It’s never been more important to look for environmentally friendly solutions, and house décor is no exception. Whilst your bathroom is often the smallest room in your house, opting for eco-friendly designs and features can have a big impact.   

Choose sustainable materials  

If you’re renovating your bathroom, now is a good time to decide what materials you want to use. Fortunately, there are plenty of sustainable options and you won’t have to compromise on style either. 

There are many different materials out there, but perhaps the most sustainable building material of choice is natural stone. This has become increasingly popular as not only is it a natural material, but it looks stunning too. Offering a luxury feel and a spa-like experience, stone baths and basins are normally made from sedimentary stone compounds. So, whilst they may be an investment piece, they’re designed to last, unlike plastic alternatives. 

If you do decide on stone, be aware that natural stone can be porous and that you will need to seal it on a regular basis to ensure it doesn’t leak. Failing to keep on top of sealing can cause leaks and actually leave your bath with stains caused by impurities in the water. Staining regularly can be costly (as well as time-consuming) so ensure you’ve done your research and would be prepared for that type of commitment before you purchase. 

When deciding on your materials, another option is to recycle and upcycle. This can include salvaging second hand pieces or laying down reclaimed wooden flooring. Black cherry, maple, and oak are great as not only do they look fantastic, they’re also extremely hard wearing. Choosing reclaimed wood can also save you money so it’s a win for you and the planet! 

How to save water in your bathroom 

Saving water is one of the best ways to reduce your impact on the environment. There are a few different ways you can do this. 

Dual toilets 

Whilst dual flush toilets are now the norm in most modern bathrooms, we often don’t think about how much better they are for the environment. Toilet flushing is approximately 1/3 of water used in the average home, with older styles of toilets using up to 14 litres of water. In comparison dual flush toilets, use as little as 2.6 litres per flush.  

If your bathroom still has an older toilet, replacing it with a new dual flush model is a fantastic way to immediately make your bathroom more eco-friendly. 

Bath or shower? 

Whilst all of us enjoy a nice bubbly soak in the bath, if sustainability is your focus, choose a shower instead and consider how long you spend in there. Be aware though that some power showers can actually use more water than baths, so make sure your shower has an aerating or low flow shower head. These can save as much as 6 litres of water per minute, reducing your environmental impact and your water bill.  

Energy efficient lighting  

Ensuring your lighting is as efficient as possible is another great way to create a sustainable bathroom. If you have halogen downlights, consider changing them to LED downlights which are more energy efficient.  

For the light fixtures themselves, you may think that sustainable equals boring, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Nowadays, there are plenty of creative designs with some brands even crafting their lights from recycled materials to create unique and quirky pieces that are sure to dazzle any visitors to your home. 

Choose products with less plastic packaging  

There’s no point in creating an eco-friendly bathroom if you then cram it full of products in plastic bottles. Research shows that bathroom products make up to as much as 40% of all landfill waste and will take hundreds of years to decompose. Luckily in today’s world there are plenty of plastic free swaps for all of your bathroom products. 

Instead of bottles of soap and shower gel, use bars of soap – just make sure it comes in sustainable packaging! There are lots of scents and styles to choose from and an increasing number of brands are now offering refill services which often works out as more cost efficient.   

Another increasing problem when it comes to bathroom products is disposable razors. A jaw dropping 2 billion are sent to landfill every year, so investing in a reusable razor will make a big impact. This is not only likely to result in a better shave as you’re using a more sophisticated product but could also save you money as you won’t be constantly replacing your razor. 

Understandably it is hard to ditch the plastic completely, so if you do have to buy products with plastic packaging, make sure you recycle them. To help with this, you can set up a recycling basket directly in your bathroom to ensure plastic doesn’t get mixed in with bathroom waste. 

Consider a bidet 

These aren’t commonly found in British bathrooms and they may seem counter intuitive as many are under the assumption they use more water than toilet paper. However, the creation of toilet paper not only involves chopping down substantial amounts of trees, but it is also a water intensive process.  

Installing a bidet will help you reduce the amount of toilet paper needed, further reducing your impact on the natural world.  

We now sell from both Villeroy & Boch and VitrA WC’s which have a washing facility built in. If you’re completely renovating your bathroom, these are a great option to have put in as you won’t need to then purchase a separate bidet attachment.  

Thinking about overhauling your bathroom to be more eco-friendly or just want to add some environmentally friendly fixtures? Contact us or pop along to our showroom in Coventry for some personalised advice.