At a time when sustainability has become an essential part of our daily lives, it’s important to choose brands that reflect those values. Geberit is one such brand, and as an Official Partner, we are proud to be connected with them. Their commitment to sustainability is evident in their products, manufacturing processes, and their continued efforts towards eco-friendly practices. In this blog, we delve into the ways Geberit is leading the way in sustainable bathroom systems.

Geberit-Selnova-Square-S

Geberit’s Sustainable Products

Geberit’s product range is designed to promote sustainability. Their bathroom systems are built to last and are typically used for decades. Geberit’s WC cisterns are a shining example of their dedication to sustainability. Every cistern sold saves water, making it an eco-friendly option for homes and other buildings. The cisterns also come with dual flush options.

Geberit Selnova Rimfree Wall Hung WC

Ecodesign Principle

Geberit follows the Ecodesign principle, which means that every new product must be more eco-friendly than the previous model. This principle ensures that Geberit’s products not only meet high-quality standards but also reflect their commitment to sustainability. This principle also promotes the use of recycled materials. Reducing the impact on the environment. Without sacrificing quality, function, or durability for sustainability.

Geberit bathroom furniture

Conscientious Use of Resources

The brand uses plastic sparingly and recycles almost 100% of its plastic waste. The company also make a conscious effort to reduce the use of packaging. Resulting in not only being environmentally friendly but also cost-effective.

EcoVadis Award Winners

Geberit EcoVadis Award Winners 2022

Geberit Group was awarded the highest platinum award from the EcoVadis platform for sustainability management for the third time in a row. Confirming Geberit’s leading role in sustainable business practices. Geberit are in the top 1% of all companies in all industries and countries listed by EcoVadis.

50 Year Guarantee on Spare Parts

The Geberit Sigma and Omega cisterns now carry a 50 years spare parts guarantee which significantly benefits the environment.

Geberit Duofix WC Frame with Omega Cistern

Environmental Benefits Of AquaClean Toilets

Did you know that the average household gets through 27.5 kilograms of toilet paper every year? A Geberit shower toilet can reduce the amount of wood used for toilet paper by 61 kilograms per annum. This equates to a tree trunk measuring 1.7 metres high and 30 centimetres in diameter.

Geberit AquaClean Mera Shower Toilet

Cleaning with water

Cleaning with water uses less water than cleaning with toilet paper. The production of toilet paper requires 2,350 litres of water per household per year. In comparison, the spray functionality of the AquaClean Mera Comfort uses just 1,500 litres. This is an annual saving of 850 litres of water, equating to almost 6 bathtubs of 150 litres each.

Saves energy and toilet paper

With a shower toilet from Geberit, you can count on high quality and low operating costs. All Geberit AquaClean models feature an economy mode. This ensures they consume no more than 0.5 watts when in standby. What’s more, this also means a household can save around 212 rolls of toilet paper a year and around £50.00.

Geberit AquaClean

(Data supplied by Geberit UK).

Sustainability Efforts of a Leading Brand

Geberit is leading the way in sustainable bathroom systems. Their commitment to sustainability is reflected in their products, manufacturing processes and the recognition they have received from independent sources. As an Official Partner, we are proud to be connected with a brand with such conscientious sustainability practices.

Choosing Geberit means choosing functionality, quality, and sustainability in bathroom systems.

With special thanks to David Holme, Key Account Manager – Digital Sales Geberit UK.

SHOP GEBERIT

As a business, UK Bathrooms works to limit our environmental impact, continually striving for improvement to exceed our environmental targets and aiming to reduce our carbon footprint.

It’s not an easy commitment for any business, finding ways to lower our footprint that are scalable to our operation can be somewhat difficult at times.  What we have found is that there are some strong initiatives out there which are adaptable to businesses of every size, these are a great starting point.

Energy-efficient choices

We’ve opted for lighting, equipment and appliances that save energy from swapping all light bulbs to LED to installing boiling water taps in the kitchen areas. The latter not only requires less energy than a conventional kettle but also saves money. We’ve also adopted a ‘switch off when not required’ approach, this applies to lights, heating, equipment and appliances throughout the business.

Minimised paper usage

The amount of paper used can be drastically reduced in any organisation, the ultimate goal being 100% paper-free. At UK Bathrooms one of the first actions was to digitalise the employee handbook which is now shared online.

Disposal of waste

Minimising waste by reusing items wherever possible is another action that is relatively easy for any business to adopt, along with being mindful of how your business disposes of waste.

At UK Bathrooms all waste is segregated into recyclables and non-recyclables.  All cardboard boxes, or cartons that arrive into the business from suppliers are reused for order fulfilment whenever possible.

Freestanding bath repurposed into a sofa takes pride of place in our reception area

We also re-use wherever possible. We have a bath that has been made into a sofa in our reception area and more recently we gave a damaged bath to a team members dad. As an avid gardener he turned it into a delightful planter.

Damaged freestanding bath repurposed by Mr A Easy into a lovely garden planter

Responsible Sourcing

We work with brands that share our commitment to social and environmental responsibility.  Business partners bring quality products that have been manufactured and sourced through ethical means.

Sustainable Packaging

Packaging for any retailer can be a nightmare, expensive and damaging to the environment.  Here at UK Bathrooms we seek to package all orders delivered in an efficient and sustainable manner by using recycled content, as well as biodegradable and lighter materials, in an effort to minimise waste. According to Coleman Parkes Research, 88% of consumers want packaging to provide more information about sustainability and 92% of consumers would choose paper-based over plastic-based packaging.

Packaging materials and our packaging systems are under constant review as we strive to limit our environmental impact. We use 100% recycled cardboard boxes and cardboard edging. Our pallet deliveries  are wrapped in a fully recyclable sugar cane wrap. Our packaging tapes are also 100% recyclable as is the bubble wrap that we use.

Customers will soon see a new label with every delivery, making it easier for them to determine how to best recycle the packaging. Enabling our customers to make more informed decisions around how to best dispose of the packaging their purchases come in.

We know this is a journey.  It is a journey that we are committed to. Good for us and for our planet.

UK Bathrooms began supporting Toilet Twinning in March this year. Each month we sponsor (twin) 10 toilets in different 10 countries that are in extreme poverty. This funding helps to improve the hygiene situation and also provide people with a proper latrine.

Bawili Hamisi and daughter Ebinda, Mwandiga 3 Community, Eastern DRC.

Bawili’s story

This month we are sharing Bawili’s story. Bawii is a widow from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she raised her family on her own. Bawii’s husband was killed during a civil war in DMC. After the civil war, the rest of the family escaped to Tanzania and stayed in a refugee camp. After 10 years, they were forcibly returned to their home country where they had no home, no clean water and no toilet.

Bawii’s daughter, Ebinda had to walk for 90 minutes, three times a day to gather water from Lake Tanganyika. However, the water source was dirty and many people became ill with cholera. One day when Ebinda was still a teenager, she was attacked and raped by several men when she went to the toilet in the bush. As the consequence of the assault, she was pregnant.

Determined not to let other families suffer as hers did, Ebinda’s Mother, Bawili, joined a Community Health Club which was set up by Toilet Twinning’s support. It educates local people about hygiene and encourages them to build toilets. She devoted herself to the group and is now the Club President.

Bawili was unable to undertake the building work involved to construct her own toilet, so health club members worked together and built her a toilet recently. As villagers construct toilets together, they also develop a stronger sense of community and help one another. ‘We’re learning to work together… to love each other,’ says Bawili. ‘If there is no love, we cannot build a good society. We used to be ashamed when people shouted abuse as we walked to the bush. I’m so happy to have a toilet next to the house now.’

If you would like to learn more about Bawili family’s story please watch the following video about their journey.

We are proud to have received UK Bathrooms sponsors certificate for April.

These are the countries that we supported this month!

If you would like to support a family like Bawili, you can support through Toilet Twining.

UK Bathrooms believes that we have a social responsibility to make the world a better place.
Starting from this month, we are supporting Toilet Twinning.

In many countries, people are still living in extreme poverty and don’t have access to clean water and decent toilets.
They have not been taught about hygiene. Worldwide, nearly 1,000 children die daily from preventable diseases linked to dirty water and unsafe toilets. 2.3 billion people don’t have a safe and hygienic place to go to the toilet. This robs people of their health – and their dignity.

What is Toilet Twinning?

Toilet Twinning is a charity campaign founded in 2010 to help tackle the global water and sanitation crisis. They work in 25 countries across three continents: Africa, Asia and Latin America. They focus on the world’s poorest communities, which are often in volatile and conflict-affected countries.

Toilet Twinning raises funds to provide clean water, proper toilets and hygiene education – a fundamental combination that avoids the spread of disease, decreases the number of deaths among children, and gives hope for the future. The campaign invites people to ‘twin’ their toilet at home or work with a latrine overseas and so sponsor a toilet for a family abroad.

How do we support Toilet Twinning?

It costs £60 to twin a toilet and UK Bathrooms donates £600 each month to the campaign. This is equivalent to twinning 120 toilets a year. We believe that, by contributing to Toilet Twinning, we can make a real difference to struggling families and help flush away poverty.

Which countries are we supporting?

Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guatemala, Honduras, Ivory Coast,
Liberia, Malawi, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

These are the toilets that we twinned this month!

If you would like to twin a toilet, visit the Toilet Twinning website.

In the times we live in there is an undeniable volume of evidence explaining Global Warming,
Climate-Change effects and other associated environmental issues.

As a company, we are conscious of the impact our packaging has on the environment.
We have researched the best environmentally friendly packaging solutions available,
so we can get your products to you safely -but not at the expense of the planet and future generations.

How do we improve?

As a bathroom retailer, we need to ensure that often fragile (glass and ceramic) bathroom products
are delivered safe and well -protected to our customers.
However, at the same time, we want to use green packing materials that are not harmful to the environment.

Striking this balance has been challenging, but we are now proud to announce we are now using bio-degradable bubble wrap
and essential packaging product for us used extensively to protect and encapsulate your new branded-bathroom products before dispatch.
Furthermore, the boxes and pallet protectors we use are all made from 100% recycled material.
The timbers for the pallet are from a sustainable and renewable source.
They are also fully recyclable and will decompose.

Some DIY Ideas

If you fancy a bit of DIY and arts and crafts, there are plenty of projects to take on that use old wooden pallets.
A browse through Pinterest should spark your imagination: here

We would love to see all of our packagings to be reused, recycled or composted at the end of its journey,
and aim to have 100% of our packaging recyclable or compostable.
If you have any pallet projects you would like to share with us we would love to see your photos!
Simply email us at [email protected]