. There’s
another way to achieve a Sustainable Bathroom: by using products that last for
years and are made of natural or recyclable materials. Cosmetics, toiletries and hygiene
products aren’t the only categories where it’s possible to avoid plastic waste;
the sanitaryware and bathroom furniture used play an important role as well. At the same
time, it has long been about far more than questions such as “wood or plastic?”
and “ceramic or mineral cast?”, because the issue is a complex one. Aspects
like transport, regionality and circularity also need to be taken into account.
The use of recyclable materials is increasingly becoming a focal point
of sustainable bathroom planning. Ceramic or steel enamel sanitaryware
comes with the benefits of a long lifespan and 100% recyclability. Generally
speaking, more attention is being paid to the use of mono-materials and easily
separable components in the production of bathroom products nowadays because
they make recycling easier and promote the development of a circular economy.
Natural materials like eco-friendly plaster, natural stone or wood are playing
a supporting role in sustainable bathroom design as well. It’s also
worth paying attention to the materials used to make bathroom furniture, as
well as whether their production was toxin-free or ideally even
climate-neutral. Quality labels and ecolabels such as the Golden M, the Blue
Angel, Furniture Made in Germany, FSC or PEFC are likewise helpful when it
comes to finding eco-friendly and high-quality products.
Sustainable products and enduring design

The German steel industry emits between 30 and 40 percent of Germany's total CO2 industrial emissions. To support the switch to climate-neutral steel production and reduce its own carbon footprint, Bette has been sourcing and processing CO2-neutral, i.e. green, steel since 2021.
Photo: Bette
Based on an average lifetime of 15 to 20 years for a bathroom, it seems
sensible to make sure that spare parts and replacement components will be
available for an unlimited period of time. And the fact that a single firm is
often responsible for the planning, delivery and installation of an entire
bathroom or individual modules guarantees availability or warranties. As a
result, repairs and replacements can be implemented at minimum cost to users
and the environment and the bathroom will stay looking attractive for years to
come. At the end of the day, choosing products with the maximum possible
lifetime is an important aspect of sustainability, underpinned by enduring
design and top quality.
Ideally, the bathroom will be able to change and adapt to users’ needs
as they enter different stages of their lives – provided this requirement is
factored into the planning right from the start. Besides the technical
prerequisites for electrical components, that also includes planning for the
potential addition of safety handles and barrier-free accessibility, as well as
making sure that the design of the basic equipment is aesthetically neutral. Metaphorically
speaking, that means the sanitaryware needs to provide a blank canvas or
neutral platform that allows users to stage their bathroom as they like. Then
it’s easier to implement an up-to-date look and personal style preferences by
using accessories or (partially) renovating the walls and floor.
An entire industry is ready to go green

Low-emission and made of sustainably produced wood: burgbad has been awarded the Blauer Engel (Blue Angel) for its Eqio collection.
Photo: burgbad
It’s not possible to contemplate a Sustainable Bathroom in isolation
from the skilled trades and planning involved: today’s sanitaryware is too interconnected
with the technical system components behind the wall for that. As a
result, sustainable bathroom planning will have an increasingly responsible
role to play over the next few years. And Germany’s three-tier
distribution system guarantees more than the availability of sustainable
products as well, because sustainability is also playing an increasingly
important role when it comes to logistics, packaging, the availability of spare
parts and service. “For our sector too, sustainability will be a
catalyst that affects all areas of the industry,” says Jens J. Wischmann,
managing director of the German Bathroom Sector Association (Vereinigung Deutsche
Sanitärwirtschaft e.V.) in Bonn. “Besides growing customer demand for
sustainably designed bathrooms, we’re also observing that market players are
optimising their process chains with an eye to sustainability. ISH 2023
will therefore be an important milestone on the way to the Sustainable
Bathroom.”
Ultimately, the Sustainable Bathroom is a forward-looking concept that strives
for the optimal combination of smart products for saving water and energy, eco-friendly
industrial production, sustainable materials, future-oriented bathroom planning
and enduring design.