The Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) has revealed the winners of its Sustainability Awards 2022
The winners for the BMA’s second Sustainability Awards event were announced on November 3 at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester. The ceremony was hosted by BMA chief executive Tom Reynolds.
In his opening address, Reynolds said that “behind every entry, across all categories, is a passionate effort to reduce this industry’s impact on our planet”.
The first BMA Sustainability Awards took place in 2021 and they are meant to “recognise the phenomenal hard work taking place across our industry… by manufacturers who are changing things for the better”. The BMA added: “This is a priority topic in our industry and these awards, unique in the trade association world, are just one way we are demonstrating our commitment to breaking new ground.”
Entries for the awards were open to all full BMA members and affiliates and were independently judges by a panel of industry experts, academics, representatives from NGOs and journalists, including kbbreview managing editor Andrew Davies. Judges praised the standard of this year’s entries, which were described by one judge as “inspiring”.
There were six categories:
The Early Journey Award. Winner: Be Modern
This award recognises companies that have taken early strides towards a more environmentally-friendly business model. Judges said: “The winning entry was systematic and methodical, changing low-hanging fruit while looking at the bigger picture. The entry epitomises what this category is about.”
The Workplace Initiative Award. Winner: Mira Showers
This category recognises initiatives that bring team on to the green journey. Mira was praised for its “bottom-up approach by using their energy and enthusiasm to promote sustainability initiatives within the organisation”.
The Special Commendation Award. Winner: Roman Showers
This category was introduced for entries that didn’t match the particular criteria of any one category. Roman was praised for its “comprehensive contribution to sustainability”.
The Circular Economy Award. Winner: Grohe
This award recognises companies’ efforts in materials, stewardship and reducing or removing ware and designing products with repairability in mind. The judges praised Grohe for “going about this with commitment and rigour, setting new standards for the bathroom industry in the process and the built environment as a whole”.
The Special Recognition for Driving Behaviour Change. Winner: Triton Showers
This category recognises efforts to drive change among consumer behaviour and encourage them to make more sustainable choices.
The Carbon Reduction Award. Winner: Mira Showers
This award recognises companies’ strides to reduce their carbon impact. This was the second award to be given to Mira Showers. Judges awarded it for its “simple and effective innovation to help building developers and homeowners drive down emissions from hot water use”.
The Water Efficiency Award. Winner: Cistermiser
This category recognises innovations that maintain consumers’ bathroom experience, while improving water efficiency. Judges praised Cistermiser for its “new and novel approach”.
In his closing remarks, Reynolds said: “Thanks to our category sponsors, UKE, Elemental, Installer, NBS and the Unified Water Label, our panel of judges for ensuring independence and integrity, and thank you to everyone in this room for your entries and, more importantly, the effort you put into sustainability every single day.
“It’s tough, but bit by bit, year by year, we are transforming this industry to do its bit for the planet.”