The first blog in a series by our Sustainable Building Blog series by our Interior Designer Emily
Most people have heard a lot lately from our social media posts about the increase in awareness of sustainable methods and designs in the construction industry. These sustainable considerations have the potential to have an incredible influence on not only the environmental impact of producing the materials used, combating construction waste extravagance but it can also directly affect your internal living environment, not to mention those ever-increasing energy bills.
In this next series of blogs and newsletters I’m going to draw your attention to the quite often forgotten component of sustainable construction…. Interiors
When going to such dedicated lengths to build the structure of the home sustainably it makes sense to then decorate it and fill it in the same manner. However, information regarding the possible options and best choices isn’t always so easy to come by.
Therefore, I’m here to amend that, starting with Tapware and Plumbing Fittings.
The first brand I’d like to draw your attention to is an Australian made Tapware company based right here in Melbourne, Sussex. Who being the only Australian manufacturer with a foundry, melt and reuse all the material which is mostly recycled brass shavings so that nothing goes to waste. Not only are they very conscientious regarding manufacturing, they are also motivated in an ongoing pursuit of overall sustainability which is evident by the fact that they track and monitor the energy used during the manufacturing process and have an aim to reduce their consumption by approximately 10% annually. Adding to this, they have installed solar panels covering two thirds of the factory roof space (approximately 2,000 square meters equaling 100kW) and have a long-term desire to be carbon neutral with ISO 14001. This makes my heart sing.
And they make beautiful taps!
Each tap is honed by the artisans in the Melbourne workshop allowing for next level customisation, offering the ability to mix the colour components or creating bespoke dimensions and specifications to meet any installation challenge. Which to me demonstrates thoughtful and quality craftsmanship and business values.
My Favorite
Sussex Scala Range which also features in my recommended Gold Range with Reece.
Next is Grohe who lists sustainability as one of the four key pillars of their business, the others being quality, technology and design. Grohe prides itself on being recognised as a sustainably focused company and view it as their ‘responsibility towards people and the environment’.
Grohe recently took out Germany’s Top Sustainability in Big Business Award in 2016 and is also the first manufacturer within this industry to state a declaration of conformity with the German Sustainability code.
Grohe have implemented various technologies to assist in saving water, energy usage and material resource consumption, with their products being made from 80% recycled materials. They state that their products ‘should allow a responsible and safe consumption of water and energy’ by the consumer. I was also impressed by their belief that the entire life cycle of the product should be considered and that all of their products are designed with longevity in mind, which is not a mindset you find very often in the world of sales.
Check Out.
Grohe Eurosmart (4*)
or Essence(5*) Ranges also available at Reece.
And thirdly, Roca who not only have an innovative new cold start technology with their taps but they are also the founder and main promoter of the ‘We are Water’ Foundation whose mission it is to promote and conduct various actions globally to counter the negative consequences of a lack of quality water.
Now if you’re like me, I like my Mixer taps to be kept in the centre as it’s neater and much more aesthetically pleasing. However, what many people don’t realise is that if the tap is turned on from this position, in most taps it automatically triggers the hot water service to start up. Even if you never feel the warmth in the water whilst washing your hands, the fact remains that energy is used unnecessarily in that moment.
Yes, it’s quite a small amount of wasted energy at the time, however if you add that up over multiple times per day it can end up having an impact. With Roca’s cold start technology, the centre point is cold water and hot water is only initiated once the tap is fully turned to the left. Simple really, yet very clever.
Top Pick.
And Roca L20 Ranges
These are just a handful of the progressive thinking companies that are dedicated to making quality products that essentially won’t cost our Earth. The next time you are out ‘tap shopping I’d love to encourage you to just ask the questions. Is it water efficient and what are the company’s sustainable policies? The more these kind of products are requested, the more we will find on offer.