Eco Bathrooms

Part 1

What are eco bathrooms? Your bathroom uses the most amount of water in your home. Reducing your carbon footprint in your bathroom and becoming more energy efficient in your bathroom is quite simple. With just a few changes to the way you use water, you can begin to make a difference to the environment. Whether you change a few simple things like adding water saving controls to your shower or whether you are planning a bathroom for a new build - everyone can do something.

Eco bathrooms - A frameless glass shower makes good use of glass without heavy fixings

A truly eco bathroom is to renovate, repair and refurbish your existing bathroom sanitary ware – don’t automatically go for a remodel. Reusing the bath, toilet and basin can be the most environmentally friendly choice as it prevents these items being thrown into landfill sites. Without even realising, throwing these items away increases the demand for newly manufactured products which wastes non renewable resources, energy, materials and your money.

It is worth noting that not all types of repairs and refinishing of sanitary ware are environmentally or human friendly.

Significant chips may require chemical treatments, acid etches and sandblasting which have an effect on indoor air quality and can be hazardous to worker health. It is always best to check with the subcontractor for the least toxic methods. Most sanitary ware items like sinks, baths and WCs will outlive the lifespan of your home if looked after, so make a wise choice in terms of design and style. Go for classic styles in white for maximum suitability over the years and trends.

Second hand / factory seconds / discontinued sanitary ware

Contact salvage, reclamation yards and local second hand facilities to make good use of use items like old baths and basins. Alternatively opt for factory seconds or discontinued ranges of sanitary ware. Again these help reduce the demand for newly manufactured products.

Synthetic / plastic / acrylic / fibreglass sanitary ware

Avoid, avoid, avoid!

These materials are mostly based on petroleum which is a finite resource and is not eco friendly - a poor choice when eco alternatives are available. Plastic products are lighter in weight and hygienic which are attractive characteristics for sanitary ware. However, the chemical manufacturing process is highly toxic, uses a large amount of energy & non renewable resources and the finished products cannot be recycled easily. During manufacturer, installation and consumer use these products release toxic emissions known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the air in your bathroom which are hazardous to your health. VOCs are indoor air pollutants which lower the air quality in your home, all the while being breathed into your lungs. VOCs are associated with various health problems. Synthetics are also difficult to repair and ultimately are thrown into landfill sites where they do not decompose.

WC

Eco bathrooms - Look for water saving features for your WC

Your toilet uses the most amount of water in your home; it can be up to a quarter of your total household water use. The older your toilet is, the more water it uses per flush. There are two eco friendly options: add a flush control onto your existing WC or buy a water efficient WC. Going further, consider that you don’t need fresh water to flush the WC, even though this is common. Collected rainwater can be fed to your WC tank or alternatively a hybrid sink/toilet can be designed which uses waste water from your sinks piped to your WC tank. An environmental choice for your eco bathroom would consider dry and compost WCs.

If your existing WC has a flush handle on the front, this can be adapted with a flush control that can be half or full flushed. However it is important to mention that reducing water flow in older WCs can reduce their effectiveness and may become unhygienic. Check with the manufacturer of the control mechanism for suitability. Modern low-flush WCs are water efficient as the cisterns do not hold as much water as older models, so the amount flushed is a lot less. You can adapt your existing cistern by placing a brick or water filled plastic bottle into the bottom. Dual flush WCs are common place in mainland Europe and are slowly creeping into UK and Ireland. Models vary between dual buttons and single levels – using the light flush most of the time. They can cut the amount of water used by up to 50%.

WCs and bidets are usually made from ceramic or porcelain materials – these are very durable and hygienic although they are heavy in weight require a large amount of energy during manufacture. Porcelain can be recycled post consumer use into a lesser value product e.g. road base. Check with your local recycling facilities for options in your area.

WC seats

The most typical WC seats are made from vinyl and plastic materials which are not easy to recycle and rely on chemical processing during manufacture. These are lightweight and hygienic. Wood WC seats are another popular choice, however over time the finish becomes worn causing cracks, making them more difficult to clean and less hygienic.

Continue reading part 2 of eco bathrooms here.........

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