Creating a More Eco-Friendly Bathroom

Now more than ever, we are all trying to do our bit for the environment whether that be eating less meat, recycling, reusing our plastic bags or driving electric cars. As a result, you may be thinking about how you can harness your inner eco-warrior in the bathroom. If you’re about to embark on a bathroom renovation or simply looking for ways to make your daily bathroom use more eco-friendly, we have a few useful tips to help you get started!

1. What Eco-friendly Bathroom Materials to Use?

When planning a new bathroom, the many considerations you are faced with are unsurprisingly overwhelming. If keeping it eco-friendly is important to you, it’s reassuring to know that there are options available that are kinder to the planet.

Au Natural

Often referred to as the sustainable building material of choice, natural stone has now also become widely popular in the bathroom. Nothing quite says luxury spa like a natural stone freestanding bath. We supply a beautiful range of natural stone baths and basins from Clearwater. Made from purely milled sedimentary stone compound these products are not only stunning but made to last.

Steel

Steel is a great eco-friendly alternative to acrylic. It is a natural material so it is fully recyclable at the point you need to replace it. The benefits of a steel bath go beyond its sustainability. Steel is not only highly durable, it is also excellent at retaining heat, meaning you can stay in the tub that little while longer. Win, win!

Exclusively made in Germany, Bette steel baths each have a verified Environmental Product Declaration. They are produced completely solvent and chemical free and boast a long life, giving them a first-rate life cycle assessment. With all these benefits, don’t think it means you have to compromise on style. Bette Baths are sleek in design and each style has its own unique intricacies.

Cleargreen

Britton Bathrooms have also taken measures to be friendlier to the environment in the manufacturing of their Cleargreen Baths. These acrylic baths are made with 30% recycled material and built to withstand a weight of 2.3 tonnes!

2. How to Save Water in the Bathroom

Dual flush toilets

Dual flush toilets are pretty common place in modern bathrooms but we may not often stop to think about how much better they are for the environment.

“Toilet flushing accounts for 1/3 of water used in the home today; one toilet flush using an older style toilet uses 14 litres of water. … Dual flush models use as little as 2.6 and 4 litres per flush, so only 20% compared with older toilets.” The Green Age

It might be time for an upgrade! If you prefer a traditional style, you don’t have to opt for a push button flush mechanism, Burlington and Arcade offer the more traditional lever style with dual flush capability, you simply lift the lever for a lighter flush and push the lever down for the greater flush.

If you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to your older toilet, you do have the option of adding a dual flush mechanism to it for very little cost.

Turn that tap off!

Whether you’re brushing your teeth or shaving, turning the tap off while you do so is vitally important in reducing water wastage. A YouGov US poll last year revealed that 1 in 3 people left the tap running while brushing their teeth and according to Waterwise.org this wastes roughly 6 litres per minute! Make sure you haven’t got any leaking taps, toilets or showers too because this will cause unexpected high water use and could cause your bills to skyrocket!

Shower vs Bath

We love a good long soak in the tub as much as the next person but if you want to use less water, it might be worth saving them as a special treat and opting for the shower on a day to day basis instead. When you do want to indulge in a bath though, why not reuse your bath water for feeding plants?

Click here for more information on how you can more effectively reduce your water usage

3. Use More Natural Cleaning Products

Are you feeling concerned about all those nasty chemicals in your staple cleaning products? Well don’t worry, in many cases there’s an effective natural alternative that will keep your bathroom sparkling. Reducing your use of chemical cleaning products is not only friendlier to the environment, it is kinder on your bank balance too. A few trusted products tend to be reusable for various cleaning purposes and most of us already have them in our kitchen cupboards!

Hint: Vinegar, Lemon Juice and Bicarbonate of Soda are your best friends just be careful about mixing them together.

For great tips on natural cleaning, read our how to guide from environmentalist Anders Lorenzen: Natural Vs. Chemical Cleaning Products; Which Is Best?