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]